In this Vital Signs series, we feature UNC School of Medicine recent graduate Heather Swain. From Timberlake, NC, Heather’s journey into medicine began at an early age. She explains how rural residents, like her family, experience barriers in healthcare and why she is striving to help improve access to North Carolinians.
Heather Swain is a recent UNC School of Medicine graduate. She shares more about her learning opportunities at UNC and her plans in serving the people of North Carolina after residency.
Q. What interested you the most in high school and college? Did you always want to be a doctor?
I knew from 5th grade on that I wanted to be a doctor. I had always been interested in science and how the body works, had always enjoyed serving others, and then in college at UNC-Chapel Hill I got more involved in the medical sphere, volunteering in various areas in the hospital and loved it too much to consider anything else.
Q. Why did you choose to become a doctor?
I wanted to use medical knowledge to serve the people of North Carolina in a way that was respectful of their background after my family was dismissed multiple times as patients throughout the years due to lower medical literacy. I enjoy serving folks from the rural areas like the one I grew up in and connecting with them.
Q. What is the most interesting part of medical school at Carolina?
So many things! My favorite part, now that I’m in residency and see how much of a difference it makes, is how much point of care ultrasound (POCUS) training we get, especially with extra learning opportunities in the third and fourth years. The variety of clinical spaces we train in across the state is also really interesting. Because we get exposure to different systems and the way they run, we are well prepared to take on the next steps in our training no matter where they take us. Also the incredible faculty that make the learning more fun. Shoutout Dr. Kernick!
Q. What do you plan to focus on after med school (residency in what and where)?
I’ll be doing my residency at UNC Hospitals in combined internal medicine and pediatrics for the next four years.
Q. What is your career goal?
After residency, I see myself mostly in hospital settings either as a hospitalist or palliative care physician. I want to serve the people of North Carolina during the challenging and vulnerable times with their health by taking time to connect with them, and I want to help teach the next generations of physicians.