David Hurst

The word “homunculus” is interesting to me. It was originally used by alchemists in the 16^th century to represent a microscopic but fully formed human which took the place of what is now known to be a fetus. Later in the 19^th century, homunculi were referenced in fiction as humanoid monsters. The homunculus is still used in fiction today and often refers to a human made from scientific or magical means, like frankenstein. I was very shocked to learn that in neurology, a homunculus is a distorted scale model of a human drawn to reflect the relative space human body parts occupy on the somatosensory and motor cortex. I think it is very interesting how a word who owes its origin to the pseudoscience of alchemy has found a home in the very real science of neurology. 

 

My Bookshelf has a wide variety of different genres. There are old textbooks, science fiction, fantasy, a shelf of medical non-fiction, and historical nonfiction. One of my favorite writers is Mary Roach so I have a spot just for her. However, what takes up most of the shelf space on my bookshelf is my collection of manga and graphic novels. 

 

I think most of my friends are surprised when they learn that I can solve a Rubik’s cube in a little under a minute and a half. 

 

I have a Bachelor’s in Science from Texas A&M where I majored in Biomedical Sciences. 

 

While I am of course excited for the opportunity to continue my education and be one step closer to my end goal of being physician, I would be lying if I didn’t include the fact that getting a second degree from A&M seems really cool to me. Growing up my parents painted my walls maroon, decorated my childhood bedroom with Aggie décor, and dressed me in Aggie get up from birth. I only applied to A&M for my undergraduate degree. I truly love it here and excited to continue being an Aggie. 

 

I would like to meet Dr. Charles Horace Mayo and his brother Dr. William James Mayo. While their father may have founded the Mayo clinic it was his two sons who made the clinic what it is today. Much of what we consider common place in a hospital today, such as collaborative medicine, patient records, pathology labs within a hospital and antiseptics were not standard practice when the Mayo brothers were running the historic clinic. Their innovation and willingness to change centuries old traditions in medicine changed healthcare for the better forever.  

 

Aside from my aspiration to become a physician, I would say that I am very passionate about Texas Wildlife, particularly game fish species of the Texas Coast. I am a member of the coastal conservation association of Texas and often read about how I as a fisherman can do my part to ensure that the fisheries will be available as a resource for future generations to enjoy.