M3 nets scholarship

An Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine medical student has received a $5,000 Tylenol Future Care Scholarship — money that will help him achieve his goal of becoming a third-generation health care provider.

Ben Goldstein, M3, is one of 25 from across the country to receive the scholarship.

The annual scholarship program launched in 1990 for students in health care. Tylenol is made by Johnson & Johnson and the brand name for acetaminophen.

Goldstein calls receiving the Tylenol Future Care Scholarship is a “huge honor,” and that it will help him continue to work toward achieving his goals.

“I am honored to receive this scholarship and appreciate the opportunity it provides to focus more on becoming a kind and compassionate physician,” he says.

Goldstein is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Talmudical Academy of Baltimore before graduating and moving on to Ner Israel Rabbinical College of Baltimore, where he participated in a dual pre-med/religious values program with Towson University.

Upon graduation from OUWB, Goldstein will be a third-generation health care provider. Becoming a doctor always was in the cards, he says.

“I saw the kindness, compassion, and caring that my father and grandfather were able to give towards others while growing up,” he says.

It was common for people to often visit the Goldstein household seeking help, from parents concerned about a wheezing child to more serious issues.

“We had (parents) knock on our door and tell us their baby wasn’t breathing, throw the baby into our arms, and we had to respond,” he said. “I’ve seen a whole broad spectrum and that definitely showed me the amount of goodness that can come out of helping others through medicine.”

Goldstein says he was drawn to OUWB because his mother grew up in Oak Park, and that he liked the emphasis on community and compassion by both OUWB and Beaumont.

“One of my major draws towards attending OUWB was the fact that this medical school has an unparalleled focus around community assistance,” he says.

Giving back has always been important to Goldstein. His first volunteer experience came at the age of 8, with an organization called Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund, a partner of the Maryland Food Bank. He would continue with the organization, ultimately getting involved in management — a role in which he continues to serve in remotely while attending OUWB.

He has also volunteered as an EMT for Hatzalah of Baltimore, as well as Camp Simcha (a camp for children with serious illness), Johns Hopkins Hospital, Pikesville Health Services, and more.

Goldstein estimates he has volunteered more than 6,100 hours for various community-based organizations.

“It’s just about being kind and compassionate while taking care of others and caring for the community,” he says. “It’s helping people who are in a vulnerable state and unable to help themselves.”

Goldstein says he appreciates the many opportunities he has to continue those efforts while an OUWB student.

In addition to volunteer opportunities, he has been involved with the Jewish Medical Student Association, the Vascular and Cardiothoracic Surgery Interest Group, the Plastic Surgery Interest Group, and the OUWB First Aid First Chapter.

Goldstein says he is leaning towards specializing in cardiology, and that he’s always been interested in the field. In Baltimore, he volunteered with Project Ezra of Greater Baltimore, an organization that oversees using about 70 AEDs throughout the community. He says the AEDs can be credited with multiple saves. (Automated External Defibrillator)

Through that same program, Goldstein has taught many CPR classes, including one particularly memorable one.

“I taught the class just a few days prior to a person going into cardiac arrest at that very location,” he says. “That showed me the impact cardiology can have on people.”

On a mission to continue helping people, Goldstein says he’s grateful for the amount of support he’s received at OUWB.

“As a student, I’ve had the opportunity to be taught by faculty that were always readily available to assist me in succeeding throughout medical school,” says Goldstein. “This specifically involved being extremely caring with my religious needs, being accessible in offices, providing reviews in study rooms prior to exams, and…mentorship in my CPR research project for Embark that has the goal of breaking down barriers of accessibility to learning CPR.”

“Throughout medical school, OUWB has built upon the foundation that was created by my family, Talmudical Academy, and Ner Israel Rabbinical College,” he adds.