While studying at the grand library of Oxford University in England, William Slover received shocking news.
He had just finished his sophomore year and was accepted to Eastern Virginia Medical School.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Slover, a ’25 philosophy student.
Slover, a premed student, was pleased. His hard work and attention had paid off; his future was rapidly taking shape, and his dream of becoming a doctor appeared to be more and more realistic.
CNU’s early entrance into medical school provided him with a path to achieving his life’s objective and knowing it was feasible. The Pre-Med Scholars Program, a collaboration between CNU, EVMS, and VCU School of Medicine, helps undergraduate students manage the stress of medical school admittance. The alliance also offers mentoring, shadowing opportunities, weekly meetings, and advice to help students prepare for medical school.
“I could not be happier about it,” Slover stated. “I am thrilled.”
Slover still had two years of college ahead of him when he received the excellent news, giving him plenty of time to glean as much wisdom and insight as possible from his Christopher Newport experience.
Slover has established his résumé, met personal goals, and honed his professional focus through a combination of academic and extracurricular activities.
Slover, who grew up in nearby Poquoson, has never missed an opportunity to excel at CNU. He is in the Honors Program, a member of the President’s Leadership Program, pursuing a pre-med degree, and minoring in German and Leadership. He is a qualified volunteer EMT with a local fire department and does neuroscience research with Associate Professor Dr. Matthew Campolattaro in the Psychology Department. Slover has prioritized the four pillars of a CNU education throughout his college years.
✓ Research: He’s working with Dr. Campolattaro in a lab studying the reflexes of rats.
✓ Study abroad: He traveled to Germany to study abroad, Oxford as a Presidential Scholar, and Kenya on a medical mission.
✓ Internships: He works with a local doctor, shadowing him and learning from his medical practice.
✓ Service: He works with paramedics on an ambulance and is an active member of Cru, a Christian group on campus.
Slover, an Eagle Scout, first visited CNU when he performed on campus as a member of his high school band.
When he came back to tour it, he knew Christopher Newport was the right place for him to excel and find his calling.
“CNU spoke to me,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for a better environment. It felt very aesthetically pleasing and satisfying. The small class sizes were perfect. All the pieces fell into place.”
The biggest draw was the opportunity for early acceptance into medical school.
“I found exactly what I wanted and the platform to do exactly what I wanted to do,” he said. Slover’s goal has been to become a gastroenterologist, so CNU’s partnership with EVMS was most enticing.
“I have no regrets at all,” he said. “Everything I had hoped to come to pass has.”
Slover is always on the run, moving from one activity to another. He likes to be busy, and he loves to learn. The more he can enrich his mind and knowledge, he said, the better. He has spent nights in the fire station, and then gotten up early to go to class. It is all about balance and finding what brings joy, he said.
“I want to be a cultured person. I have embraced liberal arts because I’m a philosophy major who is also studying medicine and leadership,” he said. “I want to be well rounded. I want to be able to relate to different cultures and people.”
For Slover, learning is a passion. He embraces both the depth of philosophy and religion and the science of medicine, and is fascinated by how they interrelate.
“I really enjoy both,” he said.
Slover hopes to swirl all of his loves together during his educational journey. He not only plans to become a doctor of medicine, but also obtain his master’s in theological studies. He has been offered a spot at Duke University’s School of Divinity.
“My plan is to go to medical school, and after three years, take a two year leave of absence to get my master’s.
“That would be a way to integrate both of my passions,” he said.
He is a firm believer that a higher power has helped him succeed and find his calling.
“God is the one who opened the doors,” he said. “Now, I am just walking through them.”
Slover’s end goal is to use his training both in divinity and medicine to be the best doctor possible.
“It is all preparing me to be a strong physician who loves and cares for my patients,” he said.
