MATTER Track Class of 2024
Name: Cole Cochran
Hometown: Princeton, WV
Undergraduate Institution: WVU
What made you want to apply to WVU EM MATTER? I learned early in my medical education that emergency medicine provides everything I am looking for in a specialty. MATTER provides students who know what they want to pursue the opportunity to accelerate their education, and this was very appealing to me. WVU is an excellent place to train and my interactions with residents and faculty within the EM department have only affirmed my decision to pursue this track.
Hobbies: Volleyball, exercise, watching sports
Biography-- I love sports, I love the outdoors, and I love my dog! I have coached at the local volleyball club, Morgantown Volleyball Club, for the past four seasons with my fiancé. We are passionate about the sport and developing young players. I played with the WVU men’s club volleyball team for 6 seasons. We also have a 3-year-old Aussiedoodle named Mac who we love to spoil. When I am not learning medicine, coaching volleyball, or playing with Mac, I am probably watching football or enjoying a sunny day outside!
Name: Luke Cox
Hometown: Bridgeport, WV
Undergraduate Institution: WVU
What made you want to apply to WVU EM MATTER?
After being involved with many emergency surgeries when I worked in the OR during undergrad, I knew that I loved the high-acuity side of medicine. Then, as I started medical school and explored many different specialties, I decided that I wanted to be in a non-surgical field that would still allow me to be hands-on at times. I also found myself being drawn towards specialties where I could see a broad range of patient concerns instead of focusing on a single system. Ultimately though, the EM summer externship following my first year of medical school was when I made up my mind that EM was my chosen field. The variety of patients I saw always piqued my curiosity and made me excited to see what each next shift held. Importantly, the externship also gave me the opportunity to work with faculty, staff, and residents in EM at WVU who took time to welcome me, teach me, and get to know me on a more personal level. I felt at home during the externship, and after that incredible experience I didn’t have any reservations about applying to WVU EM MATTER.
Hobbies:
Playing soccer, reading, exercising, cooking
Biography
While it’s not where my career-interests lie, I am very passionate about preventative medicine and promoting healthy lifestyle habits. I earned my bachelor’s degree from WVU in Exercise Physiology with a minor in Human Nutrition and Foods, and I have been a member of the Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine track during my time in the WVU SoM as well. I love playing and watching pretty much all sports, but soccer is my absolute favorite and the one I have coached and played most competitively. I’m also a bit of a Star Wars nerd and I love reading Star Wars novels (canon and legends) in addition to other fiction and some non-fiction. I spend most of my free time with my wonderful wife, Lucy, and our long-haired dachshund, Wilson, and we can often be found at the gym, in the kitchen cooking, or enjoying time with our family and friends.
Name: Garrett Volk
Hometown: Cross Lanes, WV
Undergraduate Institution: WVU (Exercise Physiology)
What made you want to apply to WVU EM MATTER?
The kindness and willingness of the EM program to keep us involved at every stage of our medical student career. Whether it was shadowing during my MS1 year, learning during my summer externship, or attending weekend shifts during my MS3 year, the residents and faculty have made my education and involvement a priority. The ability to start my medical career a year early in such a positive environment was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse!
Hobbies:
Intramural flag football with my med school classmates
Taking my golden retriever on walks around the stadium
Biography:
I attended dental school at WVU for a year before making the switch to medical school. My two favorite sport teams are the Las Vegas Raiders and FC Bayern Munich