From Summer Research as a College Freshman to Working in the Emergency Room

Summary

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Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Hillsdale College Podcast Network Superfeed
Episode: From Summer Research as a College Freshman to Working in the Emergency Room
Host: Lily Faye Kramer (Career Services, Hillsdale College)
Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Stovacek (Hillsdale '13, Emergency Medicine and Palliative Care Physician)
Date: January 28, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Beyond the Bubble" features Dr. Elizabeth Stovacek, a 2013 Hillsdale College alumna, who shares her journey from biology studies and summer research as an undergraduate to her dual career in emergency medicine and hospice/palliative care. The discussion provides valuable insights into the realities of medical practice, the value of a liberal arts background, and practical advice for aspiring pre-med students.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Elizabeth's Academic and Campus Life at Hillsdale

• Major/Minor: Biology major, Spanish minor.
• Campus Involvement: RA, Kappa Kappa Gamma member, American Chemistry Society, and led a program for disabled youth ("demain").
• Quote:
  “I was a biology major with a Spanish minor… at the time took over and ran a program for disabled youth wards of the state. That was a real blessing in my life too.” (01:56)

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Career Path After Hillsdale

• Medical School & Residency: Attended Ohio State University (medical school), completed three-year emergency medicine residency in Cleveland, hybrid program at MetroHealth and Cleveland Clinic.
• Professional Roles:
  • Emergency medicine attending,
  • Fellowship in hospice and palliative care (Nashville, 2023–2024),
  • Currently splits time: ~80% emergency medicine, ~20% hospice/palliative medicine.
• Quote:
  "...now I've been doing 80% emergency medicine and 20% hospice and palliative medicine." (03:14)

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A Dual Career: Day-to-Day Realities (03:21–04:35)

• Variety & Flexibility:
  • Emergency medicine shifts vary (mornings, evenings, nights); flexible schedule offers unexpected free days.
  • Hospice/palliative care is a more traditional Monday–Friday, 9–5 schedule.
• Work-Life Balance:
  "It's nice because I can have a Monday... off on a Monday and ran errands and brought lunch to a friend who just had a baby." (03:31)
• Observation:
  "After my years of being an ER doctor, I don’t know how people do the Monday–Friday grind. It’s much more difficult than I realized." (04:18)

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The Impact of a Hillsdale Liberal Arts Education (04:35–06:20)

• Problem Solving Beyond Science:
  • Both specialties require thoughtful and ethical problem-solving skills, not just technical knowledge.
  • Hillsdale fostered logical thinking, confidence in morals/standards, and a commitment to patient dignity.
• Quote:
  "I think that Hillsdale prepared me to be a very thoughtful, logical problem solver, that I am confident in my own morals and standards. I am not easily pushed around. I am able to advocate for patients..." (05:15)
  • Even if not recalling specific books, Hillsdale’s liberal arts foundation continually informs her practice.

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Real-World Challenges in Medicine (06:20–07:30)

• Difficult Patient Scenarios:
  • Addressing non-medical needs: housing for a homeless mother and infant, safety for an autistic teen, care for an Alzheimer’s patient.
  • ER as a social safety net, requiring creative solutions in partnership with social services, pregnancy centers, churches.
• Quote:
  “You can't just let them out into the wild as we say, we have to find a place for them to live.” (06:28)

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Research and Academic Influences (07:30–11:17)

• Summer Experiences:
  • Freshman summer at the biological station for ecology class—“a great way to learn.”
  • Took the required Constitution course solo, describing it as a science-brain highlight.
  • Senior summer devoted to biology research.
• Influential Classes:
  • Dr. Schlitter’s Intro to Philosophy: shaped her approach to logic, reason, and medical ethics.
  • Quote:
    “All of medicine is non-stop bioethics… if you’re not interested in bioethics, you maybe shouldn’t go into medicine at all.” (08:42)
• Undergraduate Research:
  • Worked with Dr. Miller on neurodevelopmental research focusing on the effects of alcohol on embryos.
  • Found evidence suggesting alcohol’s harmful effects occur earlier in pregnancy than many realize.
• Quote:
  “The effects of alcohol on embryos are basically occurring earlier than we realize and that you would even realize before you knew you were pregnant.” (11:13)

