Learning to Serve Her Hometown

For Peyton Staab ’21, going into a science-related field was something she always knew she’d do.

"As I watched my brother’s physician completely change his life for the better, I realized my desire to be a physician is found in who I am as a person."

Her passion for science—coupled with her family’s positive experience with a physician—made medical school an easy choice.

“As I watched my brother’s physician completely change his life for the better, I realized my desire to be a physician is found in who I am as a person,” said Peyton, after her brother sustained a career-ending injury during a football game.

Peyton was accepted into medical school at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and, while she isn’t sure what area of medicine she wants to pursue, she knows she wants to serve her hometown community.

“I’ll be keeping my options open and will try to immerse myself in each clinical rotation in medical school to determine which field I’ll go into,” said Peyton. “I hope to end up practicing in Iowa as a physician to serve the community I grew up in.”

Being an active member of her community is very important to Peyton. At Mount Mercy, she was involved in Enactus, Science Club, and the Council for Student-Athletes. 

“Being a part of these clubs meant a lot to me,” said Peyton. “I met lifelong friends who made me feel supported and accepted me for who I am.”

Peyton’s strong support system came through when she received a poor grade on an organic chemistry exam—an essential class in the pre-medicine path.

“The structures, reagents, and reactions sounded like a different language to me,” said Peyton. “I felt defeated and questioned my pre-medical plans.”

Peyton didn’t allow the poor grade to define her or her dreams. She created a study plan, worked hard, and ultimately received an A on the final exam.

“After that failure, I realized the long nights studying would be worth it for the patients I would someday be able to heal,” said Peyton. “In hindsight, this failure actually reinvigorated my determination to become a physician—I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of coming back from failure. As a medical student, I will make mistakes. It will be important for me to bounce back to best serve my future patients.”

While her brother’s physician first motivated her to pursue a career in medicine, Peyton’s own determination and work ethic will motivate her—and others around her—throughout medical school and beyond.