OSU-COM at Cherokee Nation student runner-up for National Student D.O. Doctor of the Year

Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Media Contact: Sara Plummer | Communications Coordinator | 918-561-1282 | sara.plummer@okstate.edu

For second-year medical student Ashton Glover Gatewood, normal hasn’t been something she has experienced much of during her time in medical school.

In fact, neither have her fellow classmates who are a part of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation inaugural class.

They wore masks to their white coat ceremony and their families could not attend. The COVID-19 pandemic had started just five months earlier so most of their classes were held virtually. The OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation building was still under construction — stunted by pandemic-related construction delays — when classes started so they met for labs in community rooms at the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center.

When students finally could attend classes in the new building, masks were required and have been ever since.

“I love being a member of the inaugural class. We’ve been through a lot as a class, not just because everything is new, but with the COVID-19 pandemic everything is constantly changing. I think we’ve had a unique set of challenges; we’ve really grown together, we uplift each other, and we help each other,” Gatewood said. “It’s a very supportive class, we celebrate each other’s successes inside and outside the classroom.” 

In January, Gatewood was selected as the OSU-COM Student Doctor of the Year and then just recently as runner-up for National Student D.O. Doctor of the Year.

“I was incredibly surprised. I had to re-read the email several times just to understand what it was saying,” she said. 

Dr. Natasha Bray, interim dean of OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation, said 'driven' is a great word to describe Gatewood.

“She is ambitious, persistent and wants to have a purpose-driven career and life. She is not afraid or hesitant to reach for her dreams and aspirations. She sets out each day to attain them with unwavering drive and determination,” Bray said. “I’m so proud of her. She represents our campus well and is deserving of this recognition. She exudes what our profession stands for with her commitment to the overall well-being of people. Her compassion for public health creates a hopeful outlook for our future.”

Gatewood — a member of the Choctaw Nation and a descendant of Cherokee and Chickasaw ancestors — worked as a nurse and health care administrator at an Indian Health Services clinic in Oklahoma City for about five years before enrolling in medical school. 

“My background as a nurse in IHS has been absolutely invaluable to my success here as far as my ability to do well academically and to feel like I belong and I’m an important part of the community,” she said.

Once she graduates, she hopes to go back and practice as a physician at the IHS clinic she worked at in Oklahoma City.

“I wanted to become a doctor because I really enjoy helping people working as a team. I also like challenging, scientific problems," she said. "Medicine was a way I could work with people and be continuously challenged. It brought together all my interests and passions in one career.”

Gatewood said she chose to attend OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation specifically because of its tribal affiliation.

“I felt I could continue the work I was already doing at IHS without leaving my community and I could further my career and develop additional skills that could help people even more on a broader scale,” she said. 

Receiving student doctor of the year recognition both nationally and by OSU gives her a sense of accountability and pride, Gatewood said.

“I feel a responsibility to represent this campus, OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation. Our faculty, staff and facilities make this a premier medical school, especially for students interested in primary care, rural health and tribal health,” she said. “And I also feel a responsibility to represent my tribe. I hope that my story can inspire others to continue pursuing their dreams, especially Native students and women who may not have many mentors in their communities.” 

Gatewood said she’s overcome challenges to get to where she is, but she didn’t do it alone.

“I couldn’t be as successful academically without my study group and without the faculty that support us here. I couldn’t continue personal well-being and wellness without my family and friends’ help, like taking care of my daughter or running errands. It’s the effort of a whole village,” she said. “I have had my own failures, setbacks and obstacles in reaching this point in my medical career.

"I believe the past and current sacrifices will be worth the future joy of practicing medicine and serving my community.”