Nick Shah, 21, was recently awarded the University of Cincinnati's highest honor for graduates, the
Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence. He’ll graduate this month with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and a minor in Spanish, moving closer to his goal of working as a researcher, an MD and a medical interpreter—all while exercising his creativity regularly as an accomplished pianist.
Before coming to UC, Shah, a native of Monroe, Mich., spent time researching pharmacology and protein detection at the
University of Michigan. While there, he was able to increase the sensitivity of a protein detection device by more than 1,000 times—he’s presented his work at national conferences in Hartford, Conn., and Atlanta. Shah’s capstone project included working with UC’s department of electrical engineering and
Shriner’s Hospital to redesign a flow cytometer to measure certain cell properties more accurately.
To broaden his horizons, Shah studied aboard in Spain for three months, and has participated in service-learning trips to Appalachia and Nicaragua with the University Honors Program. He’s also shadowed an interpreter at
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. After he graduates from medical school, Shah hopes to become a medical interpreter—he plans to take the
National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters exam this summer.
As part of his regular routine, Shah volunteers to play the piano at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the
Ronald McDonald House.
Soapbox caught up with Shah to talk about his recent award, his future plans and what he hopes to contribute to the world of medicine.
Q: What first interested you in medicine?
My interest in medicine started from my early days in Boy Scouts. During a week-long camping trip, I got a severe case of poison ivy, and as a result, had to cover my body completely with white calamine lotion. I was known as the “ghost” of the trip. Poison ivy is not a serious illness, but I sat down and thought to myself, “What if I had this my whole life? Why sit at the sidelines and get hit by potential illnesses? Why not figure out a way to prevent or at least cure them?” I am now excited to see the newest medical advances, such as the 3D printing of organs and gene therapies that have the potential to directly address a variety of illnesses.
Q: What interested you in different cultures and bringing medical services to other countries?
One of my primary goals is to help treat Hispanics in the United States. I may also venture to opportunities outside of the US as well.
Like language, I think culture is something we easily take for granted. When we speak, we don’t really need to think about the right grammatical context or the best word that fits what we want to say. Instead, we just say what we think freely. However, when you experience a different culture, you learn a different way of living. I believe that this learning can generate new ideas in terms of how you act when you return home.
By learning different cultures and their language, you can then communicate at a much deeper level with a population that you couldn’t before. In terms of medicine, accurate communication means better treatment, which will be my ultimate goal as a physician.
Q: What do you hope to contribute to the world of medicine?
There has been a vast array of discoveries that have improved our healthcare significantly. Penicillin led to millions of prevented deaths. CAT scans allow us to image trauma injuries within minutes. I want to help contribute to the next invention for medical care. As a physician, I want to use patient feedback to improve upon the invention. By no means is this a one-man job. As a result, I look forward to collaborating with several physicians and researchers to make this happen.
Q: Who has been your greatest inspiration or mentor?
Steven Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” introduced me to the concept of quadrant II activities. Quadrant II’s are non-urgent, yet important activities. When done over time and consistently, they add up to a powerful result. These are the types of activities that I try to do. One is playing piano weekly at the Ronald McDonald House. Another is a
podcast that I recently started with Stephen Bangs about our personal thoughts on various issues.
Q: What has been your greatest achievement so far?
When people think achievement, they may point to an award, an acceptance letter or an honor. But to be honest, I feel that my greatest achievement is realizing that caring for people means much more than just caring for their injuries or illnesses. And the best part about this is that you don’t need to be at the top to do this. You do not have to be a dean, professor or astronaut. All you need is two hands and a heart to help.
Q: What does the UC Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence mean to you?
The PLME is more than a medal to me. I see it as recognition of someone who goes outside of the classroom. I do think going to class and studying is extremely important, as it creates the foundation of your education. However, there is much more than just the classroom. There is studying abroad, going inside the laboratory, exploring your talents and much, much more. To me, the PLME says that a person used what they learned in class and applied it to the real world.
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