We're catching up with some of our NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients to see what they have been up to since graduating from The College of Wooster. Our second former Fighting Scot in this series is Sheldon Steiner '07, M.D., M.P.H., a biology alumnus. Steiner is a hospital medicine physician with Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (MAPMG), and he's based in Arlington, Virginia. 

Q: Tell us a bit about your career path since you graduated from The College of Wooster?

A: I applied for and attended medical school at Howard University College of Medicine. I subsequently completed a residency program in internal medicine at George Washington University. I began my current job at MAPMG in 2017 as a hospitalist physician where I continue to enjoy practicing medicine in the Washington D.C. area. 

Q: Walk us through some of the key duties at your current job?

A: My overarching duty at work is to care for my patients. I typically work as a hospital rounder, where I have a set number of patients that I take care of during that day (making clinical care decisions, counseling patients, consulting specialists, discharging to home, etc.). At other times, I will work as the admitting physician, admitting patients to the hospital. Throughout the course of the day, I work closely with other members of the healthcare team including other physicians, nursing staff, therapists, and case managers.  

Q: Tell us about any super-cool and unique experiences you've been a part of at your current job, or at a previous job?

A: Recently, I joined the Virtual Home Care Program (within MAPMG), where several weeks out of the year I work from home in a telemedicine capacity. During the ongoing COVID pandemic, this program was rapidly escalated to reach out to and advise COVID-positive patients on how to manage symptoms, how and when to quarantine, and when to seek a higher level of care. The task was challenging, but ultimately effective and rewarding. Telemedicine is a growing industry, so it's exciting to be on the forefront of my company's efforts to grow that field and expand access to healthcare.

In addition, working as a hospitalist during a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime pandemic has been a life-changing experience. What happened in the fog of the early days of the pandemic was eye-opening, and fortunately, we have made significant improvements in our ability to care for COVID patients in the hospital setting. I am thankful to be at a hospital that had sufficient PPE from the start, but it was also hard to see my fellow physicians struggling in other places. 

Q: Tell us about one or two people at The College of Wooster who really helped shape your career path and set you up for a high level of success after graduation?

A: I really appreciated the guidance and support of my I.S. adviser, Dr. Richard Lehtinen (Biology Professor). By guiding me through a project of that magnitude, I was definitely more prepared for the workload of medical school. He furthered my love of science and for that I am very grateful. 

Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster?

A: I wanted to attend a school with a strong academic reputation that would prepare me to further pursue an advanced degree, and that also had a nationally competitive baseball program. 

Q: What are some of your favorite memories about your time as a student-athlete at Wooster?

A: Some memories that come to mind are the nearly non-stop baseball games during our annual spring baseball trip to Florida, the runs up the hill to Art Murray Field, the 27-game winning streak during the 2007 season, and Coach Pettorini's witticisms. I also cherish the "out-in-the-field" trips I took to collect data for my Independent Study project with Dr. Lehtinen during my senior year.  

Q: Who were some of the key influencers or what were some of the key resources you utilized as a student-athlete that helped you balance out being a student and a highly-decorated athlete at the College?

A: I relied on the support and camaraderie of my classmates and teammates to help maintain that balance. Also, Coach Pettorini and my professors were understanding of my dual commitments and were able to work together to resolve any potential conflict. It was a demanding but also supportive environment. 

Q: What did it mean to help put Wooster in the national spotlight as a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient?

A: I really appreciated the opportunity that Wooster provided and was proud to have the school, the support I received, and my hard work recognized in that way. 

Follow Wooster's baseball team on social media!

Fan can follow Wooster's baseball team on Twitter and Instagram. 

Interested in becoming a Fighting Scot?

Prospective student-athletes can click here to request more information from a coach and you can view the virtual campus tour here.