Meet Maika Dang
Major: Basic medical science
Goal: Medical school
Maika plans to become an emergency-room doctor, a career choice that stems from his natural interests in medicine and science—and from his experience at WSU.
He knew from the start that he wanted his studies to reflect his interests, but quickly found that the first major he explored wasn’t a good fit for him, so after looking at the University’s wide array of options, he decided to study in the University’s basic medical sciences major.
“I was always interested in medical sciences and possibly becoming a doctor in the future, so that was a pretty easy choice,” said Maika. “Ever since I made that decision, it’s really flowed easily. I really enjoy what I’m doing and all my classes have been great.”
Maika recently applied for medical school. He credits his academic advisor with helping him build a strong application by helping him find courses that he enjoyed, and that also fulfilled the requirements of his major and the prerequisites for medical school.
His advisor also helped him find several volunteer opportunities and internships that gave him hands-on experience in his field of study.
In volunteering at Pullman Regional Hospital, Maika interacted with the patients in the E.R., assisting the nurses in making sure their patients were comfortable and had everything they needed. He also got to observe the doctors and nurses in their environment.
Seeing what their daily work was really like, said Maika, “gave me an understanding of what the future would hold for me if I was to pursue a career in medicine.”
Thanks in part to those experiences, Maika knows what he wants to do in the future: “Emergency room medicine is what I ultimately would like to go into. I like helping others, and I like to see the results, too; when you have someone come in and you stabilize them, you see immediate results from that.”
He is currently in a research internship at WSU Health and Wellness Services, helping conduct a health study on the effect of whey protein on pre-hypertensive individuals. He is enjoying the experience of working in the medical profession, particularly the direct interaction with the patients in the health study.
Maika is also involved in the WSU Pre-Med Club, which he says helps keep him focused on his goals, and loves playing intramural sports.
"WSU has provided me the opportunity to expand my knowledge and has created connections to help me in achieving my goals in life."
Life is good at WSU.
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A unique richness of students, faculty, location, activities, and organizations creates a full, lively student life at the University. This section gives you the insider's view on student life and a sampling of the opportunities here.
"Glimpses." Students talk about life at WSU
These brief posts are written by WSU students to give you a personal look through their window on campus life.