Georgetown College. Georgetown University.

Brittany O'Dwyer, shown at graduation with Dr. Ellen Henderson and Dr. Douglas Eagles, is in her first year at Florida State University College of Medicine. (Courtesy Brittany O'Dwyer)

By Theodora Danylevich

While she was at Georgetown, Brittany O’Dwyer, originally from Ormond Beach, Florida, had the opportunity to work with Dr. Douglas Eagles in many capacities: as a student, as a teaching assistant, and as a thesis advisee. O’Dwyer first became acquainted with Dr. Eagles when she took his Mammalian Physiology course, for which she later served as a TA.

“I was immediately aware of his passion and breadth of knowledge in biology and physiology and recognized that I could, and should, learn a lot from him,” she says. “Dr. Eagles has a lifetime full of knowledge and experience that he is more than willing to share, and believe me, it is worth its weight in gold. The best thing about working with Dr. Eagles was that he was very easy to talk to, and always tried to have a conversation with you about your day or what was going on in your life, he didn’t just answer your question and dismiss you.”

O’Dwyer was also impressed by his dedication to his work. “Dr. Eagles is wholeheartedly committed to everything he does,” she explains. “I specifically remember coming into his office one day, and he wasn’t there. One of the women in the office told me that he had called in sick for the first time in his career at Georgetown. We found out the next day that he had pneumonia and had only called in reluctantly. Talk about commitment!”

After completing her thesis under Dr. Eagles’ tutelage, O’Dwyer was honored as a member of the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, and graduated cum laude. Currently in her first year of Medical School at Florida State University College of Medicine, O’Dwyer is the American Medical Student Association representative for her chapter, and she is the executive at large for the Surgery and Anesthesiology Interest Group. Additionally, she was selected by the Florida Medical Association to serve on its Committee for the Environment and Health Section.

“I love the science of biology, especially as it applies to the human body, so I hope to incorporate the science into the medicine, and one day make a difference in someone’s life,” says O’Dwyer.

O’Dwyer enjoys water sports and dirt biking, and her primary creative outlet is cooking, as her fellow medical students are finding out. She hopes to graduate from medical school and begin her residency in four years.

“I hope that I will one day have the knowledge and experience that Dr. Eagles has, and that I will be as committed to and passionate about my work as he is,” says O’Dwyer.

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