When not teaching at Grand Canyon University, Will Primack, MD, can probably be found swimming, biking or running in the Tempe area as he trains for his next Ironman Triathlon. Dr. Primack has been married to his lovely wife Kara for over six years now. They are always finding fun and exciting new adventures, whether it is hiking Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, racing a mud run in the middle of the Arizona desert or volunteering at the local soup kitchen. One of his favorite quotes is by Ironman Founder John Collins: “You can quit and they won’t care… but you will always know.”
Faculty Spotlight Questions:
“Do what you love and you will never work another day.” Those words were uttered by my father during my childhood. I spent a good deal of my adolescence and young adulthood pursuing a career path that I thought I was supposed to follow. I was going to be a doctor! I would make my parents and friends proud, be in a position to help people daily and have a steady and comfortable stream of income. The only problem was that I was only in love with the idea of becoming a physician. After graduating from medical school, I knew that residency training and the day-to-day life of a physician was not for me.
I can say without reservation that I am grateful for the education that I have received. So, after four years of undergraduate coursework at the University of Illinois and another four years at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, it may seem crazy that I would want to return to the classroom and spend a good deal of my career life working at a university! Today I can say with the utmost confidence that I am happiest and most comfortable in an academic environment. I had always kept the idea in the back of my mind that I would someday like to become a teacher. I actually remember sitting in high school science class picturing how I would convey knowledge if it were me up in front of the classroom. Well, today those thoughts are now a reality!
The opportunity to teach an entire class or to explain a concept one-on-one is a truly gratifying experience. What is even more exciting is witnessing that moment when the glazed-over look in a student’s eyes disappears and he or she exclaims, “Oh, I get it!” It makes me feel like a part of something greater than myself when I imagine the possibility of being “that instructor” that makes learning fun and intriguing. Well into my post-secondary education, I would still stop in to visit a couple of my high school science and college teachers who made learning something to look forward to. I hope to be one of those teachers today. There seems to be nothing more rewarding than being able to pass on what I have learned to students who are on their own journey. It is my sincere hope that my knowledge, experiences and passion for the biological and physical sciences can be shared with the students here at Grand Canyon University!
You will have to study a significant amount of time outside of class every day! If you try to cram 3-4 entire units in the day or two before an exam, you will be sunk! Especially at the quick tempo that GCU science classes move at. Plan on studying 2-3 hours for each day that class meets. I know, ugh, but remember, you signed up for it! J
READ, READ, READ!!! I am aware that many students do not like to read. I am interested in my students knowing more than a few bullet points about a particular physiology concept, being well-informed health care providers and doing well in their classes. There is no substitute for reading, so plan on reading the sections in the book which correspond to the topics covered in class as many times as necessary for it to make sense.
GCU anatomy and physiology classes are not just about memorization, but rather how the human body works. Students will have to develop critical thinking skills in these classes. A good rule of thumb to check to see if you understand the material is to try to teach a concept to a classmate when studying.
Keep in mind, the more background knowledge you acquire throughout GCU science courses, the easier they get!