Medical Student
Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University
Alex Gilman is a dedicated and enthusiastic 4th-year medical student who has always been interested in the intricate workings of the human brain and spine, both from a structural and functional standpoint. Born and raised in Latvia and brought to the United States as a young child of immigration, he learned firsthand the attributes of perseverance, hard work, and humility. Alex’s first literature exposure at a young age was volumes of a medical encyclopedia, igniting a fascination with science and the human body. From that moment, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in medicine.
After completing his business and biology undergraduate degrees, Alex decided to further his experiences by serving in the United States Air Force as a Medic and later as a Radiology Technologist. The culmination of these experiences brought him to Dayton, Ohio, where Alex completed a Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical program and continued at Wright State University by attending medical school at Boonshoft School of Medicine.
Throughout his studies, he has excelled in his coursework and consistently demonstrated a passion for neuroscience and neurosurgery by chartering the AANS (American Association of Neurological Surgeons) chapter at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, which gained over one hundred members in three years.
Alex’s interest in neurosurgery continued to develop during his second year of medical school when he and a few classmates developed and launched a comprehensive cadaveric neurosurgical training curriculum for medical students. The program fostered opportunities for medical students to be in the first-person setting, learn neurosurgical cases, work in multidisciplinary teams, and develop critical thinking skills specific to neurosurgery. During this time, Alex began spending time shadowing doctors in the field and developing mentorships in the neurosurgery community. As opportunities came to scrub in, he was immediately drawn to the complexity and challenges of working with the brain, spine, and endovascular aspects of neurosurgery and knew that he wanted to pursue a career in this specialized field.
Despite the rigor of his medical studies, Alex has always made time to volunteer in his local community, where he has worked with undergraduate students looking to pursue medicine as a career. Alex launched a mentorship group to help local undergraduate students find resources and mentorship in their journey to becoming medical professionals. He also serves as a tutor for younger medical students and advocates for early exposure, better resources, and training opportunities for people pursuing surgery and those in underserved communities.
After completing his medical education, Alex plans to pursue a residency in neurosurgery. He is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and is confident that he has the skills, knowledge, and dedication necessary to succeed in this challenging and rewarding field.