‘I feel so ready:' How Gavin Pahula is building his future in medicine

At UA, you'll always have someone in your corner. Through real stories from students and their mentors, MentorZip highlights the support network that makes UA a place where every Zip thrives - whether it's a professor igniting a passion for research or an upperclassman helping a first-year student find their path.

Be inspired as we showcase impactful mentorship stories that prove one thing. Here, success isn't a solo journey - it's powered by mentorship, guidance and a community that truly cares.

As an undergraduate at The University of Akron, Gavin Puhala is already gaining experiences many students won't encounter for years - conducting research in a medical university laboratory and stepping early into the world of medicine.

For Puhala, that access reflects how UA prepares students for healthcare careers through mentorship, early research opportunities, and strong partnerships - some of which can even guarantee a seat in medical school before graduation.

A junior majoring in biomedical sciences with a minor in chemistry, Puhala arrived at Akron with a clear goal: to become a family medicine physician. What stood out immediately, he said, was how intentionally the University connects students to that future.

"The first thing that interested me about the University of Akron's biomedical sciences program was the access and reach to hospitals and medical facilities in the area," Puhala said. "And especially the early assurance programs for medical school - the pathways to Lake Erie College of Medicine and Northeast Ohio Medical University are gamechangers for aspiring medical students."

Those partnerships offer more than reassurance - they provide real, hands-on experience. Through Akron's Department of Biology and its Tiered Mentorship Program, Puhala joined a medical university research lab in his first year.

At Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), he works as an undergraduate research assistant in a translational neuroscience lab focused on autism, examining autonomic nervous system dysfunction that affects many children.

"Tiered mentorship is huge for undergraduates - it's stress-free. You meet with your professor right away. It's a great system for getting people involved. A typical day looks like driving over to NEOMED, collaborating with the team on projects and data collection, analyzing data, and helping refine lab protocols," he said.

Finding confidence through mentorship

Still, stepping into that environment for the first time came with uncertainty.

"When I first pulled up to NEOMED my first day, I remember being super overwhelmed," he said. "I was thinking, 'Why am I here? I shouldn't be here. I'm an undergraduate student working at a medical university."

What changed that feeling wasn't time alone - it was mentorship.

"I realized that what they're doing is awesome, and I can totally play a role here," he said. "There was a lot of support to really learn and to do things outside my comfort zone, and it didn't have to be a stressful environment at all. I was just putting that on myself."

That support came from multiple levels. At the center is Ronald Seese, M.D., Ph.D., the lab's principal investigator, along with graduate students and peers who guide without taking over.

"Dr. Seese has supported my growth through keeping me accountable for goals that I create and discuss at the start of each semester," Puhala said. "He would also have us prepare presentations to give to the rest of the lab. Those moments helped me learn important research skills in a safe and supportive environment."

Just as important is how that mentorship is structured.

"Dr. Seese and the graduate students have challenged me to grow by letting me lead on a lot of different projects," he said in the interview. "Sometimes I don't always get told what to do - they're expecting me to do something. And that's a different skill set that I'm really learning."

Learning leadership in the lab

One of the most defining moments of that growth came when Puhala took on a project to build and present his own research poster.

"Going into it, I had no idea how to make a good poster or collect data and display it in a cohesive way," he said. "My mentors stretched me a lot during that time - not doing things for me but guiding me."

It's a kind of learning that goes beyond the classroom.

"In classes, the assignments and objectives are usually made clear," he said. "In research, you are the one creating projects, timelines and objectives. That's something you can't learn well in the classroom."

The Tiered Mentorship Program, which connects students to research opportunities through a structured and accessible system, played a critical role in making that possible.

"The fact that all these opportunities are in one place and easy to access is a huge stress reliever," he said. "I don't think I would have gotten involved in research as early as I did without it. The biology department is good at giving a lot of support to their students. And an overlooked part of that is the students themselves. Everybody genuinely wants to help each other succeed. It's not a cutthroat environment - it's really collaborative."

Prepared for the next step

That collaboration has also come full circle. Now more experienced, Puhala has begun mentoring others in the lab.

"It was one of those moments where I thought, 'I don't really know what I'm doing,'" he said with a laugh. "But it's been a great experience for leadership - learning how to explain things simply and help someone else get started."

Looking ahead to medical school, Puhala feels prepared - not just academically, but professionally.

"I feel so ready," he said. "The preparation has been great. The way Akron has these resources - the EAPs, the mentorship - it takes away a lot of unnecessary stress and gives you time to invest in the things that matter."

It's that combination of access, mentorship and real-world experience - strengthened through partnerships like NEOMED - that continues to define Akron's approach. With meaningful mentorship and real-world experience already behind him, Puhala isn't waiting to begin a career in medicine - he's already building it.

Story by Alex Knisely
Media contact: [email protected]