Caring at the Core
Four young doctors describe the moment they found their passion in medicine
At PLU, we talk a lot about finding one’s passion. That has been at the core of the university – and those who have studied here – since its inception. With this in mind, we decided to ask a few alums from a single profession how they came to find their passion.
We asked four young physicians – those who graduated PLU in the ’90s or later – to describe how they came to the profession they love, and the moment they knew that this was their calling.
Dr. Jennifer Aviles ’97
ER Physician, Highline Medical Center, Wash.
“I realized that medicine is an opportunity to care about people different from ourselves.”
Dr. Nathaniel Schlicher ’00
ER Physician, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Tacoma
“I didn’t want to work in a lab. I wanted to care for the whole patient.”
Dr. Jennifer Specht ’94
Oncologist, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
“I work with talented, brilliant, and compassionate colleagues, and the women who fight this disease are truly inspirational.”
Dr. Greg Aune ’97
Pediatric Oncologist, University of Texas at San Antonio
“All the professors had this open door policy. I realized later how rare that was.”