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Advice for Aspiring Medical Students (09:17–12:50)

• Preparation:
  • Medical training is arduous and requires sacrifice; only pursue it if you’re truly passionate.
  • Value of camaraderie: having a friend during the MCAT and application process made it manageable.
• Insights on Standing Out:
  • Engage deeply in genuine interests and experiences, not just ‘check-the-box’ activities.
  • Hillsdale students are “perfect” med school candidates due to their broad skill set and unique passions.
  • Quote:
    “Medical schools don’t want cookie-cutter applicants… pursue things during your time in undergrad that you are passionate about.” (11:35)
  • Interviewers are far more interested in authentic enthusiasm and diverse experiences than compliance with typical pre-med templates.
• Final Advice:
  “We are all made individually and uniquely and our interests matter… It’s much more interesting to talk to people… who have done things that are interesting to them and that they’re passionate about.” (12:30)

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Notable & Memorable Quotes

• “I am able to advocate for patients and what they deserve as human beings with dignity, no matter how much money they make or what race they are...” – Elizabeth Stovacek (05:23)

• “After my years of being an ER doctor, I don’t know how people do the Monday–Friday grind. It’s much more difficult than I realized.” – Elizabeth Stovacek (04:18)

• “All of medicine is non-stop bioethics… if you’re not interested in bioethics, you maybe shouldn’t go into medicine at all.” – Elizabeth Stovacek (08:42)

• “If there’s anything else that you can think of doing, you should probably do that thing and not medicine. Not because medicine isn’t great, but… it’s hard and takes a lot of years and sacrifice.” – Elizabeth Stovacek (09:31)

• “Medical schools don’t want cookie-cutter applicants. They’re looking for people who can have a conversation and… are problem solvers.” – Elizabeth Stovacek (11:36)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:56: Elizabeth’s Hillsdale background and campus involvement
• 02:29: Medical school, residency, and dual career trajectory
• 03:24: Day-to-day life and balancing two specialties
• 04:47: The role of Hillsdale’s education in medical ethics and problem-solving
• 06:27: Real-world ER challenges and social service coordination
• 07:35: Summer research and influential classes at Hillsdale
• 09:25: Applying to medical school and advice for undergraduates
• 10:44: Undergraduate research experience
• 11:35: Stand-out tips for pre-med students and the importance of authenticity

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Tone and Style

Throughout, Elizabeth Stovacek’s tone is earnest, practical, and encouraging, blending frank advice with personal reflection. The conversation remains conversational, direct, and infused with the values of service and ethical responsibility fostered during her time at Hillsdale.

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This episode is particularly useful for current students considering a career in medicine, revealing both the professional realities and the formative power of a liberal arts education in navigating complex, human-centered work.

Transcript

[A]

Hi there, it's Bill Gray from Hillsdale College. Before you skip ahead, can I ask you a question or two? If you could teach 50 million Americans one thing, what would it be? Would you teach our great American story that this nation is unique, founded on self government and individual liberty? Maybe you would teach the truth about free enterprise, how hard work and opportunity allow anyone to rise? Or would you teach the gospel and the Christian faith that helps us live good and meaningful lives? At Hillsdale College, we're doing exactly that. Teaching the best that's been thought and said. Through our free online courses, K12 programs, Imprimis, podcasts, and more, we reach and teach millions every year with the principles of liberty that make America free. And with your help, we can reach even more. Your tax deductible gift today will help us teach millions more people to pursue truth and defend liberty. Just text the word give to 7 1844. You'll get a secure link to make your donation in seconds. That's give to 718 44. Thank you for standing with us. Now back to the show.

[B]

Hi there and welcome to beyond the Bubble, a podcast by Career Services to connect student alums with current students. My name is Lily Faye Kramer and I'm here with Elizabeth Stovacek, a 2013 graduate. Elizabeth, thank you so much for joining us.

[C]

Thanks for having me. Lily Fay.

[B]

Awesome.

[C]

So.

