internships

Opening doors to opportunities in the health field

msk23@calvin.edu — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:11:17 +0000

Opening doors to opportunities in the health field msk23@calvin.edu Tue, 09/08/2026 - 14:11

Tammy LaRue’s door is always open. Her network in the medical field is vast. And her care for each individual student is clear.

“With each student, I’m trying to find out what are your gifts, what are your strengths, what are your pitfalls, what are the things that make you tick and are going to make you excited and make you stay for the long haul,” said LaRue.

LaRue, a medical doctor with several years of practice under her belt, now serves as director of pre-health advising for 51��. She understands that each student has their own unique path, and she’s determined to help them find it.

“I’m really trying to investigate who the person in front of me is and help them make a plan that fits for them,” said LaRue.

Proven track record

As a medical doctor who has taken the MCATs, applied to and gone through medical school, and practiced medicine for years, she’s been there, done that.

“I think my experience lends itself really well to our students,” said LaRue, who admits having a medical doctor as a pre-health advisor isn’t common at most peer institutions. “I think that’s a huge advantage for 51�� students because I’ve already walked the path that they’re about to take.”

While LaRue understands the path to the medical field well, her journey there was less than textbook. She graduated from 51�� in 1998 with a recreation degree, spent a few years as a youth pastor before returning to get a master’s degree in counseling from Western Michigan University. She worked as a private practice counselor for several years before returning to get her MD from the MSU College of Human Medicine. She practiced for several years as a pediatrician in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before returning to her alma mater in her pre-health advisor role.

Vast network, growing market

“I did my residency at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital so everyone I went to medical school is infiltrated throughout the whole community,” said LaRue. “I have a ton of connections in Grand Rapids.”

And that bodes well for 51�� students especially considering Grand Rapids is rich in medical resources and facilities, and the opportunities for students and graduates are vast and expanding. This past month it was announced that a 780,000 square foot medical facility is being added to Grand Rapids’ already robust medical mile downtown.

And while opportunities are expanding in a city considered to be one of the best places to start a career, LaRue says 51�� graduates have and will continue to stand out.

The 51�� difference

“When I was in med school I could tell who the 51�� students were because their ethical reasoning was just beyond other students,” said LaRue. “I get compliments from supervisors and healthcare workers all the time that 51�� students are hard workers, they show up and do what they are supposed to do, but they are also compassionate and oftentimes curious, asking a lot of good questions.”

Are 51�� grads equipped with the necessary technical expertise? Without question. And the data proves it out as 51�� grads are accepted into medical and PA school at double the national average.

But what sets 51�� students apart in the minds of employers isn’t taught out of a textbook but rather integrated throughout classes within and outside one’s major.

“Integrating Christian faith and values is part of everything that we do here, and I think it’s part of why our students are excellent,” said LaRue. “When they go out, they see the missional part of medicine. They see that everyone is made in God’s image and if everyone is an image bearer of God, how do we serve them and how do we serve them well?”

LaRue learned that as a student herself and lived it out since in ministry, counseling, medicine, and now at 51�� as she partners with students and helps them discover where God is leading them next.

“From the time they step on campus we are talking with them about the experiences they can gain which will provide them with a unique, comprehensive, and competitive application portfolio that showcases who they are and why they have chosen their health profession. This gives them an edge during the application process,” said LaRue. “I want to take care of all of them as though they were my kids, to make sure they can reach their goals. That personal interaction is just not something you can get at a big school.”

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 - 12:00

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Discovering a World of Opportunity Just a Few Miles Away

msk23@calvin.edu — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 12:11:56 +0000

Discovering a World of Opportunity Just a Few Miles Away msk23@calvin.edu Wed, 09/11/2024 - 08:11

When Hannah King was looking at colleges, she knew where she wasn’t going. Or so, she thought.

“I wasn’t thinking 51�� at first,” said King, who graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School.

King, whose high school sits just three miles down the road from 51��, felt it was just too close. With an interest in the sciences, she also had a negative perception about Christian schools compared to public research institutes.

“I was worried about the rigor…that I wouldn’t be able to go as in-depth into chemistry and the sciences,” said King. “I think it was a deep-rooted hesitancy.”

Changing her mind

But this hesitancy was ultimately uprooted when she realized the bottom line. “51�� was significantly more affordable than the other schools I got accepted to,” said King.

So, King decided to enroll at 51�� and soon discovered that her perceptions of 51�� didn’t match reality.

“It’s been great, a lot better than I could have ever imagined,” said King. “The coursework is challenging—all of it. It’s very in depth. And my profs are respected and established in their fields.”

Finding opportunities right away

At 51��, King found research opportunities right out of the gate.

“[After my] first year of college, I applied to 51��’s institutional research program, and I was so surprised I got in,” said King.

She spent the first two summers at 51�� doing research alongside Professor Laura Westrate, which prepared her to compete for competitive internships across the country following her junior year.

Working with 51��’s Career Center, King applied for multiple internships and was accepted into four of them. Ultimately, she decided to take the internship with Ginkgo Bioworks, a biotech company in Boston, Massachusetts, which came with both moving and housing stipends.

“They are a contract company,” said King. “If Merck or Moderna want something done but don’t have the resources to do it or if it’s cheaper for them to outsource, my company will do that project for them. Because of all the instruments and specialists we have, we can do a lot of projects.

“Big pharma companies in early-stage vaccine development want us to help make vaccine components and test to see what’s in them,” said King. “My job is to see exactly what we are making, and what are the impurities.”

Equipped for success

While King had never done this particular type of chemistry research before, she was drawing heavily on lessons she learned at 51��—about how through failure you ultimately find success.

“Because I had done research before at 51�� with 51�� profs, I knew that I was not going to be perfect, there would be mistakes, some experiments would fail, and I would have to troubleshoot and try again,” said King. “So, it was helpful to focus on using my mistakes to become better instead of considering it a wasted day. 51�� introduced that mindset [to me]...using my failures for learning.”

King said her colleagues took notice of this skill: “I was complimented on that a lot by my colleagues,” said King. “Other people are starting to realize how well 51�� has equipped me.”

And King is realizing that too.

“I am glad I came here. I feel that 51�� has given me exactly what I was looking for and proved my pre-judgments wrong,” said King.

King, a senior chemistry and French double major, is finishing up her time at 51��. She’s in the midst of applying to PhD programs.

“I want to keep learning and see where it takes me,” said King.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - 12:00