Early-Career Candidate · Healthcare & Life Sciences
Class of 2026
Class of 2026
Nicolas X. Tovar
B.S. Biomedical Health Sciences · Purdue Honors · Certificate in Entrepreneurship
2,200+
Clinical Hours
3
Publications
3.45
GPA · Honors
4 yrs
Leadership
Profile
In His Own Words
I've spent the last several years building two things simultaneously: deep clinical fluency and the business instincts to translate it into impact. With 2,200+ hours working directly alongside physicians, plus 20 surgical shadowings across podiatry, ophthalmology, and orthopedic sports medicine, I understand how healthcare actually works at the front line — the workflows, the friction, the gaps that technology could close.
I've been building the other side of that equation at the same time: three peer-reviewed publications, an Entrepreneurship Certificate, and direct clinical research exposure through Purdue's Veterinary Medical Hospital. In Summer 2024, I was selected for SHPEP at Western University — a nationally competitive pre-health program — where I got hands-on experience with suturing, cardiovascular readings, cadaver anatomy, and optometry. In Summer 2025, I added Sports Medicine to that picture through an internship with Purdue Athletics. I'm not building a resume. I'm building a foundation.
I'm pursuing early-career opportunities in product management, marketing, or clinical operations where healthcare domain knowledge is a genuine differentiator — while remaining on track toward medical school. I see those as complementary goals, not competing ones.
Why Nicolas
What He's Built Already
01.
3 Peer-Reviewed Publications — PLOS ONE, JPUR, and Canine Glaucoma Study
Co-authored three peer-reviewed publications from research at Purdue's Veterinary Medical Hospital: a canine glaucoma model study, a PLOS ONE paper on intraocular pressure in rabbits, and a JPUR publication on burnout in healthcare professionals. Three publications as an undergraduate researcher is a rare accomplishment by any measure.
02.
Selected for SHPEP at Western University — Nationally Competitive Pre-Health Program
Accepted into the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) at Western University in Pomona, CA — a selective national program for underrepresented pre-health students. Gained hands-on clinical immersion: suturing, cardiovascular readings, cadaver anatomy, primary care optometry, pediatric optometry, and vision rehabilitation. Then turned around and became an SHPEP Ambassador and Mentor the following year.
03.
2,200+ Clinical Hours + 20 Surgical Shadowings Across Four Specialties
Logged 2,200+ hours in active patient care at Schererville Eye Care — scribing, patient intake, insurance processing, and real-time bilingual translation. Separately shadowed 20 surgeries with a podiatrist, glaucoma and retinal ophthalmologists, and an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon. Most entry-level candidates have zero surgical exposure. He has twenty.
04.
Mentorship Leader — 4-Year Progression to Senior CLT, HHS Mentors Program
Progressed from Mentee to Mentor to Core Leadership Team Member to Senior CLT over four years in Purdue's HHS Mentors Program. As Senior CLT, he leads recruitment, CLT training, and program events serving hundreds of incoming students annually. Simultaneously serves as SHPEP Ambassador and MentorSHPE participant. Advancement earned through performance, not seniority.
05.
Division I Walk-On Athlete — Purdue Boilermakers Football + 250 Hours Coaching
Earned a Big Ten roster spot as a walk-on kicker while maintaining Honors College standing and logging clinical hours simultaneously. Has since given back 250+ hours coaching and mentoring kickers and punters at the high school level — extending athletic identity into service.
Core Competencies
Clinical Domain Knowledge
2,200+ hours in active patient care — workflows, EHR systems, insurance processing, scribing, and bilingual patient support
Research & Analysis
3 peer-reviewed publications; 250+ hours of formal imaging research — OCT, RETCAM, ERG, ganglion cell counting, glaucoma models
Bilingual Communication
Native English, professional Spanish — used daily in patient care for real-time translation, interpretation, and patient intake
Entrepreneurship Foundation
Purdue Certificate — business model thinking, innovation frameworks, market validation, and venture strategy
Sports Medicine & Athletic Care
Sports Medicine internship at Purdue Athletics — vital monitoring, athlete care protocols, equipment research under certified ATs
Leadership & Program Management
4-year progression to Senior CLT across two mentorship programs — recruitment, training, event management, and peer development
Career
Where He's Been
Student Staff — Equipment Room
June 2025 — Present
Purdue University Athletics · West Lafayette, IN
Operations support role within the Purdue Athletics department, working alongside equipment staff serving Big Ten student-athletes and coaching staff.
- Transported equipment carts and managed shipments and package logistics across campus facilities
- Produced laminated designs and custom graphics for athlete jerseys and team apparel
- Organized and laundered game and practice jerseys for B1G athletes and program staff
Sports Medicine Intern
June 2025 — August 2025
Purdue University Athletics Sports Medicine · West Lafayette, IN
Clinical internship supporting Purdue's Sports Medicine program — direct collaboration with Athletic Trainers providing care and monitoring for Division I student-athletes.
- Assisted Athletic Trainers with vital sign monitoring and athlete health assessments
- Conducted research on Sports Medicine equipment and treatment protocols
- Provided quality hands-on care to student-athletes under certified AT supervision
Medical & Optometry Student — SHPEP
June 2024 — July 2024
Western University · Summer Health Professions Education Program · Pomona, CA
Selected for SHPEP, a nationally competitive pre-health program. Intensive clinical immersion across both medicine and optometry tracks over six weeks.
- Medical experience: suturing techniques, cardiovascular readings, and cadaver anatomy laboratory
- Optometry track: primary care, pediatric optometry, and vision rehabilitation and therapy
- In-depth medical case readings covering anatomy, histology, and clinical disease presentation
Undergraduate Researcher
September 2023 — Present
Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital · College of Veterinary Medicine
250+ hours contributing to peer-reviewed ophthalmology and imaging research. Hands-on work with clinical imaging equipment and live animal models under faculty supervision.
