Lauren Donovan

Medical School Student

How did your major contribute to preparing you for your current career?  

Majoring in German at Xavier has thoroughly helped me in my journey to medical school. Having a major in fine arts has set me apart from many of my other classmates and has helped me to think in ways most science students do not.  

How did your major influence your worldview?  

As a future physician it’s really important to understand and empathize with your patients. With majoring in a language at Xavier I had to study abroad. This experience helped solidify my German fluency and was just generally an awesome experience. This also showed me how someone feels when they are not completely fluent and have to convey information in a serious circumstance. When I arrived in Frankfurt my luggage never came on the conveyor belt. I had to speak with an attendee about this… in German. There were some words I couldn’t think of at the time to describe what my luggage looked like. Specifically, the fact that my mom had bought me giraffe print suitcases and I had no idea how to say “Giraffe” auf Deutsch. While this was a minor experience it helped me understand how necessary translators are in many situations, but especially in a physician’s office.  

How did your major help you cultivate interests and passions that extend beyond your career to a rewarding personal life?  

Speaking German has led to me to many fun conversations with strangers when I overhear them speaking the language. I’ve been able to meet doctors at conferences and have in depth conversations with them after hearing them speak German. It’s also really great knowing about the culture, literature and society of the Germans when speaking with colleagues and friends.

Tell us how study abroad fit into your plans, academically and/or professionally.  

Studying abroad was easily set up through the Summer Study Abroad Program at Xavier. This made it easy and simple to figure out the logistics. It was also really great to know other students from the program that were going on the trip as well to arrange travel plans.  
What advice would you give to a student considering a major in German? Absolutely do it! Dr. Luken is amazing and always willing to help with classes, chat about life and be a great mentor and friend. A German Major is an awesome asset to your resume and will help set you apart no matter what career field you’re looking to go into! It’s also really nice to have the small classes sizes and get to know each of your classmates on a really personal level. We were able to speak about real life events in German, from both our personal lives and in the world. The German courses always felt like a break from my science classes and were really rewarding to be a part of.