Hi fellow bloggers! My name is Ellie Hummel. I’m a senior Mathematical
Chemistry major at the University of Oklahoma and I start medical school at the
University of Oklahoma’s College of Medicine in August of 2017. I started my
undergraduate career at Oklahoma State University, but transferred to OU after
discovering that Stillwater just wasn’t the place for me.
I’ve been blessed to have been able to live in a variety of
places. I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. I moved to Calgary, Alberta, before
finally ending up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and calling Oklahoma home. I have two
older brothers and one younger sister. When I was very young, I had my older
sister pass away from heart failure; this is what inspired me to want to attend
medical school.
Though I’m particularly passionate about medicine and
helping people, my interests are also all over the board. I love reading; my
dad used to read to me every day in my favorite reading chair and I’ve been
hard-pressed to be seen without a book since. I love music; I play the piano
and have since my parents first forced me to when I was 8 years old. I love
cooking; the endless combinations and possibilities always excites me.
I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie as well; I love a good
adventure. Whether it’s hiking, sky diving, snowboarding, kayaking, mountain
biking, scuba diving-you name it, I love it! I particularly love anything that
I can do outdoors. I don’t know if it’s the fresh air or the sunshine, but
something about being outdoors makes me happy. I recently picked up running and
decided I love the challenge of constantly pushing my body to see how much it
can take. I recently ran my first half-marathon and am in training for my first
marathon. I also recently did my first triathlon, and am in training for the
next one.
Caption: personal photo of myself from February of 2016.
Hi Ellie! I am just like that myself, if there are any adventure sports I am there. I love doing all that stuff, I have been zip lining, skiing, jet skiing, river rafting, tubing, snowmobiling. I have not done sky diving, snorkling, or parasailing yet but it is on my list of things to do. I think it is great that you are wanting to be in the medical field. All that stuff is interesting to me but I do not think that I could do it, so hats off to you.
ReplyDeleteAha, medical school: got it, Ellie! When I saw "mathematical chemistry" as your major when you filled out the Google Form, it caught my eye (I didn't even know about that major), and now I see how it can be a prelude to medical school. Super! And congratulations on being accepted to OU!
ReplyDeleteWith reading and music and cooking too, you will find all kinds of intersections with the myths and legends of the world, so I hope you will enjoy the class. There are endless stories out there just waiting to be read... and there are a lot of stories in which food plays a role! I just shared with the India class a fun video, Foods for Gods... because even the gods enjoy a nice meal! :-)
Hey Ellie, first of all, congrats on your acceptance to medical school! I'm sure you worked incredibly hard to make it to this stage and I hope you do well in the years to come! You're the first person I've met that was also born in Salt Lake City, UT so it looks like we already have some things in common. It's great that you find pushing your body to the limit to be an enjoyable challenge. Although I hate running, I can appreciate working hard and doing good things for your body. It was nice to meet you and I look forward to reading more blog posts from you!
ReplyDeleteHey Ellie! Congratulations on being accepted to medical school! I can't even imagine the kind of hard work it takes to get into medical school. I have never been to Utah, but I would love to go some time just to see what it is like! I am not a big adrenaline junkie myself, but I do admire people who have the ability to do so many adventurous things! It was nice to meet you and I can't wait to get to know you better!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you Ellie, and congrats on OU Med! I hadn't the slightest idea that OU has a Mathematical Chemistry major, and it sounds like I wouldn't last long there. I'm sorry about your sister, but I think it's cool that you feel inspired to save lives and help others. I have a lot of respect for medical professionals, especially their dedication to helping those in need. I have heard the the show Scrubs is fairly accurate in its portrayal of hospital life, in particular the dilemma of helping people who can't necessarily afford the treatment they need. I also love being outside, especially hiking, camping and rock climbing. It sounds like there is never a dull moment in your life. I look forward to reading your work this semester!
ReplyDeleteWow! Mathematical Chemistry sounds super hard. Lol. Congratulations on getting into medical school! I'm so sorry about your sister. It is great that you are determined to go to medical school and help others. I would love to be able to do a triathlon one day but I don't think that would ever happen. Haha. I really can't think of a more difficult physical task. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteMathematical Chemistry sounds like a very intense major! I am not very good at either of those subjects so I will just stick to my degree. I love the outdoors too, but I am more of a calm nature walk kind of girl. Sky diving sounds extremely scary and something that I don’t think I could ever get myself to do!
ReplyDeleteHey Ellie. I think your major is so fun! Congratulations on med school! I think I would enjoy that. I was initially a biology pre-med student but I realized pretty quickly that the neonatal unit (I was hoping to specialize in neonatology)wasn't for me. I wouldn't handle the illness or deaths of my patients. So, now I'm going into CSI where I can be part of investigating crime scenes and making sure justice is served, without getting attached to my "clientele".
