2023 President’s Medallion
2023 President’s Medallion
Charlotte Adema, President's Medallion 2023 awardee
Interview by Naomi Gitlin
Bioethics Honors Program Participant and M4 Charlotte Adema is the recipient of awards, including Alpha Omega Alpha (the national medical honor society), Alpha Sigma Nu (Jesuit Honor Society), and most recently, Loyola’s President’s Medallion. She also is a four-time scholarship recipient.
1. What attracted you to Loyola?
It was important for me to go to a medical school that treated the whole person. I attended Catholic schools all my life. At Notre Dame’s College of Science, I majored in pre-professional studies and minored in Compassionate Care in Medicine. I always hoped to be an advocate for patients and I loved the Jesuits “motto” of service and justice. When I interviewed at Stritch, it was clear that service was a priority. At Stritch, there’s an expectation of service, which is a mindset I will carry with me. Stritch provides many opportunities to work with diverse populations, to improve understanding of other cultures. With Stritch’s support, I look forward to travelling to Central America in January to improve my medical Spanish skills and understanding of tropical medicine. That’s another Stritch influence: prioritizing patients as people and understanding values of different cultures.
2. Talk about your Stritch experience.
Throughout my time at Stritch, I have felt supported by faculty and by my classmates. Being encouraged to be the best version of myself in a safe and comfortable environment has brought out the best in me. Everyone here believes in their students, which provides great motivation.
3. Which specialty would you like to pursue?
I hope to be accepted into an OB/GYN residency. Although I loved all of my third-year clerkships, I always had a hint that I wanted to pursue OB/GYN. The specialty includes all of the things I enjoyed throughout my clerkships, including continuity of care, preventive medicine, primary care, and surgery. These patients are often vulnerable and I look forward to being a patient advocate and spokesperson.
4. What does Loyola’s Jesuit mission mean to you?
Loyola focuses on helping people be the best version of themselves -- for other people. That approach has helped me throughout medical school.
5. What has been the most memorable part of your Loyola experience?
Even though our class entered Stritch during the COVID-19 pandemic which was difficult, we’ve built a real sense of community at Loyola, which can be felt on the wards and in the classroom. Being surrounded by a supportive community can be unique in medical school, but it is essential. Creating that sense of community is one of my priorities when I begin residency. I will build on lessons I learned at Stritch throughout residency and beyond.
November 2023
Interview by Naomi Gitlin
Bioethics Honors Program Participant and M4 Charlotte Adema is the recipient of awards, including Alpha Omega Alpha (the national medical honor society), Alpha Sigma Nu (Jesuit Honor Society), and most recently, Loyola’s President’s Medallion. She also is a four-time scholarship recipient.
1. What attracted you to Loyola?
It was important for me to go to a medical school that treated the whole person. I attended Catholic schools all my life. At Notre Dame’s College of Science, I majored in pre-professional studies and minored in Compassionate Care in Medicine. I always hoped to be an advocate for patients and I loved the Jesuits “motto” of service and justice. When I interviewed at Stritch, it was clear that service was a priority. At Stritch, there’s an expectation of service, which is a mindset I will carry with me. Stritch provides many opportunities to work with diverse populations, to improve understanding of other cultures. With Stritch’s support, I look forward to travelling to Central America in January to improve my medical Spanish skills and understanding of tropical medicine. That’s another Stritch influence: prioritizing patients as people and understanding values of different cultures.
2. Talk about your Stritch experience.
Throughout my time at Stritch, I have felt supported by faculty and by my classmates. Being encouraged to be the best version of myself in a safe and comfortable environment has brought out the best in me. Everyone here believes in their students, which provides great motivation.
3. Which specialty would you like to pursue?
I hope to be accepted into an OB/GYN residency. Although I loved all of my third-year clerkships, I always had a hint that I wanted to pursue OB/GYN. The specialty includes all of the things I enjoyed throughout my clerkships, including continuity of care, preventive medicine, primary care, and surgery. These patients are often vulnerable and I look forward to being a patient advocate and spokesperson.
4. What does Loyola’s Jesuit mission mean to you?
Loyola focuses on helping people be the best version of themselves -- for other people. That approach has helped me throughout medical school.
5. What has been the most memorable part of your Loyola experience?
Even though our class entered Stritch during the COVID-19 pandemic which was difficult, we’ve built a real sense of community at Loyola, which can be felt on the wards and in the classroom. Being surrounded by a supportive community can be unique in medical school, but it is essential. Creating that sense of community is one of my priorities when I begin residency. I will build on lessons I learned at Stritch throughout residency and beyond.
November 2023