PC develops the whole person, alumna says

July 13, 2009

At first glance it may seem that Jessica Parker Floyd ’05 spent all of her time at PC studying biology.

She declared biology as her major practically as soon as she arrived on campus. Two classes—Dr. Jim Wetzel’s class on developmental biology and Dr. Ron Zimmerman’s class on immunology—further spurred her interest in medicine and in stem cells and the immune system in particular. She continued research on the topic, ultimately focusing on Stem Cell Transplantation as a Cure for Multiple Sclerosis for her senior seminar.

After graduating from PC, Floyd went on to the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, where she earned a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. She graduated this past spring, and spoke on behalf of her classmates during graduation. She recently began pursuing a Ph. D. in neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

While her science-related coursework at PC did prepare her for medical school, Floyd says the whole-person education she received as an undergraduate prepared her most of all.

“Yes, scores are important to medical school, and the premed curriculum is top-notch at PC,” she said, “but it’s the whole person that PC helps to develop that is going to be successful in medical school.

“I was a biology major and chemistry minor,” she added, “but it was some of my classes in philosophy, art, and political science that served to really broaden my horizons.”

Floyd says that PC “offers unique opportunities to college students to become very well-rounded individuals ready to serve their community.”

During her undergraduate days, Floyd was active in Student Volunteer Services, Greek Life, Student Government Association, and intramural sports.

Working with SVS, she helped bring to campus Project Life, an annual project that raises awareness about the importance of being added to the bone marrow registry. Floyd coordinated the first two donor drives and organized events to raise funds for the cause.

“Each of these activities encouraged me to grow as a person, meet people with varied backgrounds and goals, and see what we could accomplish by throwing ideas at each other and getting more people involved in whatever it was we were planning or doing,” Floyd said.

“PC allows you a glimpse at what an optimistic, service-oriented, supportive environment can produce,” she added. 

posted by Stacy Dyer '96
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