91制片厂

Catching Up: Dr. Medina Culver, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Class of 2015

In this edition, we spoke with Dr. Medina Culver, a 2015 graduate of the 91制片厂 College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Culver works in Family Medicine at Wikler Family Practice in Henderson, Nev.

Where are you from?

I鈥檓 from Billings, Mont. I had a pretty awesome childhood and was born and raised in a town of about 100,000. 

How did you get your start in medicine?

When I was 12, we had to figure out what we wanted our careers to be for school. I was always on the Honor Roll and thought I would become either a doctor or a lawyer, so I made it my goal to become a doctor. I鈥檓 actually the first person in my family to go to medical school. My mom is a CPA and my dad is in real estate, so medical school was a brand-new experience for me.

In high school, I took all of my science classes and completed a Medical Careers class at a nearby hospital where I shadowed doctors to learn different things. 

Why did you choose to attend 91制片厂?

I knew that I had to go out of state for medical school because Montana didn鈥檛 have one. After I finished my undergrad, I spent a year working to improve my MCAT and applied to medical schools all over the West Coast. I had never lived outside of Montana before, and I knew I wanted to go somewhere warm. 

I had such a great experience in my interview at Touro. I had no clue what a DO was because in Montana, it was very heavily MD-based due to the large University of Washington presence. Touro checked all of my boxes: the people were nice, it had great weather, and I loved the university. That鈥檚 why I wanted to go to Touro.

Is there anything you specifically remember from your time as a student?

One of the biggest things for me was the Humanistic Medicine class we took. It taught you how to have empathy and to be a good person. You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you鈥檙e not a good person, people aren鈥檛 going to trust you. It really helped me become a good doctor and an even better person which will benefit my patients. 

Was there a certain faculty who had a major influence on your education?

I would definitely say Dr. Harris. He taught me that I didn鈥檛 have to fit the mold, and I really liked that. He told me it was ok for me to be unique and that I didn鈥檛 have to fit the description of a 鈥渄octor,鈥� or how people perceive doctors.

Where did you complete your residency?

After graduation, I went back home and completed my Family Medicine residency at Montana Family Medicine, an affiliate of the University of Washington.

Why did you choose to return to Southern Nevada?

I always thought I was going to be a doctor in Montana but after a couple of years, I knew I didn鈥檛 fit in. I had met my husband in Las Vegas, and I always had a good place in my heart for Southern Nevada. When you get outside of the Strip and you meet people, everyone is so nice and has an amazing story. I also wanted to join a private practice, which is difficult to do in Montana since the hospitals own all of the practices.

I had received a random recruiting email for Wikler Family Practice here in town. I had a phone interview the next week, flew down two weeks after, and quickly learned that it was the most perfect fit for me. In August of 2018, my husband and I got married in Montana and moved to Las Vegas a week later.

What is life like at Wikler Family Practice?

I鈥檓 the first female at the practice, and it鈥檚 been like a family from day one. They鈥檝e allowed me to be the doctor I want to be while still being able to laugh at work and having this amazing thing called balance. They have taught me how to be a great physician while not necessarily fitting the stereotype of a doctor, much like Dr. Harris emphasized to me when I was a student. At Wikler, it is such a supportive environment for the patients and the physicians. 

What does Touro mean to you?

When I think of Touro, I think of what medicine should be.