Ambition and Endurance, Cove Local Hailey Hulse Earns Full Scholarship to Illinois College of Medicine
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, August 28th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
COVE – There are a plethora of metaphors correlating hardship with personal growth, such as “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” “Weak people create hard times and hard times create strong people,” and so on. Cheesy as some of them may sound, one young woman from Eastern Oregon may just be a living embodiment of the concept, in addition to being a source of inspiration for anyone interested in the medical field.
Hailey Hulse, Originally from Cove and graduating from the Lewis and Clark State College in 2023 with a degree in Biology, is the 2023 recipient of the “Those Who Endure Annual Scholarship” from Enduring Minds the Foundation. The title of the scholarship is beyond applicable. Going through multiple major surgeries before she’d even graduated college, Hulse’s journey toward professional medicine is one built on endurance and finding inspiration in one’s own hardships.
There are two situations in particular Hulse described over the years which inspired her interest in medicine and helping others. The first of these was explained in a 2016 interview with Grande Ronde Hospital (the full video of which can be found here). Hulse was born with an abnormal meniscus, (found in only 1.2% of the population according to her), resulting in insufficient cartilage between the bones of her knee. Unable to get a full knee replacement due to her young age, Hulse opted for a meniscus transplant (an uncommon and difficult surgery) after consulting with the doctors at the GRH Orthopedic Clinic. During the consulting and research phase, Hulse was allowed to sit in on a local orthopedic surgery to better understand what her own procedure would look like. In her own words at the time:
“As soon as I observed that first surgery, I was like, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
After a twelve-hour surgery in Gresham, Hailey Hulse was changed. Not only did she have a new meniscus, but a newfound passion for medicine, specifically orthopedic surgery. While this first experience set her on the track for medical school, it was the second that definitively reinforced her passion for medicine and helping others. This story was written by Hulse herself in her scholarship essay for Enduring Minds the Foundation.
During her freshman year of college, Hulse’s eardrum burst while coming back from a weekend break due to, “the drastic elevation change.” This resulted in an infection that shut her ear canal, with worries that it could even spread to her brain. Doctors located a tumor (which thankfully turned out to only be a pineal cyst) and later discovered Hulse suffered from Chiari Malformation type 1, a pressing of the lower brain through a small opening at the base of the skull near the spinal cord. All in all, it meant another round of surgery and a summer of wearing a neck brace. Like her experience at GRH years prior, however, it served as a moment of inspiration. As Hulse wrote in her essay:
“This was the most formative year of my life because I found a strength inside of myself that I didn’t know I had, and I found a new purpose for why I wanted to be a doctor. The pain, the stares that I got from people, the intense amount of physical therapy, and the hard work it took mentally and emotionally to keep propelling forward was the hardest experience I have had with Chiari, but it lit a fire in me that has never burned brighter. I realized I had a purpose that went well beyond myself. The purpose is to be an inspiration and show other students with those dark moments that they can still find joy, cope with laughter, and create an impact for those who come behind them.”
By her own accounts, Hulse, underwent nine surgeries during her time as an undergraduate, but it didn’t slow her work ethic. Since graduating in 2019, she has continued to work toward a career in orthopedic medicine. According to a social Media Post from the National Center for Rural Health Professions, Hulse worked as a councilor over the summer for the Rural Health Careers Camps in addition to working for the Area Health Education Center. With a scholarship in hand, she plans to attend the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford as a first-year medical student and as part of the Rural Medical Education Program. Putting specific medical designations aside, Hulse best describes her plan through her essay:
“I want to be a representation for the next student with temporary or permanent disabilities, and to inspire the next kid who doesn’t think there is room for them and their story in healthcare.”
