Originally beginning his studies at Michigan State University, Atchison was first an economics major. However, he had an affinity for the medical field and spent his time volunteering at the Cristo Rey Clinic in Lansing, Mich. In addition to his time at the clinic, he also spent time performing research at his father’s pharmacology lab and Dr. Gregory Fink’s lab at Michigan State University.

Working in a research laboratory quickly became a passion for Atchison.

“Working in a research environment has helped me develop attributes that would benefit me as a physician. It has forced me to develop higher-level critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills,” Atchison said.

In 2006, he came to Wayne State University School of Medicine and enrolled in the M.D./Ph.D. program. The third-year student from Mason, Mich., is completing his first year of graduate training with William Beierwaltes, Ph.D., at Henry Ford Hospital.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Beierwaltes, he has focused his research on studying a specific hormone known as renin, which is secreted by the kidneys.

“The hormone renin has a profound effect on a person’s blood pressure. By studying this hormone, we will be able to find new ways to combat cardiovascular diseases,” said Atchison.

In accordance with the requirements of the M.D./Ph.D. program, Atchison had to apply for external funding. Based upon his outstanding work, he ultimately received a fellowship.

The fellowship, which covers tuition expenses and other fees, is specifically with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

“The fellowship assists students who have an interest in kidney studies. It provides me with opportunities to develop my skills as both a physician and researcher for my future career,” said Atchison.

Also known as the Cloister Program, the fellowship was established in 1985 to give outstanding students at U.S. medical schools the opportunity to receive research training at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. This year the program accepted 42 students who are interested in receiving elite research training and who have demonstrated an interest in pursuing a research-driven career. The fellowship offers a year-long immersion research experience at the National Institutes of Health sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Students live, conduct research and attend lectures at the NIH campus. The first month students may rotate among labs they find attractive, and then spend the year working with a principal investigator at a lab of their choosing.

Mangus, 25, is a third-year medical student from Orchard Lake, Mich. She completed her undergraduate work at Albion College.

During the summer of 2007, Mangus spent two months at the National Cancer Institute/NIH conducting a research project related to the role of IGF-R in the pathology and treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of skeletal muscle cells that often affects younger children. As an undergraduate, she spent a summer at the Karmanos Cancer Institute investigating folate metabolism and genetic mutation in Down Syndrome and associated myeloproliferative disorders.

While Mangus has been interested in medicine since childhood, the treatment of a family member caused that spark to ignite.

“My interest grew in high school when my young cousin was diagnosed with leukemia. I accompanied him on his chemo visits and shadowed his primary oncologist on several occasions,” she explained. “Eventually, I pursued a pre-med concentration in college and then applied to medical school. My cousin is now in remission and healthy.”

That experience has led to her ongoing pursuit of a career in pediatric oncology. After graduation, Mangus wants to pursue a residency in pediatrics, followed by a fellowship in hematology-oncology. Her goal is a career that combines patient care and scientific research.

During her first and second years of medical school, Mangus was involved in Amigos Medicos, first as a member, then as director of Language Education. The student organization seeks to improve the health and well-being of underserved members of the local Hispanic population by providing free health education in the community as well as Spanish language instruction for future physicians. She also volunteered at Children’s Hospital through the Arie Foundation and Pediatric Interest Group, an outreach program dedicated to helping children with cancer. Additionally, she served as a volunteer translator (Spanish-English) at Covenant Community Clinic in Detroit.

Mangus selected the School of Medicine because of its “outstanding reputation for clinical education and training.” Also, she was eager to train in an urban environment, and her grandfather, John Ronayne, graduated from the School of Medicine in 1950, and “was an excellent physician.”

“I was taken by the idea that someone could actually 'fix something' inside of one's head,” he said. After the surgery, Beaumont’s mother provided him with a copy of the operative report of the surgery. “I read it in its entirety, several times over, despite the fact that I understood very little. This was the first time I considered a career as a surgeon.”

He began shadowing doctors at various hospitals in addition to working as a volunteer on the bone marrow transplant unit at Karmanos Cancer Institute.

“Immediately I knew medicine was the right choice,” he said.  “While I was fond of the science of it, equally as appealing was the human element. The patients on the BMT unit spanned all ages and had one thing in common -- they were all very sick. Being able to be part of a patient's life at such an intimate moment was the most fulfilling experience I had ever had.”

