Ross Hewitt is a senior here at Liberty with big ambitions. He plans to go into the six year medical program at UMKC.

Hewitt dreams of pursuing the career of being an orthopedic surgeon and working in St. Louis. This might seem like very daunting task to some, but this passionate senior says “I just view it as a career, something I’m interested in.”

How did this interest come up? Being an athlete, Hewitt got injured, first as a sophomore (and more times through his years) and it really opened him up to the medical world. He wants to be a orthopedic surgeon because he was first exposed to that and “bones and fractures, and joint injuries really appeal to me” and he “really enjoyed that chapter in anatomy.”

Hewitt has been preparing for these aspirations for awhile with research throughout the years, heightening his medical interest in the process. He would watch videos and surgeries in particular were “really cool” to him.  

Hewitt also prepared by taking a class once a month at a local hospital. And even taking classes here at Liberty, like AP Chem and AP Physics, were also very helpful.

His inspiration is seeing other doctors doing their work. His parents were not surprised when he told them of his plans.

His number one piece of advice is “always try your hardest.” And he wishes to be the type of doctor to “listen to everything patients have to say, for them to know you care.”

He says it’s very important to listen to everything patients have to say, and all their symptoms so as not to misdiagnose.