Eponine McClellan: Charting a Course to Care at Southern Utah University
Published: May 22, 2025 | Author: Jacob Carr | Read Time: 3 minutes
Cedar City, UT – For Eponine McClellan, Southern Utah University isn't just an institution of higher learning; it's a place that is helping her get closer to making her lifelong goal of becoming a physician a reality. A proud Parowan, UT native, McClellan is immersed in the rigorous yet rewarding world of pre-med.
"I've always wanted to be a physician," McClellan said. She explained how biology pre-med at SUU provides a robust foundation, encompassing everything from general biology to in-depth anatomy, making her a well-rounded medical school candidate.
For McClellan, choosing SUU was a deliberate decision, driven by a desire for a more intimate and opportunity-rich academic environment.
"I've been to the bigger schools, and the big class sizes were kind of intimidating," McClellan said. "[At SUU] I can choose which research I want to do and go as far into it as I want to," she explained, highlighting SUU's commitment to funding student-research endeavors.
Southern Utah University's pre-med track has provided both a rigorous and supportive environment for McClellan's aspirations. The depth of the curriculum ensures that SUU graduates frequently exceed the standard expectations of medical schools.
"SUU kind of pushes you a little bit more, but it makes it so that you're way more of an exceptional candidate compared to other students," she noted.
Sharing her experience in organic chemistry, McClellan recounts how Professor Ty Redd not only challenged her but also provided tailored guidance and ultimately wrote a crucial letter of recommendation. Beyond faculty mentorship, peer support is also a hallmark of the SUU experience.
A significant aspect of McClellan's preparation has been her involvement with the Rural Health Scholars program. This invaluable initiative has provided her with mock interviews, medical Spanish courses, early acceptance program opportunities, campus tours, and eye-opening cultural immersion trips.
Complementing her rigorous coursework, McClellan works at Cedar City Hospital in the Labor and Delivery/Women and Newborns unit. As a surgical tech, she assists in delivering babies, provides postpartum care, and even scrubs into the operating room. This hands-on experience for an undergraduate helps to demonstrate her dedication to and desire to work in healthcare.
"Medical schools want to see that you're going above and beyond outside of schooling," she explained, emphasizing the importance of service hours, research, clinical experience, and shadowing, all areas that SUU actively facilitates. The University's ties with Southwest Technical College even enabled her to obtain her CNA, further adding to her clinical hours.
Looking towards her medical school applications, McClellan is considering osteopathic medicine, a field that resonates with her holistic approach to care. Her biology pre-med track and chemistry minor provide a strong academic foundation for this path.
After medical school and residency, McClellan has a deep-seated desire to return to and serve in a rural community.
"There are about 60 million rural citizens in the US, and they don't get as much healthcare as others would in a more urban area," she explains. "I love rural communities, and I really want to come back and serve as a physician.”
For Eponine McClellan, SUU has been more than just a place to study biomedical science; it has been a nurturing community that has fostered her passion for medicine, provided invaluable experiences, and empowered her to chart a course towards a future of meaningful impact in rural healthcare. As she prepares for the next chapter, McClellan’s dedication paired with the supportive environment of SUU are propelling her towards a truly impactful career.
Tags: Student College of Natural Sciences Biology Rural Health Scholars Community Academic Southwest Technical College
Contact Information:
Brooke Heath
435-586-5400
brookeheath1@suu.edu