Spotlight on spectacular students
of the Medical School (continued)

By Darla Brown

Michael Merrick, 4th Year
The Woodlands, TX (hometown)

FYI about Michael: Went to Rice University on a football scholarship

Award received: Texas Medical Liability Trust Memorial Scholarship

Why is this award important to you? I was overjoyed to find out that I was awarded the scholarship. My wife and I have a 10-month-old little boy, and our finances were getting tight, so this was a huge blessing!

What will it help you to achieve? Mostly it will help finance the cost of interviewing for residency positions (flights, hotels, rental cars, etc.).

Why do you think you won it? I think that I was able to effectively outline and communicate the ethical dilemmas involved in the essay prompt.

How competitive was this award? There was one winner from each Texas medical school.

What has been the most challenging part of medical school? Getting through the basic science years was the toughest part of medical school for me. While I knew they were necessary and vital to my education, I was anxious to get in the hospital and help patients.

What are your plans after medical school? To pursue a career in orthopaedic surgery. This fall, I spent four months at out-of-town programs to visit their orthopaedic surgery programs. My family and I would love to stay at UT-Houston, but mostly I want to match to a good orthopaedic program.