Student Spotlight: Dena Crozier

“The dedicated research year that is built into the curriculum was what drew me to CCLCM,” says Dena Crozier (’23), who is also pursuing a master’s degree in systems biology and bioinformatics as part of the dual degree program at Case Western Reserve University.

Once she matriculated to the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Dena discovered that the community was the most rewarding aspect of the program.

“What stands out in my experience is just how supportive everyone is. I think because it’s a small program, people really try to connect you with resources, and they’re willing to work with you,” she says.

One of the courses that was most meaningful to her was Communication Skills. In fact, she found the course so helpful, she returned as a preceptor in her fourth year. She found the shift in perspective interesting, especially after going through her clinical rotations.

“What I really liked about the Communication Skills course was how useful it is to practice on standardized patients. If you feel like you messed up, you aren’t impacting a real patient, and that allows for a learning opportunity. That class showed me that you can truly learn communication skills. It’s just a skill you need to put time into,” Dena says.

Another reason Dena chose CCLCM was because of her passion for working in groups; problem-based learning groups are a large part of the CCLCM curriculum. In fact, during her first year, the members of her problem-based learning group became close friends. The group would have breakfast together every Friday and would celebrate birthdays with special dinners.

“It was a nice thing to look forward to, and it was a great bonding experience before we really got into the thick of medical school,” she says.

Originally from the Boston area, Dena studied physics at Northeastern University. During her thesis year, she focused on antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, where she evolved intermediate vancomycin resistance in S. aureus and tested the evolved strains against a panel of second-line antibiotics to determine the best treatment. The strains also underwent whole-genome sequencing to correlate genetic mutations with antibiotic sensitivity phenotypes.

Another of Dena’s undergraduate projects involving data on motor skills in autism — the project had been in the works since 2016 — was recently published.

“I’m not someone who likes to leave things undone, and when I came to CCLCM I unfortunately had to leave the lab I’d been working in throughout college. However, with the COVID pandemic, the team was able to meet weekly via Zoom and decide what we had to do to get this data out.”

When asked for advice she would give to prospective students, Dena stresses to look at what your values are and make sure they align with the program. When it comes to advice she wished she heard prior to starting the program, Dena simply states that, “Everything will be fine and will work out. People in the program want you to succeed!”

When Dena is not busy with coursework, she enjoys playing board games with fellow classmates, lounging with her cats (Marie and Rosie), and knitting. “I love how relaxing knitting is. It’s something I can do while studying and also while watching Netflix.”