Christian Smallwood
Hometown: Melbourne, FL
Career interests: Currently undecided
Hobbies: Exercising, sports, and reading
Education: Undergraduate: East Carolina University, Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology and Chemistry
Enrichment Experiences
Immunology Research
Before medical school, I worked in Dr. Mark Mannie’s lab as a research technician in the Microbiology/Immunology department here at ECU. Because this uncovered my passion for Immunology, I chose to stay involved in our research. We are studying therapies that have the potential to alleviate transplant rejection, GVHD, and Autoimmune inflammatory diseases using T-regulatory cells. Over the summer, we added a few additional medical students to our research team, and I was responsible for directing our project. It’s been a blast working together and I am very fortunate that I have been able to stay involved throughout medical school and learn under Dr. Mannie.
Brody Coaches Association
Through the Brody coaches organization, students help coach recreational youth sports in the Greenville community. I volunteered to help coach a youth basketball team (ages 9-10) and a youth baseball team (ages 5-6). These experiences allowed me to teach the next generation of student athletes, with my friends alongside. This has been one of my favorite extracurricular activities because it brings back so many great memories playing sports as kid. I really enjoy coaching and I am excited to continue being involved. Next year I may expand my horizon and look to coach another sport like soccer.
Children’s Hospital Volunteer Program
I am creating a longitudinal program hoping to partner the Children’s hospital with the medical school. My goal is to provide current and future medical students with an opportunity to volunteer and mentor children at our hospital. I envision this project extending long after my time at Brody because I think it can positively impact future generations at a critical period in their life.
Upcoming Plans
Although I am not leaning toward any medical specialty yet, I am excited to see what the future has in store for me. Right now my goal is to be intentional with my focus, staying in the present moment and remembering to enjoy my experiences as a medical student. Moving forward, I hope to build upon and continue expanding my medical foundation so that I can have the flexibility to choose and excel in a career of interest.