Christina L Hornack, DO
Attending Emergency Physician at OVP Health
Year of Graduation from CGS: 2013
CGS Degree Programs:
BA in Public Service, BS in Natural Sciences, Writing Certificate in Written Professional Communications
What were your top priorities when choosing a degree program and a college, and how did CGS measure up against other institutions you were considering?
As a non-traditional student, what mattered most to me was getting a quality education that worked with my schedule. When I went back to school at the University of Pittsburgh for my third attempt at higher education, I had a house, a family, and a full time job. I needed to provide for my responsibilities, but wanted to reach for something more. I had already completed a year at CCAC and it was a fine institution, but I was fortunate enough to have married into the Pitt family - my husband worked full time in the Department of Biological Sciences. He was the one who was most instrumental in encouraging me to go back to school and finally get my degree. I don't know that I even considered other institutions as I really wanted to be a Pitt Family!
In what ways did your CGS advisor and your faculty mentors provide you with the support you needed to realize your goal of becoming a doctor?
Dr. Sherry Miller Brown was someone I met by accident by attending one of her lectures and she went on to become one of the most instrumental people in my life at Pitt. She and I grew closer after I joined Alpha Sigma Lambda during my second year at Pitt and then took on a leadership position in this organization. We worked closely to put on events and programming for the other members. This led to me joining the CGS Student Government as well as many other on-campus activities. Dr. Brown really inspired me to not just show up, but to show up and keep showing up. She helped me realize my potential by encouraging me, cheerleading me, and reminding me of my abilities.
Mel Watkins was my advisor and he was always ready with advice, a listening ear, and encouragement. I started out with 20 transfer credits and no idea what I wanted to do, and he took me from a scared and inexperienced student who didn't realize what she was capable of, and turned me into someone who not only went on to finish but to finish with two degrees with honors and a certificate. I cannot tell you how many emails the poor guy fielded from me during my time at Pitt from 2005-2013, but he deserves his own medal. He was never stressed, always calm, always resourceful, and I was so proud to be able to go on this journey with him.
Andrea Abt was the premedical advisor when I decided to pursue medicine and quite literally I would not have made it without her guidance. Right after I decided to pursue medicine, I met with Andrea and she set a plan in place for me to get all the prerequisites I needed, made recommendations for extra-curriculars, volunteer opportunities, and basically mapped out my entire life for the next three years. She obviously knows what she's doing as I went on to get interviews at almost half the schools I applied to! Not only that, when I finally moved for medical school she donated furniture from her own house to help me furnish my apartment.
The late, great, amazing Robert Stumpp was a professor in the GSPIA program and someone I met when I started pursuing public service as a major. He was a consummate leader, an excellent instructor, and an inspirational human being. He was also hilarious and made you not only love public service, but also understand your role in it. I went on to take every class he offered, and then did an internship with his office as part of my curriculum. He was one of the first people who helped me realize that "of course" I could go to graduate school if that's what I wanted. As a first generation college graduate, he really helped me see that I could go on being exactly who I was and still be a success in education and in life.
How did the education you received at Pitt prepare you for the challenges and opportunities of your career?
In an effort to keep this brief, I will only touch on the high points - but quite simply stated, Pitt changed my life! Somewhere between graduating high school, dropping out of college, having a baby out of wedlock, getting married, getting divorced, declaring bankruptcy, I somehow started to believe that I was "less than" and was never going to have the things I wanted out of life, and certainly would never have a college degree. Going to Pitt connected me with experiences and people who helped me realize that my life could be exactly what I wanted it to be, and that I was capable of anything I put my mind to. My time at Pitt transformed not just me, but my life, and the lives of everyone around me. I learned to be a critical thinker, to carefully consider my options, and that anything - truly anything - was possible with the right motivation and resources.
As a physician during a pandemic, my degree in public service taught me that we are always trying to solve intractable problems and unlimited demand with limited resources. I learned that we must be willing to accept partial solutions and that the enemy of good is perfect. I go to work every day and am faced with new challenges - staffing shortages, resource limitations, endless patients with complicated problems, and social situations that require innovative solutions. I would never have been capable of facing the challenges of my day to day without the experiences I had at Pitt.
Can you tell us about a “turning point” or a key moment in your undergraduate education where you knew for certain that you were in the right place, and on the right path?
I was in a transition period during the fall of 2010 and had recently become unemployed when Dr. Brown called me at home and offered me a ticket to the Governor's Conference for Women. I took her up on her gracious offer and found myself sitting in a room with a lot of really amazing and accomplished women. Dr. Mae Jemison was on stage and told everyone in the room that every woman wants something and they are just waiting for permission to go after it. She then announced that we all had permission to go after it. It was at this moment that I realized I really wanted to go to medical school and become a physician. I was so excited about this goal and the very first person I told was Dr. Brown. She looked surprised only for a moment before telling me that she knew Andrea Abt, the premedical advisor on campus, and that I had to speak with her if I wanted to get anything done.
What were some of the most meaningful outside-the-classroom activities you participated in while you were a CGS student?
I really enjoyed participating in the Alpha Chi chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda National Non-Traditional Honors Society first as the treasurer and then as the President! It was nice to know people on campus and to have an activity that was "education adjacent" and didn't require me to take any tests. Participating in this group opened up opportunities for me to speak to groups, to travel to other campuses, and to meet lots of interesting people! I also think that I can be slightly shy in new social situations and knowing people on campus makes it feel more like home and less like a foreign environment. I enjoyed participating so much that I went on to participate in the CGS Student Government which was even more enjoyable and had a greater reach.
Participating in these activities as an undergrad led me to participate in medical school and residency. I even went on to become the president of some national organizations during medical school and residency - notably the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians. These positions put me in touch with all the right people and even got me traveling around the country for conventions. And all because I learned how fun it was to participate back in undergrad.
Describe the CGS community of learners—the sense of collegiality, belonging, shared purpose. Do you remain in contact with any of your fellow students or your mentors from that time?
Being part of CGS is like being part of a prestigious club. You meet a group of people who make the large campus of Pitt seem a little smaller and a little more manageable. And it's not just random people, its people who are having experiences like you - people with families, spouses, jobs, houses, and a host of responsibilities - and yet here they are every week, showing up for class and maintaining all the responsibilities of being a student. It's an inspiring group of human beings and really adds to the sense of community while on campus.
I remain in contact with many people from my time at Pitt and it adds a richness to my life to keep growing with them.
What advice or guidance would you give to people who are considering applying to the College of General Studies?
First off, just do it. Take one class. Go to that class. Read the syllabus, do the assignments, never miss class if you can avoid it. Dip your toes in the water of all that Pitt has to offer. It can be overwhelming at first because there are so many things to do, classes to take, resources to take advantage of. Just start with one class and before you know it, you'll be in contact with like minded people who want you to succeed and will help you get there. No matter what success looks like for you, and no matter how many times you redraw your picture of success. It took me a full year of just taking classes before I had a general sense of what I might want to major in, but in the end, every single class I took helped me get there. You never know what you might be capable of until you try, and there are so many people who will encourage you, inspire you, and help design exactly the future you want.
It all starts and ends with you, but you are never alone. That's the CGS Magic!