William Jeffries, a senior in biological sciences from Fulton, Missouri, has played offensive lineman on the football team for all four years of his time at Missouri S&T. He was named a GLVC All-Academic team member twice – in 2020 and 2022. It’s a tradition he has carried over from his high school playing career, where he earned academic all-state honors.

But his main goal is off the field. Jeffries has been focused on getting accepted into medical schools and hopes to one day be an orthopedic doctor.

“I’ve always been into medicine, ever since my grade school health classes,” says Jeffries. “Nowadays, I’m often asked in the gym or at my fraternity, Sigma Nu, about muscle groups and health-related questions because my friends all know my interest in the field.”

Jeffries is a pre-medicine student, a member of Student Council, a member of the biology honor society and is a member of SCRUBS – an organization for students interested in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, or other health-related fields at S&T.

He currently works at Phelps Health in Rolla, as an emergency room scribe.

“I have loved my time at the hospital because every day is different and sometimes it gets quite intense,” says Jeffries. “But I really feel that it has helped me get over a bit of imposter syndrome I’ve been feeling while looking at the future. I tell myself that I am there now and still learning something new every day.”

With all his work towards his future goals, it seems like Jeffries will make a smooth transition from the wearing shoulder pads to wearing a stethoscope.