Cameron Waites finished his four years in the army as a medic with more than 4,000 hours of patient care experience.

“It was during my time in the army, and subsequent time in the Iraqi desert, that I discovered my true calling to become an M.D., Ph.D. and advance the understanding of science and medicine,” recalls Waites. “Ultimately, I decided to attend UM-Flint after learning about the Honors Program from Dr.Maureen Thum and the Health Sciences degree from Dr.Suzanne Selig.  These two facets of my education would allow me to be with my family and also have an opportunity to truly stand out and make a difference in the Flint community.” 

Waites will have that opportunity to advance his education at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country. He has been named one of about 15 recipients selected from hundreds of applications for the highly competitive National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program (USP). During the 10- week summer laboratory experience, he will be assigned to an NIH researcher and a postdoctoral fellow, who will serve as mentors.

Waites has also been selected for the Stanford Summer Research Program/Amgen Scholars Program. Each participant is matched with a member of the school’s distinguished faculty, and will work in one of Stanford’s state-of-the-art research facilities.

Washington D.C. is also on his itinerary. He is one of only 25 undergraduates from all majors to participate in the “Michigan in Washington” program. While there, he will combine coursework with an internship that reflects his particular area of interest.The areas of interest include (but are not limited to) American politics, international relations, history, the arts, public health, economics, the media, the environment, and science and technology policy.  While classes are taught by University of Michigan faculty, students also gain access to local Washington experts in their research area.

Waites recently received confirmation that the Scholarship Program Board of Directors selected him to be one of five scholars for the 2009-2010 Gallagher Koster Scholarship Program.  The scholarship program was established to provide outstanding, financially-needy undergraduate students with the financial assistance they need to pursue their health-related career. In late September, Waites will be attending a scholar’s dinner in Boston where recipients will be honored.