Dr. Dave Sherwood

Graduate Profile: Dr. Dave Sherwood

Dave Sherwood was helping his brother pack when he came across an old paper from high school. Written when he was 17, it described what he thought his life would be like in 15 years.

He was shocked to find the paper actually described his current life.

Sherwood works as a doctor in the small mountain community of Ouray, Colo., where he lives with his wife and three children.

My biggest success is that I get to do something I love, and I cannot see myself ever wanting to retire from.

“My biggest success is that I get to do something I love, and I cannot see myself ever wanting to retire from,” the 1985 graduate says. “I love taking care of my friends and neighbors.”

He completed double majors in biology and art at Alma and attended medical school at the University of Pittsburg.

As an art major, he also became involved with medical illustration and used the skill to support himself during his residency.

“My biggest challenge in my job has been applying medicine outside of the clinic,” he says.

“Working with Mountain Rescue and EMS means that I will be on the scene of an accident without any of the technologic advances of an ER. No x-ray, labs or fancy equipment, and it is not in a climate-controlled situation. I could be out in the rain, snow, blizzard, blowing wind or baking sun. You practice medicine quite differently in the field than in the office.”

 

For five consecutive years, the Corporation for National and Community Service has named Alma College to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for engaging students, faculty and staff in meaningful service. More than 85 percent of Alma's 2011 graduating class participated in academic service learning during their time at Alma College.

 

Student Profile

Zahra Hussain

Zahra Hussain
Graduation: 2013
Major: Integrative Physiology and Health Science

With a passion for people and problem-solving, Zahra Hussain’s symptoms can only mean one thing: a lifelong dream of being a doctor. She says she has known she wanted to pursue this career path since she was 4 years old.

“My dad is a doctor, and so is everyone else in my family: aunts, uncles, cousins,” she says. “Growing up in that atmosphere, it was easy to figure out that it was what I wanted to do as well.”