Preparation for any medical-based profession can take intense studying and training. A student who has been interested in the medical field since he was a young boy decided to explore the medical field. He spent a few weeks over the summer at a college medical camp to learn about medicine.

Tom Kantaras, a senior at Revere High School, attended a medical camp over the summer at Miami University to study antibiotics from fungi. Studying and learning from college professors for a period of two weeks, Kantaras obtained knowledge about college medical courses and experienced the kind of hard work needed to become a successful doctor. Kantaras expressed that he did not have much free time while studying at the camp.

“They keep you really busy with research and work, so you did not really have a lot of free time, but when you do have some down time, the campus provided some fun activities for us like skating and rock climbing,” Kantaras said.

Kantaras explained how these camps strive to give students a sample of everything they will experience when they get to college.

“I [gained] a lot of knowledge about how college life is and how you learn at colleges. It looks really good on resumes and we got to learn a lot like how college professors teach as well. We also met a lot of new people that have the same interests,” Kantaras said.

With Tom’s father, mother, aunt and uncle all working as doctors, Kantaras explained that he has always seen himself following their footsteps into the medical field one day. Kantaras’s father Anthony Kantaras, an orthopedic surgeon since 1991, explained that Kantaras has always been interested in science and working in the medical field.

“We never encouraged or tried to persuade [Kantaras] into working in the medical field when he was young at all. We felt that it was his life and that he should decide what he wants to do in life. He has been around this work all his life, however, and I think because of that, he was interested in seeing what his mother and I do every day and wanted to do the same [thing] as us,” Anthony said.

Marla Kantaras, Kantaras’s mother and a pediatrician since 1995, was very pleased when she heard that her child was taking a professional step in the same direction as she did. Kantaras received a brochure from Miami University in the mail regarding the medical camp. Marla felt it would be a good experience for Kantaras to attend the camp over the summer.

Hopeful medical professions may require certain characteristics in order to be successful in their job. Anthony explained why Kantaras will succeed career in the future and how he believes the camp benefitted him.

“[Kantaras is a] great kid. He does very well in school, and he cares so much about people. It was a really good experience for [Kantaras]. The camp allowed him to spread his wings. He is never been away from us for that long of time, but it was good for him to be on his own and to take care of himself,” Anthony said.

His mother also added what she believes will help to make her son a successful doctor in the future.

“His personality will help him be a great doctor. He is very kind and compassionate, and that will help make him successful in the medical career,” Marla said.

Kantaras plans to continue medical studies in the future and to follow his parents’ footsteps into the medical field. He is still undecided about where he wants to attend college and what kind of doctor he wants to become.