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Lloyd Runser, one of first in M.D./M.P.H. program, plans to serve in military, work with underserved
Lloyd Runser, left, shares a laugh with Dean Ralph I. Horwitz, M.D., at the student awards ceremony on the eve of commencement. Runser received the Donald E. Minch, M.D., Memorial Fund Award, given to the student who best exemplifies the ideals of family medicine.
To sum up the person that is Lloyd Runser, most, if not all, would be inclined to use the word “giver.” Dedicated to serving the needs of others, Runser has re-entered the U.S. Army as an active-duty medical officer following graduation, in fulfillment of the obligation that came with his Health Professions Scholarship. “I am looking forward to this opportunity to serve my country, as many of my classmates and friends have already done,” he said. Runser is following in the footsteps of his grandfathers, both of whom served in World War II. Although he said he is proud to continue this tradition, he is “even happier to serve in a manner where I can be an agent of healing.” The Lima, Ohio, native received his bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He said he arrived at his decision to enter the field of medicine through his strong sense of faith and concern for others. “I hope to be an instrument of mercy and compassion in serving others,” he said. Runser also credited a relative for his desire to pursue a medical career. “My great uncle was a family physician in a small town in rural Ohio,” he said. “He was extremely active in his community and supportive of the local college and community development. He was an inspiration to me for considering medicine as a career.” This family member was a physician in China during World War II, he added. Runser said he chose Case Western Reserve University for medical school because of the school’s proximity to his family and for its academic reputation. “I found the student environment of the school very welcoming, and Case offers a spectrum of training facilities here in Cleveland that is tremendous,” he said. Once at school, he joined the Primary Care Track and, later, became one of the first students to enroll in the M.D./M.P.H. program; in addition to his medical degree, he graduated with a master of public health degree. Runser said he was drawn to the M.P.H. program because of his interest in international health and because he thought that the public health perspective would enrich his medical education. Outside of the classroom, he has been active in the Christian Medical and Dental Society and the Family Medicine Student Interest Group. Runser, who participated in the “military match,” outside of the National Resident Matching Program, matched to a family medicine program at Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Wash. “I chose the field of family medicine because I enjoy the diversity of the practice and the opportunity to build relationships with patients,” he said. “Furthermore, I am hoping to work with an underserved population, and primary care is the most effective way to work with this population.” Once he has fulfilled his military obligations, Runser hopes to continue his work with the underserved in this country or in other countries. Through this work, he hopes to realize his vision of becoming an “agent of healing.” – Lauren Pomykala |
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