[B]

So I have a few questions to ask you. What was your major, where are you from, and what were some activities you participated in while at Hillsdale?

[C]

I was a biology major with a Spanish minor. I was involved as an RA at Hillsdale. I was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. I was a part of various science societies like the American Chemistry Society. And I at the time took over and ran a program for disabled youth wards of the state that we call demain. That was a real blessing in my life too. Awesome.

[B]

So what did you do after you graduated Hillsdale?

[C]

When I left Hillsdale, I went to medical school at Ohio State, the Ohio State University in Columbus. So that was four years. And then I did three years of emergency medicine residency in Cleveland, Ohio, which is my hometown. The program is a hybrid program between MetroHealth, which is the county hospital, and the Cleveland Clinic, which is the world famous Cleveland Clinic institution. I worked for a couple of years as an emergency medicine attending for three years and then I decided to go and add an additional fellowship. So we moved to Nashville for one year and I did a hospice and palliative care fellowship. So that was 2023 to 2024. And so now I've been doing 80% emergency medicine and 20% hospice and palliative medicine.

[B]

So what does a typical day look like for you?

[C]

So obviously I really like variety. One specialty in medicine just wasn't enough. I do have technically two careers, but they don't really overlap, which is nice. So I've been able to manage a pretty good work life balance with the two fields. So when I'm on emergency medicine, I have a kind of sporadic schedule. I work some morning shifts, some afternoon and evening shifts, some night shifts. It's average like 3 to 48 hour shifts a week. It's nice because I can have a Monday. Yesterday I was off on a Monday and ran errands and brought lunch to a friend who just had a baby. And we babysat our godchildren in the evening and it gives me a lot of flexibility. And then today I'm interviewing with you and then I work this afternoon, so. So I'll work three to eleven in the evenings. When I'm on palliative, I do a Monday through Friday week, which is like a 9 to 5 Monday through Friday. And after my years of being an ER doctor, I don't know how people do the Monday through Friday grind. It's much more difficult than I realized. So I'm very tired on Friday evenings after a week of doing hospice and palliative care.

[B]

So you mentioned that you have two specialties and you went to Hillsdale, which gave you a liberal arts education. How do you think Hillsdale's core curriculum helped you with what you do now?

[C]

I think that both of my fields in medicine require a lot of thoughtful problem solving. I tell people in an ideal world of health care, emergency medicine wouldn't have to exist. We do specialized in the sickest patients and in trauma patients. But it is oftentimes the safety net for the rest of the healthcare system. And palliative medicine can be that as well. Where these really difficult cases and families who are difficult to communicate with problems that are really hard to solve from a medical social standpoint, they're both emergency medicine and palliative medicine are similar in that way. And I think that Hillsdale prepared me to be a very thoughtful, logical problem solver, that I am confident in my own morals and standards. I am not easily pushed around. I am able to advocate for patients and what they deserve as human beings with dignity, no matter how much money they make or what race they are, that I take care of each of my patients with the same quality of care. And I think that Hillsdale gave me the Education that backs that up. And even if I'm not thinking about the exact books that I read in my freshman rhetoric and great books class, that I know that that's deep in the back of my mind and fueling the kind of care that I provide to my patients every day.

[B]

Is there one difficult and challenging situation that you're thinking about in particular that comes to mind?

[C]

Last week? A lot of patients in the emergency room that when the weather changes and it gets colder, we have to figure out you're pushed. More like you can't just let them out into the wild as we say, we have to find a place for them to live. So I had a mom with a 8 day old baby who homeless and we were trying to figure out where she was going to go. A teenager with autism whose family wasn't safe with him in the house. An older woman with Alzheimer's whose family couldn't care for her anymore. Just figuring out how to navigate not just their underlying medical problems that bring them to the er, but then having the standards of being able to make sure they leave the emergency room with the right care. Because the emergency room is obviously not somewhere you can stay. You have to figure out where they're going next.

[B]

Wow. So do you partner with local organizations or homeless shelters?

[C]

What does that look like? Yeah, yeah. Lots of social services, pregnancy centers, government agencies, social workers, case managers, churches.

