Making moves at medical school

by Natalie McKenna

Tommy Voss ’19

Tommy promoting healthy eating during pregnancy (WIC project).

For most people, deciding on a career takes a lot of thinking. The path is often wrought with personal hurdles and academic indecisiveness while declaring – and often re-declaring – a major. But for the rare few, like Tommy Voss ‘19, choosing a career was second nature. Something he was almost born into.

“I decided on medical school when I was seven,” Tommy, whose mom worked as a nurse, explained. “The eagerness to learn and be immersed in the medical field grew as I did. It helped that my parents were my number one fans.”

Tommy found that same supportive environment at UJ when he settled there for his undergraduate studies. “I knew how good of an academic school it was before I started,” he said. “My experience once I actually got to campus was awesome.” Tommy is known for being a big Jimmie fan. He’s the guy at games who gets the crowd going, who bleeds orange and black. His Jimmie pride, though, doesn’t stop at athletics; instead, it extends to the academic rigor and unmatched support he received on his journey. “Everyone [at UJ] was going to do what they could to help me reach my goals. They helped me plan my four years around getting me where I wanted to be after graduation,” Tommy commented.

He graduated in 2019 with his degree in Exercise Science and worked for a year in a neurosurgery clinic at Sanford Health. Following that job, he was accepted into the Medical College of Wisconsin, the third largest private medical school in the nation. Tommy is about to enter his third year of study. Although he describes his journey at medical school thus far as one where he’s “bounced around a bit,” to the average onlooker, Tommy’s path appears focused and strategic. In just two years, he has been recognized multiple times for his exceptional work ethic and research. Tommy was awarded the M1 Outstanding Clinical Skills Award, an honor given by the assistant Dean to one firstyear student that demonstrates exceptional clinical skills. He even had the opportunity to be at the forefront of COVID-19 research. Tommy, along with Cory Stewart, MD, explored how the disease can present itself in a patient’s body, beyond the respiratory system. They specifically studied a patient who developed severe dysfunction in the shoulder and upper arm, associated with Parsonage-Turner Syndrome, after a confirmed COVID-19 infection. According to Voss and Stewart’s 2022 case report, “Parsonage-Turner Syndrome, also known as neuralgic amyotrophy, is a rare, immune-mediated inflammatory process that is characterized by the acute onset of upper extremity pain proceeded by progressive neurological deficits including weakness and atrophy.” The pair began their research in the summer of 2021 and published their findings in JSES Reviews, Reports, and Techniques in May 2022. Tommy was quick to explain how his experience at UJ helped him in his research: “Studying Exercise Science during undergrad helped with a lot of the terms in the shoulder. It was nice to be able to jump into the research and understand a lot of what was going on.” His appreciation for his undergraduate degree moves beyond his research, too. “UJ is ranked as a top school each year. That’s not by accident,” he explained. “We know the coursework is

rigorous. It’s going to be tough and you need to work hard. Because that work ethic was instilled in college, it transferred easily to medical school. UJ prepared me for the hard work. I don’t necessarily think I’d be where I’m at today without Jamestown.” Although he’s known since he was seven that he wanted to go to medical school, Tommy is still exploring areas of medicine to pursue. He hopes to find a path in his rotations that combines his passion for medicine and procedures. “I think I want to provide care to the communities I grew up in… to those that helped me get to where I am today,” he said. “I want to use the skills I have and create a healthier community all around.” No matter which route he chooses, one thing is clear: Tommy has and will continue to honor the places that helped foster his dreams and grow his success.