Opening doors to opportunities in the health field
Tammy LaRue’s door is always open. Her network in the medical field of health is vast. And her care for each individual student is clear.
“With each student, I’m trying to find out what are your gifts, what are your strengths, what are your pitfalls, what are the things that make you tick and are going to make you excited and make you stay for the long haul,” said LaRue.
LaRue, a medical doctor with several years of practice under her belt, now serves as director of pre-health advising for Calvin. She understands that each student has their own unique path, and she’s determined to help them find it.
“I’m really trying to investigate who the person in front of me is and help them make a plan that fits for them,” said LaRue.
Proven track record
As a medical doctor who has taken the MCATs, applied to and gone through medical school, and practiced medicine for years, she’s been there, done that.
“I think my experience lends itself really well to our students,” said LaRue, who admits having a medical doctor as a pre-health advisor isn’t common at most peer institutions. “I think that’s a huge advantage for Calvin students because I’ve already walked the path that they’re about to take.”
While LaRue understands the path to the medical field well, her journey there was less than textbook. She graduated from Calvin in 1998 with a recreation degree, spent a few years as a youth pastor before returning to get a master’s degree in counseling from Western Michigan University. She worked as a private practice counselor for several years before returning to get her MD from the MSU College of Human Medicine. She practiced for several years as a pediatrician in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before returning to her alma mater in her pre-health advisor role.
Vast network, growing market
“I did my residency at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital so everyone I went to medical school is infiltrated throughout the whole community,” said LaRue. “I have a ton of connections in Grand Rapids.”
And that bodes well for Calvin students especially considering Grand Rapids is rich in medical resources and facilities, and the opportunities for students and graduates are vast and expanding. This past month it was announced that a 780,000 square foot medical facility is being added to Grand Rapids’ already robust medical mile downtown.
And while opportunities are expanding in a city considered to be one of the best places to start a career, LaRue says Calvin graduates have and will continue to stand out.
The Calvin difference
“When I was in med school I could tell who the Calvin students were because their ethical reasoning was just beyond other students,” said LaRue. “I get compliments from supervisors and healthcare workers all the time that Calvin students are hard workers, they show up and do what they are supposed to do, but they are also compassionate and oftentimes curious, asking a lot of good questions.”
Are Calvin grads equipped with the necessary technical expertise? Without question. And the data proves it out as Calvin grads are accepted into medical and PA school at double the national average.
But what sets Calvin students apart in the minds of employers isn’t taught out of a textbook but rather integrated throughout classes within and outside one’s major.
“Integrating Christian faith and values is part of everything that we do here, and I think it’s part of why our students are excellent,” said LaRue. “When they go out, they see the missional part of medicine. They see that everyone is made in God’s image and if everyone is an image bearer of God, how do we serve them and how do we serve them well?”
LaRue learned that as a student herself and lived it out since in ministry, counseling, medicine, and now at Calvin as she partners with students and helps them discover where God is leading them next.
“From the time they step on campus we are talking with them about the experiences they can gain which will provide them with a unique, comprehensive, and competitive application portfolio that showcases who they are and why they have chosen their health profession. This gives them an edge during the application process,” said LaRue. “I want to take care of all of them as though they were my kids, to make sure they can reach their goals. That personal interaction is just not something you can get at a big school.”
