Liz Domreis article (WA)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2007/06/09/ ... news02.txt

Becoming a surgeon not such a tall order for pole-vaulter
By Amy M. E. Fischer
Jun 08, 2007 - 11:55:11 pm PDT


As a little girl, Liz Domreis knew she wanted to become a doctor. Or perhaps an astronaut, a firefighter or an Egyptologist.

Or a doctor.

"The doctor was always there," the Mark Morris High School senior said this week of her career plans. "It just fits. I like to solve problems. I like thinking it through, experimenting."

In high school anatomy class, Liz said she "fell in love with the circulatory system and the heart." She's thinking of becoming a cardiovascular surgeon -- but then again, if she went into orthopedic surgery, she could work with trauma patients and children with deformities rather than mostly geriatric patients, she said.




Once she finishes medical school, Liz, a seasoned world traveler, hopes to practice in Third World countries with a group such as Doctors Without Borders or Northwest Medical Teams, "basically trying to give people new lives," she said.

"Dang, I'd want her on my surgeon team," said Liz's high school chemistry teacher, Raelyn Hovig, upon hearing her student's career plans. "She's just a great kid. ... just a diligent worker, thorough, always questioning."

Liz got her first doctor's kit at age 3. When she was 7, her parents gave her a chemistry set and a microscope kit, and she'd hole up in the bathroom to mix chemicals. When she was in fifth grade, her father, an engineer at Longview Fibre Co., taught Liz some trigonometry to help her properly angle a ramp for a science project. As a Mark Morris sophomore, she got the highest score in school on the science portion of the WASL test. She also won a state-level science award for her outstanding achievements in science.

LIZ DOMREIS
MARK MORRIS HIGH
Age: 18
Hometown: Longview
Parents: Ron and Gail Domreis of Longview
Future plans: Attend Washington State University's honors college, then University of Washington medical school to become an orthopedic or cardiovascular surgeon.
Favorite musical artist/group/band: 'There's too many to count.' Likes trance, European dance music, metal.
Favorite teacher: Raelyn Hovig, chemistry

LIZ DOMREIS
IN HER OWN WORDS

If you could talk to anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass. 'He seems like a really interesting person to talk to because Egypt and archaeology have always been my second passion. I always liked the mummies.'

What is your favorite high school memory?
'Probably just driving back and forth to the state (basketball) tournament this year' with friends.

If you could have one super power, what would it be?
To fly.
But there's more to Liz than her science-geek side. She considers herself a tomboy and plays Airsoft with the guys (a fast-paced military-style game similar to paintball, except with plastic BB's, which "can bleed pretty good," she said.).

"They're all intimidated by me because I can beat them up," said Liz, a slim young woman whose dark hair hangs to her waist.

She's always participated in sports -- soccer, sprints, long jump. Throughout high school, she's been a pole vaulter for the school's varsity track team.

"It's about as close to flying as we can get, and it's just a really fun, involved sport," Liz said.

She's also an award-winning photographer who took "best in show" at Mark Morris' fine arts festival this year and a handful of ribbons at the city's Parks and Recreation photography contest last fall. Her photos won second place last year in the state's Vocational Industrial Clubs of America contest.

"I've been known to take 1,400 pictures in two days," said Liz, who uses a digital camera to shoot nature scenes and people.

Hovig describes Liz as multidimensional and "very driven." Interestingly, Liz said her parents have never pushed her to achieve. She's always been self-motivated -- she taught herself to read before age 4.

"I study because I like to learn," said Liz, who speaks quickly and precisely. "I get good grades because they mean something to me. I always do my best because I don't like to do less than my best. I'm harder on myself than anyone is on me.

"I don't know where I get it," she continued. "I come from a long line of stubborn people, so maybe it just kind of collapses into one giant stubborn gene."