ROCHESTER — Years ago, when Dr. JR Smith was in college, becoming a surgeon wasn't on his mind. "I was a recruited track and field athlete at Duke University, and so my mind, at the time, was seeing how far I could take track," Smith said.
"The academics, for better or for worse, were just what would allow me to get the best out of my track career." But a serious knee injury during his freshman year set Smith on a different course. He was introduced to world of orthopedic surgery when he needed several operations on his knee.
"I was extremely inspired by my orthopedic surgeon, who is still a mentor to me today," Smith said. "He not only treated me physically, but was here for me emotionally, mentally, even spiritually — faith is a big part of my life, and he even prayed for me before we went into the operating room." Now, Smith is a 2024 graduate of the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and will stay in Rochester for his residency training in orthopedic surgery.
Over the past few years, he has also built a following on his YouTube channel, Evolving Medic, chronicling his day-to-day as a Mayo student and sharing the evidence-based study methods that got him through medical school. ADVERTISEMENT Smith's inspiration to start a YouTube channel came from a few places. Because he didn't start his college experience with medical school in mind, Smith said he didn't feel like he was a very competitive applicant.
During his two-year gap between Duke and medical school, living ba.
