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Robin Sebastian, MD Class of 2009
I grew up in a very small, isolated town called Mackay in Idaho. How small and isolated? Well, when I went to medical school the population dropped to 501 and the nearest Wal-Mart is 80 miles away. (Yes, places like this still exist in the continental US.) So how does a girl from the mountains of Idaho end up in the hills of Pennsylvania? Enter my husband, Jason. He grew up in Vermont and when I said I wanted to experience a new part of the United States, he swore up and down that "Pennsylvania is beautiful! You'll love it there!" We came, we interviewed, and I admitted that he was right. That's the short story of how we came to PA; the longer one actually starts in Mackay, where my interest in medicine stemmed out of the lack of medical care in the area; Wal-Mart is closer than the hospital and most people go to the local grocery store to talk to the head EMT for medical attention. My ultimate goal is to return to a town like Mackay and if nothing else, save its residents some gas money! I went to college at Northwest Nazarene University, where I spent most of my time in the science building and the rest of my time doing….well, lots of things. I learned to fence, was sports editor of the paper, worked at the library, was a peer counselor, and got to know many wonderful people, who taught me that there is a lot more to a person than his or her job. After college, I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah for many reasons. First, University of Utah was my first choice for a medical school and second, I had a friend already attending the U who needed a roommate. If I went anywhere else, I'd have to find a job and an apartment, if I went to Salt Lake, I only had to find a job. I spent one year working in the R&D department of a hot chocolate factory (yum!) and then entered medical school. It was in Utah where I met my previously-mentioned husband Jason, who is now in charge of most of my extra-curricular activities. We like rock climbing, hiking, swing dancing, basketball, camping, frisbee, movies, strategy games, our families, and most of all being around other people (which works out well for our families). I also like reading, but let's face it, its really only a one person activity. In the medical field, my interests are rural medicine, women's health, sports medicine, and international medicine. AFP is a great place to get the skills and knowledge I need and to continue developing into what I hope and Jason assures me, is an interesting human being. |
