Called to Medicine

Blake stands outside of the Yale School of Medicine

Senior Blake Pate spent his summer days on a college campus other than the one he calls “home.” Instead of his familiar hill in Dallas, Pate walked the halls of Yale School of Medicine as he had the opportunity to intern with DBU alumnus and Yale Affiliate, Dr. Carlos Oliveira, on the HPV Effectiveness Project.

Prior to accepting this internship, Pate spent the past few years growing in his knowledge to prepare him for the medical world.

“Given the fact that the research I am doing is specifically about infectious disease,” shared Pate, “the principles and terminology I learned through classes such as microbiology with Dr. Debra Hinson have prepared me well with a background in this field. Dr. Dion Fleitas’ statistics class also prepared well me for the different types of data analysis and hypothesis testing that are used in many of the studies being conducted today.”

Leading into his senior year, two of his professors, Dr. Hinson along with Dr. Curtis Lee, presented him with the rare and prestigious chance to intern at Yale School of Medicine. In May, Pate packed his bags and started the long drive to New Haven.

Pate explained, “During my internship, I was primarily doing biostatistical research. When I was not doing research, I was either attending clinical conferences where physicians presented recent peculiar cases or I was shadowing physicians at Yale New Haven Hospital with either the infectious disease team or the trauma team.”

While all Pate learned was certainly notable, it was the long-lasting impact of Dr. Oliveira that proved to be the most influential part of the experience.

“Dr. Oliveira and his wife are both physicians in the Yale network and they both sought to provide me the best experience this summer that they possibly could,” Pate recalled. “They not only taught me much about medicine and academia, but also what it means to pursue the cross of Jesus Christ wholeheartedly. I have been humbled by their work ethic and blessed by their generosity.”

Returning to University Hill this fall, both the experience gained and the relationships built have stayed with Pate. As he finishes up his college career on the hill, Pate has his eyes set on medical school, with hopes to pursue a surgical specialty that allows him to grow in his heart for research.

Written by Helen Schlenker

Helen Schlenker is a member of University Communications at Dallas Baptist University.