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UTK English Roundtable on Careers in Medicine

Dr. Daniel Wallace spoke with two alumni about how studying English impacted their medical careers.

University of Tennessee English alumni Carolyn Thompson and Nicole Matis joined Daniel Wallace for a roundtable discussion on how their English degrees helped them in their future careers in medicine.

Carolyn C. Thompson, MD, is a Board-certified OB/Gyn with over 30 years of clinical and practice management experience. Her experience in both the clinical and entrepreneurial sectors has provided valuable insight into critical aspects of healthcare technology operations and implementation, serving as CEO, Chief Medical Officer, and Medical Director for health technology companies. Dr. Thompson’s expertise has facilitated her work as a medical litigation consultant in medical malpractice cases. She has been involved in international OB/Gyn mission work for over 20 years and is active in several local and statewide non-profit boards as well as in Women’s Rights advocacy.

Native to Huntsville, AL, Nicole Matis is a fourth-year medical student at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. She graduated from the University of Tennessee with a major in biochemistry and minors in English and psychology. Prior to graduation, she completed a thesis exploring the intersectionality of art and medicine in the form of a poetry chapbook detailing her experiences volunteering on a surgery floor. She has continued to write medicine-related poems that have been featured in Broad River Review, Blood and Thunder, Rogue Agent, and Stirring, among others. Her experiences writing poetry led her pursue a career in Psychiatry, and she will match into a residency program this spring.

This event was sponsored by the English Department’s Career Development program. Find out more about how our department supports its students and grads with career support at https://english.utk.edu/careers/.