MOSCOW, Idaho – While at Idaho, Kelly Dopke proved she was a leader both on and off the soccer field many times over. A year after graduating, the California native continues to exhibit her leadership, and a drive to help other people.

Dopke has gone through a lot: she lost her brother to a fatal traffic accident the summer before her freshman year, just months before her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. These experiences helped shape Dopke's life goal to become a doctor. Now, as she waits to hear about her acceptance from Penn State medical school, the COVID-19 pandemic rages. Instead of making Dopke question her path, she says that "seeing people at their worst … has increased my passion for medicine and I will do anything I can to help someone else."

After graduating with a medical sciences degree from Idaho, Dopke moved home to take a gap year as she applied to medical schools. She now works as a scribe for an OB/GYN office in Pasadena, as well as part time in an emergency department in Arcadia. In her work she shadows physicians and aids them in completing their notes and documents for patients' visits.

Working in an "essential" industry, Dopke has stayed busy, although things have shifted at work. She, along with all employees, is screened prior to entering the office or hospital, and masks and other personal protective equipment are always worn, with frequent hand washing practiced. The ED doctors she works with have been cognizant of the dangers for the scribes such as Dopke, and if a suspected COVID-19 case comes in, the physician sees the patient alone, and dictates the findings to help her complete the chart away from any danger. Although her mother is now cancer free, Dopke takes extra care when coming home from the hospital – leaving her shoes outside, immediately putting her scrubs in the washing machine, and jumping in the shower – in order to do her part of protect everyone.

"I think the work I am doing now does have a positive impact, but I want to do more and by pursuing a career in medicine I know that I can achieve that goal," said Dopke.

At the moment she is still waiting to hear about that pursuit. While she was able to submit her application prior to the crisis began in the United States, medical schools have had their timelines shifted in notifying applicants of their decisions due to more pressing issues. If all goes well, she will be attending Penn State medical school beginning in July.

Dopke wants to keep her options open when she enters school and has not settled on a specialty to focus on, however, she has savored her experiences in emergency.

"In the ED you have the opportunity to follow a patient throughout their visit. You get to fix something and have them leave better than when they came in," said Dopke.

Trauma surgery also interests the former defender. While a teacher's assistant in an anatomy class at Idaho, Dopke led a dissection which is now used to teach anatomy of the head. No TA had done that sort of dissection before, and she was fascinated by it.

Since she lost her brother, Dopke has looked at life differently. She sees herself living in his image and impacting the world through helping other people in medicine. Experiencing the current crisis has only solidified her passion and drive to become a doctor.

"With COVID-19, you see how disease and infection effect people worldwide … no matter where they're from or their socioeconomic status," said Dopke. "As a doctor I want patients to know that no matter who they are I will give them the best standard of care."

As if working two jobs and applying to medical school was not enough, since graduating Dopke also spent some time coaching a youth basketball team and playing on a co-ed indoor soccer team. She was planning to rejoin the local semi-professional women's soccer team this summer, but as of now the status of the league is up in the air.

Dopke was also really excited to make her way back to Moscow with teammates and friends for the Alumni Game in May. "I totally understand, but I was bummed it was canceled," said Dopke. "I guess we'll just have to wait for next year."

Meanwhile, Dopke will continue to do what she can to change the world in her small way.

"Helping people is what brings me so much happiness and joy and getting the opportunity to do this for the rest of my life makes me so excited," said Dopke.