Mom of Four Pursues Dream of Becoming a Physician

April 21, 2025

For the past two years, each week Elisha Crean (DO 鈥�27) has left her husband and four children in Titusville, Florida, to travel to Moultrie, where she is a medical student at the 色中色鈥檚 (PCOM) South Georgia campus.

Her children鈥攁ges 22, 16, 11 and 10鈥攗nderstand that mom is studying to become a physician.

鈥淚 know my older children definitely support me being who I want to be and recognize that it's never too late to kind of follow your dreams,鈥� Crean said. 鈥淚 hope this imparts upon them to always follow their dreams and what they want to do in life. As for my younger ones, I think they realize that mom isn't around all the time, so that's been a sacrifice.鈥�

Most supportive of all is Crean鈥檚 husband, Steven, who is juggling the role of both parents, especially caring for their youngest children.

鈥淚 told him it was his turn,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen the kids were younger, he was in the Air Force, so there were times when he was gone.鈥�

Early in their 24-year marriage, her husband鈥檚 military career took them across the country. He completed two tours in Afghanistan as part of airborne rescue before medically retiring from the Air Force and switching to a civilian career in law enforcement.

During that time, Crean began her career in real estate, first as a leasing agent and then as a property manager. However, she always wanted to work in the medical field. After earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biomedical sciences at Eastern Florida State College while working full-time, Crean realized that becoming an osteopathic physician was her calling.

鈥淚 found out about PCOM South Georgia by accident,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was doing clinical shadowing at my children鈥檚 pediatrician鈥檚 office and there were students from PCOM South Georgia there who were doing their clinical rotations. They told me about the school. I started looking into it and realized how close it was. Then I looked a little further and realized some of the clinical rotations are in Florida, which is what I wanted to do. When I visited the campus, I absolutely loved it. I knew that this is where I wanted to be.鈥�

While the past two years have been difficult, her academic endeavor will soon be closer to home. In June, when Crean becomes a third-year student physician, she will begin clinical rotations at New Smyrna Beach, which is about a 20-minute drive from Titusville.

For Crean, the osteopathic medicine philosophy fits perfectly into what she believes.

鈥淚'm actually a Chickasaw native,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or me, medicine isn't just treating symptoms and going to the doctor and getting medication. The whole body approach is what I believe in fully. And I feel like, especially being Native American, we believe in a more holistic approach. And also thinking of the Spirit, you know that it all works together to heal yourself. The DO approach fits those same parameters.鈥�

Crean said she will be 50 when she graduates from PCOM South Georgia. So what is it like to be a 47-year-old medical student?

鈥淚t's kind of invigorating in some ways because I'm finally getting to focus on what it is that I want to do, what I want to be, and push myself to be that,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 never thought that I would be here 鈥� There鈥檚 been a lot of sacrifice involved, but I know it's worth it in the end.鈥�

Crean said even though she鈥檚 older than most of her classmates, she鈥檚 never felt out of place.

鈥淓verybody's supportive,鈥� she said. 鈥淓verybody's interested in what's going on with my family, especially our class, we are one big family. We all support each other. We may not see each other all the time or hang out with each other all the time, but at the end of the day, we've got each others鈥� backs.鈥�

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