Jesse McIlwaine

Jesse McIlwaine said that he had two loves: baseball and science. After a successful high school career as a closer, McIlwaine dreamt about being a MLB pitcher. When that career didn’t seem possible, McIlwaine recalled a particularly inspiring ninth grade biology teacher and decided to choose medicine. “Medicine seemed like the best medium to allow me to help people,” McIlwaine said. While he didn’t end up in the Majors, McIlwane said that the training he has from baseball will be of use in his medical career. “Being a physician means working as part of a group. It’s very similar to being on a team—you need teamwork.”