Daaron McField once made a name for himself on the football field. Now he’s excelling in the classroom.
The 29-year-old Caymanian recently finished his class studies at St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine with a flourish, earning the school’s highest grade score ever with an average mark of 97.2 per cent.
During last Saturday’s graduation ceremony for St. Matthew’s University, Mr. McField received the Fidelity Cayman Award for his achievement.
Mr. McField went to undergraduate school at the University of British Columbia, were he was a star football defensive lineman.
He was so good, in fact, that he was drafted into the Canadian Football League in the first round of the 2000 draft.
After three seasons in the league, Mr. McField decided to pursue another passion: medicine.
Based on his latest performance, it appears he made the right decision. Not only are his grades the highest in St. Matthew’s history, his scores on standardised tests put him in the top percentile of United States students as well.
‘It’s taken a lot of hard work,’ he said.
Mr. McField, whose father is Caymanian and mother Canadian, said he’s found his time with St. Matthew’s very rewarding.
‘It gave me a chance to come home and spend some time,’ he said. ‘I expected the education to be good here, and that is what I found.’
One of the biggest challenges Mr. McField faced was surviving the cold Maine winter when students had to relocate there after Hurricane Ivan.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever been so cold,’ he said.
Things will not get much better for Mr. McField during his clinical rotations; he’s planning on doing them in upper Michigan, which is known for its cold and snowy winters.
‘Now that I think about, I’m not sure why I want to go there,’ he said with a laugh.
The recipient of a full scholarship in 2004 through St. Matthew’s University, Mr. McField is hoping he can find others who have faith in his abilities to help him through the final two years of his medical education.
He was very much appreciative of the Cayman Fidelity Award, which gave him a $1,500 scholarship, but he knows he has a long way to go.
‘If I can get another 90 of these, I’ll be in good shape,’ he said.
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