Senior Cullen Klepzig is the first St. Pius X High School student to gain acceptance into a program intended to help produce doctors that those involved hope will end up practicing locally.
“I think (Klepzig) is a really good candidate for the program (Pathway to Success: A Guide to Osteopathic Medicine),” said Ken Halter, the St. Pius college counselor. “Cullen is an outstanding student who has embraced a rigorous curriculum at St. Pius. Throughout his time here, he has challenged himself with several honors-level courses, including anatomy and physiology, calculus and chemistry.
“Perhaps the greatest compliment I can offer is that Cullen has done a remarkable job with his college and career search – meeting with numerous college representatives who visit our campus and thoughtfully exploring programs to find the best possible fit for his future goal of becoming a medical student.”
St. Pius officials said Klepzig will be the first of many of their students to take advantage of the Pathway to Success program open for the first time to Lancers graduating this spring.
The effort includes an existing agreement with Missouri Baptist University that has been sweetened, plus a new agreement with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Erie, Penn.
Students of St. Pius in Crystal City may find it more affordable to become physicians through the program, school officials said.
“The LECOM opportunity is valuable to everyone in Jefferson County,” St. Pius President Jim Lehn said. “We need people to graduate from St. Pius, go to Missouri Baptist using (the St. Louis college’s) scholarship, then go to LECOM, then come back to Mercy Jefferson Hospital for two years to become doctors and work at Mercy Jefferson.”
Not only does the student have the opportunity to save money by performing the clinicals portion of his or her studies back home, but the St. Pius existing agreement with Missouri Baptist in which St. Pius graduates get an automatic Missouri Baptist scholarship is being increased from $23,000 to $24,000 per year. That scholarship offer is for other academic majors in addition to medicine, Halter said.
He noted that other colleges also have agreements with LECOM for students to become physicians, but St. Pius specifically has the $24,000 a year scholarship agreement with Missouri Baptist.
The Pathway to Success program, specifically to become a physician, starts with the graduating class of 2026, he said.
“The Missouri Baptist scholarships are renewable every year if a student maintains a 2.5 grade point average,” Halter said. “You go to Missouri Baptist for four years for pre-med. They then go to LECOM in Erie for two years. They finish at Mercy Jefferson. They basically do their clinicals at Mercy Jefferson for two years.
“The LECOM program is open to all high school students in Jefferson County, but the Missouri Baptist agreement is only with St. Pius. That’s what makes this such an enticing program for our students.”
Halter said he knows there is interest in the Pathway to Success program among St. Pius students.
“A Mercy Jefferson representative came to our school while a LECOM representative did a Zoom call,” he said. “We had 10 students, plus their parents, attend.”
Halter reported Feb. 19 that Klepzig, who is from Farmington, became the first St. Pius student accepted into the program.
Klepzig said he already had an interest in pursuing a medical career when he learned of the LECOM program.
“I want to become a doctor because I enjoy medicine and want to help people,” he said. “One of the biggest experiences that influenced me was helping take care of my grandparents when they were struggling with dementia before they passed away. That time showed me how important compassionate healthcare providers are for both patients and their families.
“I volunteer with children and adults with special needs during the summer at Camp Barnabas, and those experiences at camp have strengthened my desire for helping others.”
He said a family member’s healing work also influenced him.
“Another inspiration has been my Aunt Andi (Klepzig), who is a veterinarian,” he said. “Watching how passionate she is about medicine and caring for animals has motivated me to pursue a career where I can make a positive impact.”
Klepzig said he does not yet know what type of medicine he intends to practice.
“Right now, I’m still deciding what kind of doctor I want to be, and I’m currently job shadowing different specialties to learn about the field and find where I fit in best. LECOM has made it possible for me to pursue my passion to become an osteopathic physician.”
For more information about the program, call Halter at St. Pius at 636-931-7487.