"Focus on others."

Austin West LOVES anatomy -- so much that he pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a doctor... 10,000 miles away from home! Last year, this driven, southern Georgia boy made the decision to pack his bags to move to Brisbane, Australia where he would attend the University of Queensland School of medicine. Connect with our #MCM who is bound to be successful around the world.

1. What's your story? What makes you unique?

I grew up on the line between suburbia and rural Georgia in a town called Alpharetta, just outside of Atlanta. It was a great place to raise a family. I had a great group of friends throughout my childhood that I remain in touch with. I graduated from Milton High School, an enormous public school just down the street from our house. Even in high school, I was set on becoming a doctor. The funny thing was science was one of my least favorite subjects. However, I fell in love with Anatomy and Physiology during my senior year. One class influenced me enough to undertake pre-medical studies at the University of Georgia.

At UGA, I kept busy with a full pre-med course load, two jobs, leadership roles in a fraternity and the men’s rugby team, and interning at the local hospital. I graduated UGA with a degree in Microbiology in May 2014. I made the decision to pack my bags and move to Brisbane, Australia in January 2015 to attend the University of Queensland School of Medicine. The program consists of two years in Australia doing coursework at UQ, followed by two years of rotations at the Ochsner Clinical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Talk about an adventure.

I think what makes my story unique is the transition that took place when I moved to Australia. I lived in the same house for my entire life, never moving out of the local pubic school system. I also went on to attend the state university just an hour from my hometown. Nowadays, that kind of stability is rare. My decision took a Southern boy out of the comfort bubble of Georgia and threw him across the world, 10,000 miles away from family and friends. It was tough. Tougher than I had imagined. However, I am learning SO much more than just medicine by living in another country and couldn’t have made a better decision.

2. What motivates you?

When you ask a medical student this question, you can get a thousand different answers. My personal motivation comes from an experience in Panama in the summer of 2013. During the summers, I would volunteer as a Spanish-English translator for a Christian service group in Panama. That summer, we were in a Sunday church service when one of the leaders of the church collapsed. He had suffered a stroke in the middle of worship service. We were about 3 hours from the closest hospital. He passed away riding in the back seat of a truck on the way to the hospital. Watching someone die in front of you is a powerful event. I had a wave of emotions hit when dealing with this. This memory motivates me to learn all that I can while in medical school so that I can bring healthcare to remote areas and help in such instances.

3. Who is a hero of yours?

Easy. My parents. I know it is a cliché, but if you have ever met my parents, you would agree. My mother cleaned my grandmother’s office when I was younger. Just a simple janitorial service for a family member to make some money for our family. She took that weekend job and grew it into a corporate cleaning service, having clients all over Atlanta. She works long hours, usually taking up a sponge and cleaning the mess of society, literally. She has never been above any job, which is such an admirable quality. My father may be the nicest human being on the planet. He’s worked in software sales for a majority of his career. Sales can generate a cut-throat environment, with coworkers competing against each other instead of focusing on the clients. My father doesn’t care about his numbers. He focuses on building relationships with his clients. Not because he wants their business. He just cares about the actual human being he is talking to. Because of this genuine passion for people, he has been incredible successful in his career. Both of my parents are daily inspirations.

4. What's your future plan? Your goals?

I just want to get through medical school and become a doctor. It is too early to know what field of medicine I want to go into. I love kids so pediatrics is in the back of my mind. As for goals, I have two. First, I want to be the best husband and father that I can be. Family is incredibly important to me, and I want to raise a family of my own. Second, I want to practice medicine on every continent. I have caught the travel bug in the past year and love learning about other cultures and ways of life. I also want to learn another language. There is something about being able to communicate with another entire population that fascinates me.

5. If you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?

Focus on others. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the phrase “pursuit of happiness,” I believe he meant that we have the right to pursue our own happiness. However, I don’t think that is our purpose in life. I don’t think we are owed happiness, nor should we make it a priority. I truly believe that we are meant to serve each other and pursue happiness for those around us. When our world seems to be turning upside-down, our natural instinct is self-pity and worry. During the tough times, focus on other people and help with their problems. This can help prevent you from focusing on the troubles in your life. Also, there is nothing more satisfying than making someone’s day or bringing happiness to someone in need.

6. What is something you feel strongly about (a cause, belief, etc.)?

This last year has confirmed how strongly I feel about the importance of travel. And when I say travel, I don’t mean spending a week partying on a Mexican beach or spending a long weekend skiing at a resort. I mean immersing yourself in another culture, living as the locals. You can learn about other cultures, about your own culture from an outsider’s perspective, and even about yourself. Moving to Australia exposed aspects about my life experiences, culture, strengths, and weaknesses that I would have never discovered back in the States. The benefits of traveling are infinite.

7. What's one of the coolest things you've ever done?

Recently, I traveled to New Zealand for a road trip across the South Island with two friends from medical school. We put 1500 miles on an RV driving all throughout New Zealand. The scenery was spectacular. We kayaked Milford Sound, louged on top of a mountain in Queenstown, heli-whitewater rafted the Shotover River, skied in Central Otago, and stopped everywhere in between. I will never forget the trip. The thrill of all the activities while in a backdrop second to none was the perfect combination. I highly recommend New Zealand to anyone looking for a future destination.

8. Anything we haven't asked that you'd like to talk about.

Thanks to Meredith Dean and the Dean’s List for the feature. I am humbled and honored. Also, thanks to anyone reading this to take the time to hear a bit of my story. If you have any questions about the UQ-Ochsner program, medical school, or travelling, feel free to shoot me an email: austinwest94@gmail.com. Cheers!