Motivation Monday Student Spotlight - Clark McLemore

Clark McLemore - ​Class of 2018

Hi Clark! We heard you like doing outdoor activities when not at school! What are you favorite activities?
I love doing almost anything outdoors. I really enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking, and kayaking. Anything to get me away from downtown Birmingham and the dental school.
 
How long have you liked to hunt and fish?
I have been fishing since before I can even remember, my parents say I caught my first fish when I was 3. I didn’t start hunting until I was about 11 or 12 when I could use a gun.
 
What is the largest fish you have caught? What is the largest deer you have shot?
I caught about a 7 foot bull shark in Destin last December. The biggest deer I’ve killed was an 11 point.
 
There is a lot of work that goes into deer season.  What do you have to do in order to prepare, and how do you balance your hobbies and dental school?
I spend a lot of time and effort preparing for the fall and winter hunting seasons. Most of the work involves driving a tractor to cut and plow fields, maintaining stands and roads on the property, and keeping game cameras out from the summer through spring to track wildlife activity while I’m not around.
 
What is your advice for students interested in beginning outdoor activities while in dental school?
For me the outdoors is my escape from school and the stresses of life, it helps me decompress. Oak Mountain State Park, Ruffner Mountain Park, and Red Mountain Park are just a few of the many places around Birmingham that someone can get out and start enjoying the great outdoors.

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