Left to Right: Emily Vollmer, Matthew Johnson, Frank Calma, John Curran
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By: Theraysa J. Richardi
Its 7:00 a.m. on a summer morning and a
sleepy-eyed college student, on break for the summer, has already
had breakfast, commuted to Oakland, dressed for surgery and
witnessed a patient prepped for a total hip replacement. This
sequence is no MTV special, but an inimitable reality for four
lucky bay area undergraduate students.
Every summer Dr. Mac Reynolds hosts the Jackson Arthritis Center’s Douglas Dickson Intern Program. The Douglas Dickson Intern Program is a unique internship offered to select undergraduate students interested in a medical career. These pre-medical students are given the opportunity to learn first-hand what it means to be a physician. From shadowing a surgeon in the operating room to participating in an original research study, these stellar individuals are exposed to the true world of medicine.
This year’s interns: Frank Calma, John
Curran, Matt Johnson and Emily Vollmer spent over six weeks with
Dr. Reynolds. They learned the intricacies of what it takes
to be a compassionate surgeon. The students worked long
hours, reassured scared patients, and learned about various
disease states. Each intern had their own niche, and each
one of them made a difference in the eyes of the patients and
staff. It is a mutually beneficial relationship where
everybody involved gains. “This internship gives
us the ability to see right to the heart of medicine. We
are given so much responsibility, it is amazing to think back on
how I was before this [internship] and how much more confident
and knowledgeable I am now” states Frank Calma.
Congratulations Interns and Good Luck to all
of you on your future endeavors!
The Jackson Arthritis Center.