Although Andrew Wilson graduated two years ago and is now embarking on a career in academic medicine, he maintains strong ties to Vanderbilt as a Young Alumni Trustee.

Wilson was elected to the Board of Trust as a senior and currently serves on the Audit and Academic Programs committees.

Wilson is in the process of completing an M.D./M.B.A. program at Baylor College of Medicine.

“On my most ambitious days, I tell people I would like to be a dean of a medical school. … I will say, however, that my experience on the board has made it clearly evident how important business skills are to be a good doctor in a complicated healthcare system,” said Wilson.

Wilson will rotate through all of the committees throughout his four-year term.
“It is a fantastic system in which we get to appreciate and contribute to the many aspects of the Vanderbilt community,” he said.

In addition to belonging to several honor societies, Wilson served as the treasurer for Alternative Spring Break, as vice president of the Interfraternity Council and was a member of Vanderbuddies, Vanderbilt Students Volunteering for Science and Squirrel Camp.

Wilson cites his involvement in Dance Marathon as one of his best experiences at Vanderbilt.

“There's something about having a conglomerate of willing volunteers (students and faculty) and even Video Game Vince from across the hall all having fun for a good cause,” he said. “It shows you the character and culture of our university.”

As a morale captain, Wilson said he had the excuse “to meet some of the most extraordinary people I didn’t see in my usual routine. I was also freakishly good at riding the mechanical bull.”

Wilson has some important advice for current students.

“As old-fashioned as it sounds, make sure you write down important phone numbers and make copies of electronic documents. … Second, regardless of what any professor says, Wikipedia is a completely respectable source of information,” he said.

Most importantly, Wilson encourages students to “do what is right, even when you are tired, even when you don’t want to, even when it is the hard thing to do.”