Freshman Theresa Gervais already had a head start on her career goal of becoming a pediatric heart surgeon when she came to IU South Bend for her undergraduate pre-med track courses. She has known from a young age that she wanted to be a doctor.
Something pulled me toward medicine, Theresa explains.
As a senior at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Theresa interned with a pediatric cardiologist to combine her interest in medicine and love for children, and found that she was most interested in the heart surgery specialty.
I love kids and want to help them as much as I can, says Theresa. Being a pediatric heart surgeon provides the opportunity for her to make a difference in the lives of children and their parents when they are at their most vulnerable and in need of assurance and support.
When I become a doctor one day, I want parents to feel confident that their kids are in good hands with me and I just want to make kids feel happy at a time they may be scared or upset.
Theresa, who is planning to major in Biology or Chemistry, picked IU South Bend for her undergraduate education because she received a Titan scholarship, allowing her to get an affordable start to her extensive educational journey to become a pediatric heart surgeon.
After earning her undergraduate degree at IU South Bend, Theresa hopes to go on to medical school at Indiana University or University of Chicago. In the meantime, her immediate goal is to focus on her study habits.
This semester, my goal is to figure out how I study best and get into the swing of things, she says.
In her free time, Theresa enjoys exercising and taking care of her two cats.
