Brian Benes and Kate-Lynn Muir met at Molloy, got married, and now are working at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE.

For both Benes, who played baseball, and Kate-Lynn, who played soccer, their time in Rockville Centre helped their current careers.

"Molloy was integral in preparing me for a career in medicine," said Muir, who is a native of Westbury, N.Y. "Other than the outstanding education I received at Molloy, learning how to work in a team environment as part of student government and learning in small classes that fostered a sense of community responsibility."

Benes, who is from Omaha, NE, had a similar experience.

"Molloy prepared me for a career in medicine by developing my desire to continue to learn," he said.  "The environment Molloy cultivated for me was one that pushed me to realize that learning is on a continuum. It is never complete."

The COVID-19 pandemic affected their jobs in different ways.

"Nearly everything and nothing all at the same time. It truly depends on what aspect you are referring to," commented Benes, who works in the Department of Internal Medicine. "For example, in my clinic, I have come to rely on telehealth visits for my well-visit follow-ups, however, if a patient is ill and needs to be seen, I bring them in, as I would 'pre-pandemic.' There are several items that have changed dramatically on the in-patient side, such as work-flows to give an example."

Muir, who is the Chief Resident in Internal Medicine, does most of her work remotely.

"Pandemic preparedness was definitely not on my mind at the beginning of my year as a chief resident but it has possessed some very interesting scheduling issues and need to problem solve on a daily basis," she said. "Working from home more often and helping my other co-chiefs plan for the ever-evolving needs of our residents, residency, and hospital because COVID."

In their daily work, they both take lessons they learned playing for the Lions.

"Being a student-athlete is probably one of the most influential portions of being a success as a physician," Muir said. "Time management, teamwork, and resiliency are all things I learned as a student-athlete that have helped me in my career in medicine."

Working as a team has benefited Benes.

"Teamwork, to put it simply," he said. "Teamwork in healthcare plays such a vital role in excellent and efficient patient care. The teamwork skills that coach Joe Fucarino and the Molloy Baseball team foster have contributed greatly to my career."

Both Benes and Muir went from Molloy to becoming doctors and helping those in need in some of the most difficult times of their lives.

"My favorite part of being in medicine is watching a patient recover from an illness and discharging with a meaningful recovery," Benes concluded.