- Co-authored: "Canine Glaucoma Model with Controlled Intermittent Ocular Hypertension without Intraocular Intervention"
- Co-authored: "Positional variance of intraocular pressure in conscious New Zealand White rabbits" — PLOS ONE
- Performed OCT imaging, ganglion cell counting, Gonioscopy, ERG testing, and dog anesthesia monitoring
- Full research cycle: protocol, data collection, analysis, peer review, and publication
Eye Tech
June 2022 — December 2024
Schererville Eye Care · Ophthalmology Practice · Schererville, IN
Primary clinical support role across 2.5 years in an active ophthalmology practice. Embedded in day-to-day operations alongside physicians — not observation, but active patient care support.
- Accumulated 2,200+ hours: patient screening, intake, scribing, and contact lens instruction
- Provided real-time English/Spanish translation and interpretation during patient consultations
- Processed patient payments and managed insurance and prior authorization workflows
- Built direct familiarity with clinical EHR systems and front-line operational workflows
Leadership & Extracurriculars
Beyond the Classroom
Senior Core Leadership Team Member
August 2022 — Present
HHS Mentors Program · Purdue University
A four-year arc from incoming mentee to Senior CLT — one of the most meaningful leadership progressions in Purdue's College of Health and Human Sciences.
- Mentee (2022) → Mentor (2022–23) → Core Leadership Team (2023–24) → Senior CLT (2025–26)
- Leads CLT recruitment, training, and onboarding for each incoming cohort of leadership members
- Oversees program events serving hundreds of incoming HHS students per year
- Advancement reflects trusted, earned leadership — not seniority
SHPEP Ambassador & Mentor
2024 — 2025
Summer Health Professions Education Program
Selected as an Ambassador and Mentor for SHPEP following his own participation — mentoring and educating underrepresented pre-health students navigating the healthcare professions pathway.
- Guided underrepresented students through clinical and academic preparation for health professions
- Leveraged direct SHPEP experience to offer credible, firsthand mentorship to the next cohort
Surgical Observer — 20 Procedures Across Four Specialties
2022 — Present
Podiatry · Glaucoma & Retinal Ophthalmology · Orthopedic Sports Medicine
Shadowed 20 surgeries spanning four surgical specialties — a level of direct procedural exposure that is uncommon for undergraduate students.
- Observed podiatric surgery, glaucoma and retinal ophthalmology procedures, and orthopedic sports medicine cases
- Directly complements his clinical research in ophthalmic imaging and his Sports Medicine internship
Walk-On Kicker
August 2021 — December 2022
Purdue Boilermakers Football · Big Ten / Division I Athletics
Earned a Big Ten roster spot through walk-on tryout while maintaining Honors College standing in a pre-medical curriculum and logging clinical hours simultaneously.
- One of a small number of walk-ons to earn a spot on a Big Ten program roster
- Managed Division I practice and game schedule alongside a full pre-medical course load
- Demonstrated discipline, coachability, and performance under consistent high-stakes pressure
Kicker & Punter Coach
Ongoing · 250+ Hours
High School Athletics Programs
Invested 250+ hours coaching and mentoring kickers and punters at the high school level — translating Division I training and technique into direct athlete development.
- Developed individual athlete skill and competitive confidence at the high school level
- Extended his athletic background into ongoing service and youth mentorship
Community Service — 200+ Hours
Ongoing
Nativity of Our Savior · National Kidney Foundation of Indiana
Sustained community engagement through direct service and healthcare-adjacent volunteering.
- 200+ hours of community service through Nativity of Our Savior
- National Kidney Foundation of Indiana Camp — participant, 2025
Campus Organizations
2021 — Present
Purdue University
Active across multiple organizations aligned with his professional, cultural, and community interests at Purdue.
- SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professionals in Engineering) & MentorSHPE — professional development and mentorship for Latino engineers and health professionals
- Medical Spanish Club — expanding clinical Spanish vocabulary and cross-cultural healthcare communication
- Up & Up Campus Ambassador — festival organizing and campus activity coordination
- John Martinson Honors College — authored research papers on burnout in healthcare (PHRM) and alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease (BCHM)
Education
Academic Background
B.S. Biomedical Health Sciences (Pre-Medical)
2021 — May 2026
Purdue University · John Martinson Honors College
Pre-medical curriculum within the academically selective Honors College, completed alongside Division I athletics, 2,200+ clinical hours, and formal research — not sequentially, but simultaneously.
- GPA: 3.45 — Dean's List: Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025
- Honors College research papers: Burnout in Healthcare Professionals (PHRM) · Alpha-Synuclein in Parkinson's Disease (BCHM)
- Language proficiency: Fluent in Spanish
- Relevant coursework: Anatomy & Physiology, Biostatistics, Pathophysiology, Healthcare Systems, Research Methods
Certificate
Additional Credentials
Purdue University
Certificate in Entrepreneurship
Business model design, market validation, innovation frameworks, and venture strategy. Completed alongside the pre-medical curriculum — intentional, not incidental. Provides the business foundation he brings to product and marketing roles in healthcare.
CPR Certified · June 2025
CPR & AED Certification
Certified in CPR and AED use — applied during his Sports Medicine internship with Purdue Athletics and directly relevant to any clinical or patient-facing role.
Porter County Community Foundation
Health Occupations Scholarship — 2022 & 2023
Recipient of the Porter Community and Health Occupations Scholarships in both 2022 and 2023 — awarded to students demonstrating academic merit and demonstrated commitment to the health professions.