Drew Reiter '13 explains why summer research at Wheaton is a unique experience “that you might not get anywhere else.”
When asked about his Wheaton experience, one thing stands out to football player and Applied Health Science major Drew Reiter.
“The relationships, definitely the relationships,” he shares. “From the football team to students in my major, it’s a very encouraging environment.” He also includes in this category relationships with his professors. “I’ve enjoyed my professors, inside and outside the classroom, and that’s something you won’t get at another school, but you’ll get at Wheaton.”
This summer, Drew worked side by side with Applied Health Science professor Dr. Brian Hunt, studying the physiological responses adults have to stress tests in the hopes of creating a uniform stress test that can be more easily comparable.
Drew’s interest in research was first sparked in Dr. Hunt’s Human Physiology and Applied Physiology classes last year. When considering his summer plans, he contacted Dr. Hunt about further research opportunities. They started their study on stress tests as an independent study in the spring, and Drew received a summer research fellowship to stay in Wheaton for the summer. Drew had the opportunity to present their data at a national medical conference in June.
When he arrived at Wheaton, Drew wasn’t sure what his major would be, but he knew he wanted to go into medicine in some capacity. He chose Applied Health Science, a popular Wheaton major for students interested in the healthcare field, and he will be applying to medical school next year.
“I was interested in sports medicine and wanted to help athletes. I did an internship this past spring with an orthopedic surgeon, and I learned a lot.” Drew says moving forward, he would like to pursue pediatrics. “Wheaton has definitely prepared me well.”