Michael Greenwood

by Theresa Boespflug

Michael Greenwood takes award winning to a whole new playing field.

At the University of North Dakota, he received the following awards as a football player;

2006:

• ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America first team
• Awarded the John and Marcia Jarrett Athletic Scholarship
• Academic All-NCC honors
• Earned fourth letter

• Named to ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District College Division Second Team for second straight year
• Named to NCC Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll
• Earned third letter;

• Named to 2004 College Division Academic All-District VII Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)
• Academic All-NCC honorable mention
• Recorded his first two career interceptions
• Earned second letter

• Earned first letter.

Greenwood has made an even bigger impression with his academic career as a first year medical student at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health and Sciences.

The Jamestown native was recently named the North Central Conference (NCC) Male Student Athlete of the Year, named to the NCC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll, and received the 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Postgraduate Scholarship for his continuing studies at UND. This scholarship recognizes student-athletes who have performed with distinction as members of varsity teams in the sport for which they are nominated and who have earned a high grade point average.

“Receiving the awards was an honor, and exciting because there were many people with great qualifications also nominated for them,” said Greenwood.

Greenwood credits his experience to his teammates and coaches. “I miss hanging out with the guys, the locker room chat, and traveling with the team,” Greenwood said. He also gave credit to his parents who watched him play in every game of his four years as a player.

“Coaching never really appealed to me. If I were to ever coach, it would be college level athletes. I will always be involved with football, even as a fan,” he said.

Without football in his everyday life, he still has a hard time finding free time to work out or watch sports. As an undergraduate student he managed to earn a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.90, but says he has changed his study habits drastically as a graduate student and studies a few hours every day to ensure his success.

Greenwood earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in May 2007. He has not picked out a focus point yet in his studies, but is excited to learn as much as possible about all the aspects of medicine.

“We are very proud of Mike, and we look forward to having him as a medical student over the next four years,” said Judy Demers, associate dean for student affairs and admissions at the UND Medical School.

Greenwood is keeping his options open, but expressed interest to becoming an ophthalmologist, a practicing physician or a team doctor. “Becoming a doctor is just a challenging and great way to help people,” he said.

Of about 65 people in the class, Greenwood was elected as president of his class, the MD Class of 2011. “I consider myself a quiet leader because I'm kind of a shy person," he said. He acts as a liaison for his class and the School of Medicine as the voice of the students, and he represents his class at all major functions.

After earning his medical degree, he wants to stay in the Midwest area because he likes the winter, the people, and the attitude.