When Sam Tenhoeve began medical school at the University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, he expected long hours, endless studying, and clinical rigor. What he didn’t expect was how much he’d learn about presence.
“As a premed, you’re always looking to the next thing—your application, your MCAT, your acceptance,” he said. “That doesn’t stop when you start med school. If anything, it gets worse. But I’ve realized how important it is to live in the moment.”
For Sam, that realization changed everything. Instead of seeing each exam or rotation as a hurdle, he began treating every stage of his education as a privilege. “This was the only year I’d ever be a first-year medical student,” he said. “So I wanted to enjoy it—the science, the challenge, the experience.”
Sam’s interest in neurosurgery began long before he entered medical school. He spent several years working in a neurosurgical operating room, where he witnessed the precision, teamwork, and humanity behind every procedure. That experience shaped not only his career goals but also his approach to research.
“There’s this constant debate in medicine about quantity versus quality,” he explained. “People think you need to rack up as many publications as possible to be competitive. But in my opinion, if you’re not doing high-quality work, you shouldn’t be doing a high quantity of it either.”
He advises premeds and medical students to focus on research that genuinely interests them. “It’s okay to say no,” he said. “You’ll do your best work when you care about the question you’re asking.”
Sam’s early exposure to research gave him a head start—but not because of the number of papers he published. “Understanding basic statistics and how to read a study is what really helped me,” he said. “You can’t truly understand a project unless you understand the data behind it.”
For students looking to craft a compelling research narrative or discuss their work during interviews, Residency Essay Editing and Residency Mock Interviews can help refine both clarity and confidence.
Sam’s path to medicine wasn’t a straight line. His upbringing was challenging—both of his parents struggled with addiction, and he learned early what it meant to face hardship head-on. “I think my past has prepared me for something hard, like neurosurgery,” he said. “I’ve watched people I care about suffer. It gives me empathy and a sense of gravity for what I do.”
That perspective fuels his gratitude. “Of course, not every day is easy,” he said. “But between the hard moments, there are times when I’m walking my dog with my wife, thinking, ‘Wow, how crazy is it that I get to be here?’”
He recalled a lecture that changed his outlook. “A professor said, ‘You’re either pushed by your past or pulled by your future,’” Sam said. “I think it’s both. I’m pushed by what I’ve lived through, and I’m pulled by what I want my future to be.”
As a nontraditional student—married, slightly older than some classmates—Sam has become both a mentor and a friend to others at Utah. His class of about 125 students spans a wide range of ages and experiences. “We have everyone from direct admits straight out of undergrad to parents, pharmacists, and even a PhD from MIT,” he said. “You can’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. We’re all here for a reason.”
That diversity, he said, is what makes medical school special. “You get to learn from everyone around you,” he said. “I’ve grown so much just from hearing other people’s stories.”
Sam also recognizes how vital mentorship has been to his own success—and how intimidating it can be to seek it out. “It’s scary to approach someone who’s where you want to be one day,” he admitted. “But that’s why they’re here. They want to help students.”
His advice is simple: be reliable. “If you say you’ll do something, do it. Meet deadlines. Communicate. That’s how you build trust,” he said. “Mentorship takes work on both sides. And when you find someone who truly believes in you, it’s worth every bit of effort.”
For personalized guidance on cultivating mentorship and preparing for the next phase of training, students can book a 1:1 Residency Advising Session with Carlos Tapia.
When asked about balance, Sam laughed. “It doesn’t really exist,” he said. “Medical school is hard. Between research, classes, and everything else, it takes up a lot of time.”
What keeps him centered, though, is his support system. “My wife is my rock,” he said. “But even if you don’t have a partner, you can build community. We have a responsibility to include people who might not have that built-in support.”
He carves out time for what matters most. “Every night, my wife and I take a walk with our dog. Even twenty minutes helps reset my brain. And I go to the gym every day—it’s nonnegotiable.”
Outside of research, Sam is exploring how technology can enhance medicine. He’s part of a student group studying artificial intelligence in healthcare, aiming to dispel fears and focus on its potential.
“People think AI is this scary thing that will replace doctors,” he said. “But it’s just a tool. I think it’s going to make patient care better—if we learn how to use it responsibly.”
He’s also part of Bench to Bedside, a Utah program that bridges medicine and industry by helping students design medical devices. “It’s one of the coolest opportunities,” he said. “You get to take an idea and turn it into something that can change patient care.”
Sam’s passion for neurosurgery stems from both awe and empathy. “The first time I saw an open craniotomy, I was hooked,” he said. “Seeing a brain pulse in front of you—it’s humbling.”
But what truly drew him in was the balance between technical skill and compassionate care. “You’re not just operating,” he said. “You’re managing patients in the ICU, you’re counseling families, you’re walking through the hardest moments of people’s lives. That’s what makes it meaningful.”
For Sam, neurosurgery represents both a challenge and a calling. “I’m drawn to it because it’s hard,” he said. “And because it matters.”
Now entering his second year, Sam is transitioning into the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) model, where he’ll begin his clinical rotations earlier than most. “I’m so excited to be in the hospital full-time,” he said. “You can only learn so much in a classroom before you need to put it into practice.”
Between rotations, research, and fly fishing on Utah’s mountain rivers, Sam remains grounded by gratitude. “Every day I get to learn how to take care of people—it’s an honor,” he said.
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