Support for med school
05/09/2023
In preparation for a career in health care, Caleb Bell became an EMT, participated in a summer research program at St Rita鈥檚 and shadowed several doctors.
Dr. John Kraft Award recipient
Caleb Bell, a pre-medicine and biology double major from Logan, Ohio, has a passion for helping people and the drive to succeed. So, it鈥檚 no surprise the 2023 Bluffton University graduate is headed to medical school.
Bell will continue a family legacy in health care when he begins classes in August at Ohio University鈥檚 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.
鈥淚鈥檝e always known I wanted to go into health care,鈥 said Bell. 鈥淏eing a doctor will provide me a challenge. It鈥檚 something different every day that will allow me to continue making a difference.鈥
Bell is the latest recipient of the Dr. John Kraft Award at Bluffton. Each year, the $5,000 loan/grant supports a student who enrolls in medical school with the loan being canceled upon completion of the first year of medical school.
He chose Bluffton because of its small class sizes and the community atmosphere.
鈥淚 liked the interactions I had with the professors,鈥 said Bell. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to talk with the faculty here. If I didn鈥檛 understand something, I felt comfortable asking about it.鈥
He especially enjoyed Dr. Angela Montel鈥檚 immunology class and appreciated the overall difficulty of Bluffton鈥檚 science classes.
鈥淚 feel like the rigor of the coursework, specifically the biology classes, and the pace has prepared me for medical school,鈥 explained Bell. 鈥淲e went through a lot.鈥
To gain additional experience in the health care, he shadowed several doctors including primary care physicians, an orthopedic surgeon and a pain management doctor. Bell also participated in a summer research opportunity at Mercy Health St. Rita鈥檚 Medical Center and took classes to become an EMT.
鈥淚t was fun. I gained a lot of hands-on experience,鈥 said Bell. 鈥淚 got certified in CPR and bleeding control and went on some runs and rotations in the ER. It definitely exposed me to a lot of different situations including interacting with patients.鈥
Outside of class, he was a member of C. Henry Scholars, served as a Learning Resource Center tutor and attended Science Club events. Bell, along with his twin brother Coby, initially played basketball for the Beavers, but Caleb chose to focus on his academics starting in his junior year.
