Chelsea Borwege’s family physician in Faribault gave her some sage advice about becoming a doctor: “If you’re interested in medicine, and it’s something you keep coming back to, don’t let it intimidate you.”

Borwege decided to listen. She’s in her fourth year of a five-year program to double major in biology and clinical laboratory science at Bemidji State University. She plans to be a doctor, but she’s also keeping other options open, noting that lab science is a very employable major.

“I don’t want to be labeled pre-med right now,” Borwege said. “Life can throw curve balls, and having a Plan B and Plan C in no way detracts from setting my sights on medical school.”

She will spend this summer at the University of North Dakota labs through a partnership with BSU and then finish her fifth year with online coursework and a full-time internship at a hospital in Spokane, Wash. Once she takes her national board certification exam, she’ll decide her next career step.

For now, Borwege is gaining valuable experience with patients working as a phlebotomist at Sanford Medical Center in Bemidji. She has also shadowed an oncology surgeon, observed several surgical procedures and witnessed an autopsy.  In addition, she works at the BSU Gillett Recreation-Fitness Center, where she enjoys interacting with faculty, students and the community.

“I get a lot of really great students in medical lab science, and Chelsea is definitely one of them,” said her adviser Dr. Michael Hamann, associate professor of biology. “She has such an outgoing personality and the ability to go in so many directions with her career.”

Borwege is happy with her studies and her decision to attend Bemidji State, where she competed for two years on the track and field team. She also appreciates the campus size, small enough to see familiar faces every day, while big enough to make new friends.

“It was important to me to have smaller class sizes because I really like having one-on-one conversations with my professors,” she said. “Most of my professors here know me by name.”

Outside of studies and work, Borwege holds leadership positions in the BSU Biology Club and two other medical clubs, including one she helped found. Last year, she made the BSU EuroSpring trip, studying at Oxford, an adventure she highly recommends.

“Bemidji State has been a really good fit for me,” she said. “I love it here.”