Caelin Suttcliffe, DO

Medical School

Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine Lynchburg, VA

What is your favorite travel destination?

Any national park in this country (with maybe the exception of Death Valley because that indeed sounds like death). I love hiking the parks and seeing the natural beauty God instilled in His creation. I genuinely enjoy the varied landscapes of the country, but I suppose some of my favorites are the majesty of the mountains. We have some incredible places here in the United States!
If I wasn’t a doctor, I would be a…

Wedding planner! When I told my mom this one summer afternoon between 2nd and 3rd year, she laughed and told me if I really wanted to, that was an excellent hobby. But truly, I love weddings so much, and would so enjoy trouble shooting to help brides accomplish their goals in the most efficient and beautiful way.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would you choose?

Do I get to trade skill sets too? Because in that case, I would choose a polyglot hair stylist. It would be an absolute pleasure to meet and chat with people from all different cultures and backgrounds in their native languages, and I would genuinely relish the opportunity to meet people and discuss the minutiae of their lives.

Why University of South Dakota?

Honestly, because of the concern for my family that the program showed in interviews. USD was one of the only programs to ask what my husband did for a living, and offer support in whatever way they could help in finding him a job if we matched in Sioux Falls. I also was very concerned about how our family might grow in residency, and how that would be handled. I found USD to be a program that left their residents with little concern about how a pregnancy might affect their journey. These two elements were an important factor in helping me feel that USD would be a safe and supportive place to learn how to be an excellent pediatrician. They certainly proved they could train me well, and the additional support could only help me thrive. It was certainly a huge bonus to me that DOs seemed very well represented in their more intimate class size. I was really impressed!