Michael Head of Irvine won the $600 Diana Mossip Scholarship, awarded by the Mensa Foundation based on local group participation.
My goal is to save the lives of each of my patients and also to improve the health and wellness of millions of people. I will do both by practicing as an emergency medicine physician while at the same time leading an organization that improves healthcare for all.
My interest in medicine started in 2005 when I joined a Colorado mountain search and rescue team. Helping people during these highly vulnerable and critical moments of their lives was both humbling and intensely motivating. I became obsessed with helping people in this way and sought out further experience and education in medicine.
As a young teenager, I quickly earned my first responder certification, enabling me to help a classmate who was stabbed multiple times in the hallway of our high school. I earned an EMT certification as soon as I was old enough and joined a local fire department as a firefighter/EMT. For the next 11 years, I worked in and taught emergency medicine. I served as a critical care tech in a busy level 1 trauma center, becoming one of their main instructors for new hires and paramedic students. I taught EMT and paramedic students through the local community college as an adjunct instructor, and eventually as the primary instructor. Throughout this time, I worked my way through the ranks of the fire department, promoting to Medical Captain in 2018.
All of these experiences gave me great insight into the medical profession and inspired me to deepen my knowledge and pursue becoming a physician. In 2019 I matriculated into the MD/MBA program at UC Irvine School of Medicine to do just that.
Beyond medicine, I have a solid foundation in business and entrepreneurship. I started a successful legal software company in 2015 and served as its chief operations officer (COO) for several years. I started another software company in the medical space that received a “Top 10 Smart Medical Companies” award. I helped run an event medical company that provided medical and rescue coverage for IRONMAN races. I have also consulted with businesses since 2016, helping to raise over $8 million. Through these experiences, I have had the opportunity to work with companies across multiple industries and have learned a tremendous amount about what it takes to create a successful business.
My work prior to medical school, combined with the formal education I’m receiving through the UC Irvine MD/MBA program, situates me perfectly to achieve my goals of being a practicing physician and a leader in the healthcare industry. I am also pursuing an MBA specialization in healthcare management and policy to further my knowledge of healthcare policy in order to fulfill my intention to make healthcare more efficient, accessible, and affordable.
My discipline and dedication to excellence are noted by former employers and current teachers alike. I was awarded Medic of the Year by my fire department in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018 in addition to receiving multiple life-saving commendations. I have received honors in nearly every medical school class and served the UC Irvine School of Medicine as its representative to the American Medical Association in addition to helping revamp its pre-hospital medical training. I look forward to applying the same rigor and love of learning to serve my patients and the healthcare of all.