Beaumont entered the Wayne State University M.D./Ph.D. program  in 2001. He completed his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at WSU before receiving his Ph.D. from the Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, at the School of Medicine. His Ph.D. dissertation, titled "Defining the human epileptic transcriptome," was carried out using human brain tissue surgically removed from children with medically refractory epilepsy being treated at Children's Hospital of Michigan.

“I wouldn't do medicine without science, and I wouldn't do science without medicine. I see them as integral aspects of one another,” Beaumont said. “I wanted to attend a school that offered exceptional clinical training but also had strength in research and the basic sciences. Having thoroughly enjoyed my research experiences as an undergraduate, I was also interested in pursuing a Ph.D., preferably in a combined program. Thus, Wayne State was a perfect match.”

Beaumont continues to pursue studies in neuroscience for both clinical practice as well as research. He has worked in neuroscience-oriented research laboratories since the first semester of his undergraduate education and has had the opportunity to observe many neurosurgical procedures.

“From the very first time I saw the living human brain, pulsating with each heart beat, I immediately fell in love with it,” he explained. “It was quite simply the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I was taken by the notion that somewhere within its complex meshwork of cells and synapses lies the origin of who we are.”

After graduation, Beaumont hopes to begin a residency in neurological surgery.

“I'm interested in an a career as a clinician-scientist, where I can combine surgical skills and scientific training to treat patients and conduct translational research on functional brain disorders such as epilepsy and behavioral disorders.”

The NMF, founded in 1946, exists to increase the number of underrepresented minority physicians in the United States. The organization provides scholarships to boost the numbers of minority physicians, educators, researchers, policy makers and health care administrators; train minority medical students to address the needs of their communities, and educate the public and policy makers about health problems in underserved populations.

Postell, 27, originally from Huber Heights, Ohio, and now living in Auburn Hills, completed her undergraduate studies at Oakland University.

She said she will apply the $4,000 scholarship toward tuition and expenses.

Postell became interested in medicine as a child, when her grandparents died of cancer. “My grandparents died beginning when I was 4 years old, which did not allow me the opportunity of remembering much of them,” she said.

She is interested in surgical oncology because of the battle her grandparents fought.

The newly elected 2009-10 secretary for the Black Medical Association/Student National Medical Association Black Medical Association, Postell is also a member of the Surgery Interest Group, the American Medical Association and the Christian Medical Association. Outside of medical school, she serves as president of a weekly tutoring and mentoring program for students of all ages in Pontiac. She also volunteers at the Mercy Place free clinic in Pontiac.

“I chose the Wayne State University School of Medicine because the university chose me when I thought that I was not good enough to become a physician and because of the awesome training in the Detroit metro area,” Postell said.

“This was my first real exposure to medicine as a career, and what I came away with from this experience is the intrinsic meaningfulness of the medical profession, i.e. the ability to help others, that in my opinion most other career paths lack,” he explained.

Mr. Ulgen is president of the School of Medicine’s Board of Student Organizations (BSO), which serves as a liaison to the Student Senate and administration on behalf of student organizations. The entity also works to create opportunities for intra-organization cooperation, including such events as the Student Orgs Fair during New Student Orientation, the student group sponsoring of Orientation Week social events and the Ethnic Fair, he said.

The BSO this year created a webstite – http://www.med.wayne.edu/bso/ -- for student organization leadership, created a database of contact information of all organizations and worked to streamline intra-organizational events.

In addition, Mr. Ulgen is treasurer of the World Health Student Organization, and serves on the Social Work Committee for the Student Run Free Clinic, which organizers hope to have open and running by fall 2009.

While unsure of his career pursuits after graduation, he is interested in cardiology and surgery. “What draws me to cardiology is the need for qualified cardiologists to deal with the high morbidity rates of heart disease that plagues our country. I also think that the heart is just a fascinating organ.”

After graduation, he plans to devote time each year caring for underserved patient populations at home and abroad. He hopes to work with Doctors Without Borders.

Mr. Ulgen selected Wayne State University for his medical training for a variety of reasons. “The School of Medicine is a fabulous research institution as evidenced by its ranking in the top 25 of medical schools in terms of National Institutes of Health funding,” he said. “Another reason is the top-notch clinical training at affiliated hospitals, which provide diverse learning environments and a chance to serve the underserved populations of Detroit.”