By David Fleet
Editor
New Haven, Conn.— In 2015 Kyle Gavulic was a junior at Goodrich High School.
That same year it was determined that Flint City water was 19 times more corrosive than Detroit water, Virginia Tech. University recommended the state declare that the water is not safe for drinking or cooking. The Flint River water was corroding old pipes and lead is leaching into the water, according to the study.
“I was a student at Goodrich High School and dual enrolled at the University of Michigan-Flint downtown,” said Gavulic. “I saw first hand all the Flint Water crisis, that really stayed with me as I continued my education.”
The Flint Water crisis, two summer programs at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, coupled with a strong interest in science, propelled Gavulic into a career in medicine.
Following a top 10 finish at Goodrich High School in 2016 and a summer internship at Saint-Laurent Polyclinique, a private hospital in the French City of Rennes, through the French American Chamber of Commerce of Detroit, Gavulic was accepted at Vanderbilt University.
“I went off to Vanderbilt when Flint was getting all this attention from the federal government,” he said. “That stayed with me and I took a class titled, ‘The Politics of Health.’ It opened my mind to what just happened in my hometown. I’m now passionate about social justice and advocating for underserved populations in both access to health care and education. This provided me with a whole new perspective.”
In 2020, Gavulic completed studies at Vanderbilt University with a B.A. both French and in Medicine, Health, and Society with highest honors.
Gavulic is currently a MD-PhD candidate at Yale University, New Haven, Conn. planning to pursue a PhD in Health Policy and Management.
“Goodrich Schools provided so many opportunities to be a leader,” he said.
“Learning how to present yourself, along with collaborating with others on ideas, are valuable skills for medical school and beyond that. I also learned how to write well at Goodrich. That skill has served my well through my education.”
Gavulic is in his second year of medical school, with four year of Phd school to go before two more years of medical school and a three year residency. He is funded by the National Institute of Health.
“One of the challenging factors is learning to study in a new way,” he said. “You have to learn to study all over again due to the volume of material in medical school. It can be challenging to make time for family and can be tough being away from home.”
After six years of medical study, Gavulic identifies a few top health issues in our county.
“I would say obesity and its sequelae first come to mind,” he said. “But we must not forget about the social determinants of health such as access to care, access to a nutritious diet, housing, education, employment, and the environment to name a few, all of which have an impact on our physical and mental health. For our health to improve as a nation, we have to be just as focused on getting people the resources they need to be well as we are on advancing medicine and curing disease.”