Laura Finlayson is currently in her first year of Pediatric Residency at the University of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City. Laura grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma and graduated from Edmond Memorial High School. She attended Baylor University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences. Before starting medical school, she went abroad for a year to obtain a Master of Science in Global Health and Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Growing up, Laura did not know she wanted to be a doctor but was drawn to the field of math and science. However, she realized very early her compassionate nature and desire to care for others and wanted to find a career where she could incorporate this passion. Through her quest of discovering her interest to major in Health Sciences in college, she shadowed physicians and grew intrigued with what the medical field had to offer. During college she volunteered at various clinics, helped lead a campus wide service day, travelled to Nicaragua on a medical mission trip, and worked in ER admitting. All of these experiences further reinforced her love of the medical field as well as her interest in caring for others.
Upon entering medical school, Laura kept an open mind regarding which specialty she would pursue. While she truly enjoyed most of her clinical rotations, she found herself most captivated by her time in Pediatrics. She has always enjoyed working with children and now is especially drawn to the preventative aspect of their care, noting the intrigue that comes with the opportunity to prevent a disease before it goes on to cause problems for years.
With areas of interest ranging from accident prevention to immunizations to health policy, she hopes to utilize her public health background to make a large-scale difference in the future. Laura is planning to continue in the field of general pediatrics, while exploring the role as a community advocate as well. During residency, she enjoyed her advocacy rotation where she was able to both explore the community resources available to her patients and learn how environment impacted the patient’s overall health.
Laura is very thankful for the support she has received from her family. Both Laura’s mom and sister are also on the OUHSC campus: her mom as an OR nurse and her sister as a dental student. While they rarely run into each other on campus, knowing there is family close by is reassuring during such a busy time.
Most importantly, Laura’s husband Stewart is very supportive of the commitment she has made to Pediatrics and has been a blessing to her throughout her medical journey. Laura and Stewart recently expanded their family in February when they adopted a two-month-old puppy named Cooper. They are enjoying the adventures that accompany caring for a new puppy and are excited to see what new adventures their future will bring.