荔枝视频

Andrew Buckley鈥檚 plan is to follow in not one, but two sets of footsteps.

The 荔枝视频 student has two doctors for parents and for as long as he can remember has wanted to be a doctor too.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always been my dream,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not necessarily pressure (to become one), but influence. I鈥檝e seen how they go to work and how they like their careers so much. It鈥檚 always been something that鈥檚 interested me.鈥�

Buckley鈥檚 mother, Lois Torfason, is a general practitioner at the 荔枝视频 Wellness Centre. His dad, Rick Buckley, is an orthopedic surgeon at Foothills Medical Centre and is the director of Continuing Medical Education at the university.

Andrew Buckley is a third-year kinesiology student who is mostly known around campus these days as being the starting quarterback for the .

The Dinos are in Quebec City to play for the Canadian Interuniversity Sports title and the right to hoist the coveted  aloft. The game is Saturday.  

After the game, the MCATs and medical school

When the Vanier Cup fun is over, Buckley will buckle down even more to prepare to write his Medical College Admission Test (aka MCATs) this summer and then will apply to medical school the following year to proceed with his career plan.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge time commitment that goes with being a doctor, even with medical school,鈥� said Buckley, who has maintained a 3.93 grade-point-average at the 荔枝视频 and is a two-time Academic All-Canadian.

鈥淲ith my dad, for example, he鈥檚 gone from the house from 6 a.m. to seven or eight at night.鈥�

The proud parents were planning to travel to Quebec City to watch events unfold. 鈥淎ndrew has always been the kind of kid who has excelled at everything he does,鈥� Rick Buckley said during a brief interview this week that took place at 6:30 a.m.

鈥淗e鈥檚 an understated young man who鈥檚 not boisterous and just quietly goes about his business. He鈥檚 always done well, right through middle school and high school both academically and in sports.

鈥淗e鈥檚 made us so proud.鈥�

Among Andrew鈥檚 off-field accomplishments include working as a volunteer for numerous organizations such as Alberta Health Services, for whom he visits two men who suffer from Alzheimer鈥檚 disease each week to provide them with an opportunity to socialize. He鈥檚 also organized outings for underprivileged kids and has been busy with several research projects in the Faculty of Kinesiology's Markin undergraduate student research program. 

鈥淗e works hard,鈥� said his mom. 鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 coast. He practices until nine o鈥檆lock and then comes home and hits the books until midnight; until he can鈥檛 stay awake.鈥�

Buckley Sr. played for the Dinos

Buckley has also followed in his father鈥檚 footsteps athletically as well. Rick Buckley played tight end for the Dinos in the late '70s.

Buckley the younger was thrown into the fire in the opening game of the season when starting QB Eric Dzwilewski went down with an injury that turned out to be season ending. The Dinos didn鈥檛 skip a beat with the new guy and went undefeated through the Canada West schedule and demolished the University of Western Ontario Mustangs 44-3 in the Mitchell Bowl at McMahon Stadium on Nov. 16 to earn the berth in the national final.

鈥淗e has all the tools,鈥� Dinos head coach Blake Nill said.

鈥淗e has the ability to suceeed, but he鈥檚 never had to face the job description of being a starting quarterback here. His transition from backup to starter has been remarkable.鈥�

Along with his 3.93 GPA, Buckley鈥檚 other impressive statistic was the 2,184 yards passing he accumulated, leading an offence that relies predominantly on the ground game.    

鈥淭he team has really rallied around me and we鈥檝e been able to accomplish pretty great things so far,鈥� said the Canada West all-star.

鈥淭he attitude on this team is so much different than anything I鈥檝e been around. It truly is just like a family, a bunch of kids having fun together.鈥