Lincoln Wurtz ’17 continuing studies at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota

Lincoln Wurtz ’17 chose to attend Ripon College because of the opportunities for a richly personalized education. When he visited, he says, “Everyone was interested in me as a whole person. I loved the idea of smaller classes taught by approachable faculty.”

Wurtz majored in mathematics and chemistry-biology. He currently is pursuing a dual M.D.-Ph.D. degree at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

“Looking back, I have developed a greater appreciation of the learning environment fostered by the professors and students at Ripon College, where I was taught to critically think through problems and clearly articulate solutions,” Wurtz says. “Ripon College also offered me a liberal arts education, which I deeply value. It was a dream come true to spend four years exploring new subjects and apply different styles of thought to solve real world challenges. Finally, Ripon College gave me a chance to continue playing tennis competitively.”

Wurtz has one more year of medical school before graduate school, where he will choose a thesis lab and begin research. From there, Wurtz will rejoin the medical school for a couple of years of clinical rotations. Wurtz credits Ripon College with giving him the foundation for surviving the sometimes overwhelming first year of medical school, and the skills necessary to thrive in his new environment. He learned how to critically appraise journal articles, which helps him to distill complex lectures into manageable parts and then synthesize that material. As a mathematics major, he spent countless hours talking through homework problems with classmates, which improved his collaboration and communication skills.

“In addition to the gift of lifelong learning, I am most rewarded by the relationships I made at Ripon College,” Wurtz says. “There’s something special in all the friendships I’ve made at Ripon College, and I will take those with me through the rest of my life.”

Posted July 20, 2018 in Alumni.

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