UC Clermont student finds meaning in medicine

UC Clermont pre-medicine graduate Luke Ustick conducts research in the college's cancer lab. (Photos by Danny Kidd)
When Milford native Luke Ustick graduated from high school, he didn’t see higher education in his future.
“I was homeschooled, but I didn’t apply myself,” Ustick said. “I never thought I would come to college.”
Instead, he planned to pursue a trade and tried different types of work — in siding, windows, landscaping and concrete — for three years, searching for his path.
“With everything, I always wanted more,” Ustick said.
An avid runner and hiker, Ustick decided to become a physical therapist and began attending the University of Cincinnati Clermont College’s physical therapist assistant program as a launch point. When Ustick’s anatomy and physiology professor, Karen Mathis, invited health professionals to speak to his class about their jobs, he noticed a common thread among them.
“Every one of them chose to do something they enjoyed doing, even though it was hard,” said Ustick. “That stuck with me.”
At the end of his first year at UC Clermont, Ustick loved his biology class so much that his professor, Vicki Gomez-Stallons, recommended Ustick for a research lab position at the college. He spent a year studying cancer stem cells, presented his findings with fellow student Yatra Patel to Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center — and chose to pursue medical school. “I was hooked.”
Now, the aspiring doctor who once thought he would never set foot in a college classroom will begin courses as a medical science student in UC’s College of Medicine this fall. Ustick hopes to eventually work as a physician in geriatrics or surgery.
But first, he landed a role as one of two paid pre-fellows in Cincinnati Children’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, thanks to the Cronin Career Scholars program.
The Cronin Career Scholars program collaborates with on-campus and community organizations to create local internships. Students work part time, learn professional skills and apply what they learn in the classroom to the workplace — in real time. It is the first paid internship program of its kind available to UC Clermont students.
Ustick studied microproteins in the hospital’s cardiology lab — and was ready for the challenge.
“I enjoy physiology and science and want to use this knowledge to diagnose and help people — to change lives — in meaningful ways. Getting hands-on experience now makes it all more real,” said Ustick. “I’m looking for a career that has an impact.”
Learn more about the Cronin Career Scholars co-op program at https://ucclermont.edu/students/careers/cronin-career-scholars-program….
UC Clermont College is in Clermont County on 91 beautifully wooded acres in Batavia Township. The college is an accredited, open-access institution offering more than 60 programs and degrees. UC Clermont is part of the nationally recognized University of Cincinnati. For more information, call (513) 556-5400 or visit www.ucclermont.edu.
Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.