Abby Remer is serving in the Army National Guard and pursuing her biomedical science degree.
Remer is serving in the National Guard and is also a student at St. Cloud State University studying biological sciences and serving as president of the Pre-Med Club.
She started her college career as an undecided major at St. Cloud Technical & Community College where she pursued her generals. After transferring to St. Cloud State she did a career assessment through Career Services and realized she could combine her interest in science with a career helping others in psychiatry. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science as she prepares for medical school and the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
To help pay for her degree, Remer enlisted in the Army National Guard and is using the GI bill funds to pay for her credits. The process is confusing because there is different types of reimbursements and stipends.
The Veterans Resource Center student workers are helpful in showing military-connected students the steps they need to take to make use of their benefits, she said.
Remer joined the National Guard in September 2017 while studying at St. Cloud State, and took off spring semester to focus on boot camp. During the summer months she does field training.
She is getting ready for an experiment with Dr. Melcher to determine how taking pictures affect a person’s memory.
Both St. Cloud State and the National Guard work to accommodate Remer’s dual roles.
UNLEASH CARING
When active duty extends into the school week, Remer’s professors help her with online lecture notes and rescheduled quizzes. When a last-minute change in active duty weekend plans meant Remer would have to miss a Pre-Med Club social event, her platoon sergeant worked with her to make sure she got back to campus in time for the event.
Balancing service and school work is something Remer has learned to plan out.
“It’s hard to go and do homework at drill,” she said. “… You’re kind of worn out by the day, so it’s hard to sit down and focus on your homework — especially because you’re probably going to have to get up at five in the morning the next day.”
Biomedical science can be intense, but Remer said participating in the Pre-Med Club helps keep her motivated.
“It’s really easy to be burned out in this degree,” she said. “It helps to have friends, people you can talk to about what’s going on.”
The Pre-Med Club meets weekly and even when there’s not much planning, the club is a place for people to connect and share what’s happening in their school life, she said.
The club also brings in doctors, medical school representatives and medical students to come and speak about their experiences and how to prepare for medical school and the profession.
It’s fun, it helps with building leadership skills and reminds every one why they are working so hard toward their end goal of becoming a doctor, she said.
Remer feels the same way about the National Guard. Serving can be hard, but she also has her platoon to rely on.
“In a platoon you’re going through it all together,” she said, adding that everyone comes from a different background and she’s gaining new connections with other service members.
She’s also learning new skills and getting new experiences going on training missions each month — riding in convoys and driving with night vision goggles. The National Guard also is able to connect service members with discounted tickets for many events.
“I really have a sense of like pride,” she said. “… I feel like I’m serving the country, and I get to do a lot of cool stuff that civilians would never get to do.”
