Connor Mack, a fourth-year biology pre-health student, has been balancing his two passions, medicine and football, since he was 6 years old.
When asked where Mack got the bug to pursue medicine, he’ll say he isn’t quite sure, but it’s been on his mind since the beginning – just like football. Around the same time Mack first stepped onto a field, he received a white lab coat inscribed with “Dr. Mack” as a birthday gift from his mother.
“It’s something that’s always been there,” said Mack. “I’ve always been the kid that loves to pretend to play doctor. If you skinned your knee on the playground, I was coming to look at it. I was pretending a stick was a scalpel. And that just continued to grow.”
Journey to Georgia Tech
During high school, Mack continued to play football and maintained strong grades. With an older brother already at Georgia Tech and the confidence it would deliver a strong education, Mack was looking forward to applying to Tech himself.
Shortly after receiving his acceptance letter, his excitement soared even more when he received a call offering him a spot on Tech’s football team. Thrilled to continue his football journey while planning for his future career in medicine, Mack gladly accepted.
Throughout his first couple of years at Tech, Mack describes his devotion to both his studies and to football as an intense focus.
“I might have two hours to study for something, and those were the hardest two hours I would spend studying for anything, because that’s the only time I had allotted for it,” Mack said. “That mentality still carries through in everything I do today. I get tunnel vision.”
Though his studies were going well as he balanced them with football, as Mack approached the summer after his second year at Tech, he knew he needed to investigate his draw to medicine. Because of the time commitment demanded by both football and the preparation for medical school through clinical experience, research, and studying for the MCAT, it wasn’t realistic to do both. He would have to choose one or the other.
Knowing he had a tight schedule because of practice and other commitments, Mack ultimately took an overnight shift as an in-home medical assistant. He would arrive at the patient’s home at 6 p.m. each day, perform his medical duties, and then leave at 6 a.m. each morning to get to a 7 a.m. football practice. Despite the grueling schedule, the job was everything Mack had dreamed of.
“Looking back, it was overwhelming at times,” said Mack. “But it was such a meaningful experience to me. And it confirmed that I was picking the right path in medicine.”
Stepping Back
Mack was nervous to talk about stepping away from football with the team and the coaches, worry gnawing on him that he would let the team down. Fortunately, he was met with enthusiasm and support every step of the way.
“I didn’t know anyone else who was making or had made that transition from football to academics, so it was a hard conversation, but one that I knew that I had to have,” said Mack. “When I talked to Coach Key, his face lit up. It was a no brainer for me at that point, he was so invested in what I wanted to do. He even told me he knew a doctor in Atlanta to connect me with, and that’s who I work for now. It all worked out so perfectly.”
After leaving the team to focus completely on building his resume for medical school, Mack feels confident in his decision. For the past year, he has worked at Peachtree Orthopedic doing clinical rounds and research on the outcomes of corrective hip procedures for adolescents.
And though Mack has left the football field behind, he continues to advocate for student athletes and keep sports close to his heart. Through the orthopedic focus in his work and research, he helps athletes reach their health and recovery goals on a regular basis.
Now, Mack turns his focus to preparing his medical school applications, finishing out his time as an undergraduate at Tech, and learning all that he can from the doctors around him. He’s also been spending time with his little brother, who is now a second-year at Tech, making all three of the Mack brothers proud Yellow Jackets.
“I love what I do. I’m passionate about serving others, especially those in underserved or historically excluded communities,” said Mack. “I get out of bed every day to help others – my purpose is to ensure everyone is getting access to quality, compassionate healthcare.”
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