[B]

So when you were at Hillsdale, did you ever go on WIP or what did your summers look like?

[C]

Yeah, when I was at Hillsdale I did spend each of my summers taking some sort of class. Actually the first summer my best friend and I went up to the bio station and we took our biology required ecology course which was really fun and a great way to learn. Ecology was in the midst of the beautiful biostation. And my second summer I took our required constitution course which was great for my science brain to just be able to focus on just the constitution course which was a highlight of Hillsdale. My last summer my best friend and her now husband and I all did our biology research projects so we stayed in Hillsdale.

[B]

That's so fun. Is there a class that you took that was super influential on you outside of your biology major in Spanish minor?

[C]

Yeah, I think maybe a non science class that was really influential was Dr. Schlitter's intro to philosophy course. I think related back to what I was talking about before with just the underpinnings of logic and reason and how that helps me in my day to day life as a doctor. My dad is an ob gyn and people would say to him, you know, I don't want to be an OB GYN because I don't want to have to deal with the ethical stuff. And really all of medicine is non stop bioethics and coming across these tricky bioethical dilemmas. And so my dad would say, if you're not interested in bioethics, you maybe shouldn't go into medicine at all because you can't really avoid it, even if you're just not dealing with beginning or end of life issues. So I think the philosophy course helped prepare me to be a good practicing ethical and moral physician.

[B]

And what did the process look like when you were applying to medical school and what is your advice to students that are interested in pursuing medicine?

[C]

I knew I wanted to be a doctor ever since I was five years old, I think. So I was one of those people who was always pre med from the beginning. I would say that medicine is a really rewarding career, but it's really difficult and requires a lot of sacrifice. And so usually what I tell students is that if there's anything else that you can think of doing, you should probably do that thing and not medicine. Not because medicine isn't great, but just like I said, it's hard and it takes a lot of years and sacrifice and it's hard on your body, especially as a woman. I think that years of study, starting in undergrad at Hillsdale and then four years of med school, there are lots of great things that you can do using science and to serve people. And yeah, I think to answer your question, I mean, we were pretty much preparing for the MC from day one of undergrad, and we studied for the MCAT the spring and summer before our senior year and took it at the end of the summer and then applied during senior year. What was great is my best friend was also in the same process. So we were helping each other and doing all of that together. So it's also nice to have someone to go through it all with.

[B]

That's so awesome. Did you ever research for any professors at Hillsdale?

[C]

I did research with Dr. Miller who retired in the late 2000s. Genes. Okay.

[B]

What kind of research did you do with him?

[C]

Yeah, we did neurodevelopmental research. So we were studying the effects of alcohol on chip organs.

[B]

That's interesting. What were the effects?

[C]

Great question. So we were all studying different organs and I think my research ended up not having a significant outcome with the dosage of alcohol that we were giving it. But ultimately his years of research surrounding that showed that the effects of alcohol on embryos are basically occurring earlier than we realize and that you would even realize before you knew you were pregnant.

[B]

Is there anything else you want to share for students looking to go into the field or any advice that you have?

[C]

I think just being a Hillsdale, take advantage of the variety of programs and resources and classes available, especially if you're going into medicine. Medical schools don't want cookie cutter applicants and they're looking for people who can have a conversation and, like I said, are problem solvers and can talk to patients and talk to colleagues and work hard. And I think that the Hillsville students are perfect for that. So finding ways that you can stand out. But I usually tell people the best way to stand out and to do well in an interview is to pursue things during your time in undergrad that you are passionate about. It's much more fun to talk to someone in an interview about the volunteering or the classes that they were excited and passionate about and are interested in talking to you about, and not just the boring old hospital volunteering role that everybody does to check a box or the research project that they did to check a box. We are all made individually and uniquely and that our interests matter and our desires are part of what makes us who we are. And it's much more interesting to talk to people who are interviewing for med school or residency who have done things that are interesting to them and that they're passionate about. Awesome.

[B]

Well, that is all the time we have today. Thank you so much, Elizabeth, for joining us.

[C]

Thanks, Lily.