When Alexander Oshmyansky arrived at the University of Colorado at Boulder fresh out of high school in fall 2002, he had a surprise for his classmates - he planned to graduate in the spring.
After spending less than a year at CU-Boulder, Oshmyansky will indeed graduate in the spring, when on May 9, just months after his 18th birthday, he will receive his bachelor's degree in biochemistry.
While many 17- and 18-year-old CU-Boulder students were busy with introductory courses, Oshmyansky was tackling senior-level classes in chemistry and biochemistry with the goal of finishing his bachelor's degree in one year.
During his high school years, he amassed about 100 college credits, which is equivalent to more than six semesters carrying a class load of 16 credit hours. By the time he reached CU-Boulder, he was more than ready for the challenge.
"I'm pretty passionate about becoming a doctor and feel I can learn the most about medicine and become the best doctor I can be by learning the subject at this age," he said.
With his bachelor's degree almost in hand, Oshmyansky said he will continue his education and plans to attend medical school.
"I wanted to get into a field where you can really do groundbreaking research," he said. "With the human genome coming out, that opens a whole new area for discoveries." Ultimately, he wants to focus his research on developing a new cancer treatment.
Oshmyansky spent some time growing up in New York, but has lived in Colorado since he was 5 years old. Before his brief stay at CU-Boulder, Oshmyansky graduated from Dakota Ridge High School in Littleton.
"I sort of hung around high school for the social aspect," he said in retrospect. "I didn't want to be one of those 12-year-old kids wandering the halls at a university.
Oshmyansky said he is still weighing his options of where he will attend medical school. He is considering CU Health Sciences Center, Duke University and Washington University in St. Louis.