There鈥檚 a thrill that comes from realizing that, for all the struggles and challenges you鈥檝e faced, you鈥檙e exactly where you鈥檙e supposed to be.
Throughout his time at AV俱乐部 Medical School, Andrew Moeller has had that feeling over and over again.
鈥淚 think back to this one day, when I was sitting in the emergency room at 3 a.m. looking at some blood work on a patient,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was really starting to feel comfortable, like I had my feet under me. And then I noticed something strange in the blood work, that something was happening there. And as I studied it and started to work it out, I felt completely inspired, that this is what I was meant to do.鈥�
Originally from Antigonish, N.S., Mr. Moeller knew after two years of grad school that a career in academia wasn鈥檛 for him. At AV俱乐部, he quickly became a standout member of his med school class: elected president in third year, singing in the Medical School Chorale and the TestosterTones, competing in national Ultimate Frisbee competitions and volunteering with Camp Triumph, a camp supporting families affected by chronic illness.
He also received international media attention鈥攆rom CNN to the Globe and Mail鈥攆or his research study looking at how television medical dramas often demonstrate improper and even dangerous first-aid practices for treating seizure victims.
The 2010 recipient of the James Clarke Award for outstanding contribution to student life at AV俱乐部 Medical School, Mr. Moeller will do his internal medicine residency at AV俱乐部 with the hopes of staying in Halifax to work as a cardiologist.
鈥淐oming from the Maritimes, where a lot of young people leave and go to different provinces to work, I just feel it鈥檚 the right thing to do, to give back to the province that has given me so much. I鈥檇 be happy to work in Halifax for the rest of my life. I鈥檓 a Maritimer at heart.鈥�
'This is what I was meant to do'
Part of a series of stories profiling graduating students
Ryan McNutt - May 27, 2011
Adam Moeller graduates with his medical degree.