Senior Foundation Fellow Brad Lindell has yet to begin medical school, but he is already making contributions to the field. His volunteer work as a medical translation volunteer and as an ESL teacher through Catholic Social Services spurred him to develop a guide for medical professionals as they communicate with people whose native language is Spanish. Nearly 300 copies have been sold to hospitals and medical professionals to date. Lindell has also done Toxoplasma gondii research in the Striepen lab and has worked for several years as a Georgia Recruitment Team member. He has been headmaster of the Cheap Date Club and a regular contributor to Flagpole magazine. He has played frisbee on five continents and was Myers League ultimate frisbee co-captain in Fall 2003. After graduation, Lindell plans to attend medical school and pursue a career in academic medicine working with medical residents in a teaching hospital.
Hometown:
Jackson, Mississippi
High School:
Jackson Preparatory School
Degree objective:
B.A. in religion, B.S. in microbiology
Expected graduation:
Spring 2007
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
As a member of the Foundation Fellows program, I have enjoyed the opportunity to travel extensively throughout my undergraduate experience. I plan to pursue a career as a physician, and I have spent the past two summers in health-related activities – studying medical Spanish in Spain and volunteering in an internship with the Peru Ministry of Health. On campus, I have enjoyed my work in Boris Striepen’s lab in the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. Under his direction, I studied fatty acid biosynthesis in the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Within the Athens community, I have been fortunate to volunteer extensively with the following two organizations: For three years now, I have taught weekly courses as part of English as a Second Language Program with Catholic Social Services. This is also my second year serving as a volunteer medical translator at Mercy Health Center, a charity health clinic. I am also currently authoring a field guide to medical Spanish translation for use in that clinic.
I chose to attend UGA because…
…it represented an opportunity to expand my horizons, both socially and intellectually. While leaving my close-knit senior class of 160 to attend a school of 30,000 was daunting at first, the challenge soon proved enlightening as I entered a world of diverse viewpoints and ideologies only possible with such a large group. My experience at UGA has been exciting and varied. Pursuing two degrees has fostered my intellectual curiosity in two very different disciplines – microbiology and religion. The ability to simultaneously research human pathogens and analyze the history of theology is a gift few schools can provide.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
…play frisbee. In addition to the natural beauty of campus, it is a frisbee lover’s dream. I have wasted many afternoons (and mornings and lunches) tossing a frisbee around this campus. After playing frisbee in sixteen countries, I am convinced that there is truly no better, more comfortable place to play in the world than among the stately trees and buildings of North Campus.
The craziest thing I’ve done is…
…run off a mountain with a parachute in Peru. The summer after my sophomore year, I interned with the Peru Ministry of Health in a small town nestled in the Peruvian Andes. Paragliding is a popular adventure sport in the area, and at the end of my trip I gathered the nerve and the money to take the plunge. While my first step off the cliff was certainly disconcerting, the pure exhilaration of gliding silently on thermal currents high above my new hometown was an absolutely unforgettable experience.
My favorite place to study is…
…Jittery Joe’s at Five Points. Busy enough to keep me awake, but quiet enough that I can actually learn something, Jittery Joe’s takes the cake for my favorite place to study. And they make the best espresso in town.
My favorite professor is…
…Will Power of the department of religion. Perhaps it is our Mississippi connection, or his love of bass fishing, or his stories of free love and nickel beer at the 40 Watt. Without a doubt, Dr. Power is a great professor and friend, and I regret that I have only one more semester to enjoy his classes.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
…convince humanity of the value of honesty. As children, we are taught that lying is bad and stealing is wrong, but dishonesty is more surreptitious than it seems upon initial reflection. Happiness can only truly exist through complete honesty – both with yourself and with others. Honest people are content and fulfilled people. This is a moral lesson that the world (myself included) needs to take to heart.
After graduation, I plan to…
…attend medical school, where I will pursue an M.D. degree. While I have an intellectual fascination with medical research, I have chosen a career in medicine because of the opportunity to change the lives of others in a powerful, personal way. After my graduate medical education, I would love the opportunity to pursue a career in academic medicine working with medical residents in a teaching hospital.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
…winning the “Myers Idol” talent competition. One of the University Housing programs my freshman year was a talent show, and my roommate and I decided to try our hand at choreographed dancing. We concocted our dance routine on the morning of the show. Highlights included a routine to “What Is Love?” and our own version of “Bye, Bye, Bye.” After losing our dignity in front of a few hundred of our neighbors, we triumphed over the competition and took the title of “Myers Idol Champions.” The plaque hangs in our bathroom to this day, and videos of the performance are available upon request.