ReplyDeleteI'm also slightly jealous of your athletic abilities. I want to be able to run but due to gymnastics injuries I have a really hard time with it. Once I graduate, I do hope to be able to really crack down and work through the pain and eventually run a marathon. :)
Ellie, it is nice to meet you. That sounds like a difficult but very rewarding degree! It is awesome that you have lived in so many different places. I have only lived in Texas and went to school in Oklahoma so I haven’t gone very far. That is neat that you are such an adrenaline junky. I absolutely love snowboarding/skiing. I have yet to scuba dive but that is something I really want to get certified and try. I actually have just picked up running too. You seem a little farther along but I definitely enjoy it. Good luck this semester!
ReplyDeleteMathematical Chemistry sounds awful and I already want to crawl up into a ball and cry - but that might be because I am a PR major and loathe math and chemistry. So Kudos to you! I have done: hiking, skiing, kayaking and mountain biking! I would like to check diving with sharks off my bucket list, but I think that is for a time when I am not pressed with money and college! You sound like a motivated person, you'll do so much!
ReplyDeleteWow girl, you are awesome! Congratulations on being accepted to med school, and good luck starting in the fall! My best friend is in the process of getting ready to apply for medical school, and I see just how hard it is! It is amazing how you took an extremely difficult situation and used it to inspire you to do something so great! It was nice getting t know you!
ReplyDeleteHey! I actually just got done with a full day of snowboarding! and for a triathlon, I'm training for it too! AND I love seeing fellow ladies in STEM fields! As for Utah I wish I could call it my home but my parents moved to okc right before I was born. I still spend all the time I can there with my cousins.
ReplyDeleteHi Ellie! Looks like you've been worked a lot to get this far, so congrats on getting this far! Considering you're majoring in Mathematical Chemistry, medical school should be pretty easy, huh. I like playing piano too, and I kind of wish my parents had me get lessons when I was a kid so I'd be better at it today.
ReplyDeleteWow Ellie! You are one accomplished and ambitious young woman! Congrats on graduating this year and starting OU Med this Fall! I can tell you're such a positive person, it radiates through your intro. I'm sorry to hear about your sister; it's great that you've found a passion in helping others.
ReplyDeleteI can't say I feel the same about pumping up my adrenaline with all of those stunts, but that's awesome that you're able to express yourself in that way, as well as cooking! I suck at that as well. As for running, I'm actually wanting to get back into that because I used to do it too (mostly with a purpose - for tennis). It is so great to meet you! Good luck on your future endeavors! :)
Hi, Ellie! Nice to meet you. I must start off by saying you are gorgeous! I hope you found OU more inviting. I love how genuine the community is. It’s great to see someone having such a big heart. I wish I was an adrenaline junkie, but I’m a big weenie. It is a work in progress, but small steps seem to be working well. Good luck on your future endeavors!
ReplyDeleteIt's admirable to see someone willing to live on the edge, Ellie! I'd personally love to skydive at least once in my life, even with my crippling fear of heights! Your stories should have some great adventure in them!
ReplyDeleteCooking is something I really should learn and can prove to be fun for different reasons. I remember when I had to wake up rather early when my parents went out to a funeral, and I had to prepare turnovers for me and my siblings for breakfast. They weren't perfect, but it felt very satisfying to make something for my family!
Hey Ellie, nice to meet you. I also transferred to OU after starting you undergrad in Tulsa, hope your transition has been good. I enjoy eating food and I can't quite say that I cook instead I say I combine different things together. I love being outdoors too, you should definitely go skydiving. It's an amazing feeling, you go from being petrified when looking down and in the process of elevation to experiencing the best adrenaline rush ever. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHi Ellie, I too am a musician. I play the Bass guitar and the Bass Trombone. I played with the Pride of Oklahoma back in 2012. My favorite class and music genre to play is Jazz. The OU Jazz professor is one of the coolest guys around. As a fellow musician I would definitely recommend you check out a concert or two.
ReplyDeleteWow! You do so much! I am most impressed with the running and Triathalons. Over the weekend, a lot of my friends participated in the memorial runs and I am so impressed by how far runners can go. I honestly have to push myself to go just one mile so people like you really are impressive with half-marathons and marathons under your belt! I enjoy being outside but running has never been my cup of tea!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to get to know you, Ellie! I'm sad I'm only finally getting to read your writing at the very end of the semester. I'm so glad you enjoy living in Oklahoma! I know so many people who move here, or who have even lived here their whole lives, and hate it, so I'm glad you can call it home. I also love to hear that you enjoy reading. My sister wants to go into the medical field and she hates reading, so it's great to know she's not the norm. It's really impressive that you've done a half-marathon and a triathlon! I can't wait to read what you've written.
ReplyDeleteHi, Ellie! I’m glad you found your place as a Sooner (not a Cowboy) and as a person in the medical field. Not many people know what they’re passionate about, let alone pursue a career in their passion. Medical school will be hard, but I think you’ll do perfectly fine considering you’re a mathematical chemistry major. I didn’t even know that was even an option as a major here, but I suck at chemistry – and adding math on top of it?! I can’t even imagine how difficult that major must be. So if you can do that, I believe you can do anything!
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