What has inspired you to get this far?
"As I’ve heard numerous times from my lecturers in med
school, becoming a doctor is a marathon, not a sprint. In order to commit to a
twelve year-plus training program (four years of undergrad, four years of
medical school, and four or more years of residency) this has to be something
that you really want. The quality I would deem most important in getting me to
this point is a true love of learning.
I am drawn to the medical profession because of the direct impact
it will allow me to have on patients' lives, but the first years of training
are very much centered on rigorous classroom learning. With the end goal still
years down the line, it is easier to stay motivated if you love the science.
I was lucky to have professors in undergrad (as well as here at USF COM)
who made me excited about what I was learning.
This is so important because even after earning a medical degree,
great doctors are always students. In this profession you’re never finished
learning new things; there will always be new procedures to master, new drugs
to prescribe, and more journals to read. With the ultimate goal of providing
exceptional patient care in mind, the key for me is to appreciate that I can
never know everything, but to harness the drive to always learn more."
How does it feel at this point?
"Really exciting! Right now I have so many
opportunities available to me, and I’m immersed in a culture that is structured
around helping me to become the best physician possible. Medical school
is overwhelming at times, but it’s also an environment where everyone wants you
to succeed and reach your full potential because in four years you’ll be
responsible for people’s lives. It’s also really awesome to be surrounded by
150 other highly motivated students that share the same interests."
How did your first block go?
"USF, like many medical schools across the country, has a
curriculum structured around Systems Based Learning. This means that instead of
studying anatomy, physiology, genetics, biochemistry, etc. separately, for each
block we focus on a specific system of the body (this block was
musculoskeletal) and learn all of the subjects as they apply to that system in
an integrated fashion. It was definitely an adjustment figuring out how to
effectively study for information covered in this manner, just because it’s
such a different way of learning than in undergrad.
Overall, this block was really about getting used to managing my
time differently, meeting my new class, and becoming acclimated to a different
learning environment."
What did FSC prepare you for?
"The foundation of knowledge I gained at FSC has made me as
prepared, and in some cases more prepared, than my classmates for taking an
in-depth look at the basic sciences, which is the major premise of the first year
of medical school. I am finding that I have at least been exposed to most of
the lecture material that we’ve covered so far. There have been many times over
the past couple of months that I’ve been extremely grateful to have learned as
much as I did in undergrad in biochem, genetics, and cell biology. The fact
that professors at FSC challenged me during their classes has made my life so
much easier now!"
What didn’t FSC prepare you for?
"I wouldn’t say (at least at this point, but it’s still
really early) that medical school is intellectually any more difficult than
undergrad. The difference is the sheer magnitude of information that is thrown
at you week after week. I don’t think that it’s possible to be prepared for
covering so much material in such a short amount of time until you actually
experience it. This isn’t a fault of FSC, it’s just a reality of medical
school."
What will you be up to in the
months to come?
"The next few months will be particularly exciting because we
are beginning our first official clinical assignment, where for a half day each
week we will get hands on experience with patients. USF has a really unique
program that allows students to choose a Scholarly Concentration, which is sort
of like a minor.
I’m doing mine in Business and Entrepreneurship, and in the coming
months I hope to participate in some research looking at efficiency, allocation
of resources, and treatment outcomes in the student-run clinic at USF. Other
than that I’ll be continuing to learn anatomy in cadaver lab and completing
Block 2, which is neurology."
Do you have any suggestions for pre-meds at FSC?
"I would highly suggest that anyone planning on going to
medical school take cell biology, both biochemistry 1 and 2, and genetics, even
if they are not required for your major. These classes cover a lot of
information that you WILL see in your first year of medical school, and you’ll
be at an advantage if you’ve already been exposed to it.
While anatomy is largely memorization, I have found it to be very
time consuming, which means that it detracts from the time you have to study
the massive amount of lecture material you will encounter. Surprisingly, many
of my classmates never took an anatomy class in undergrad. DEFINITELY take
anatomy at FSC, and take the time to learn the structures now. It will make
your life so much easier later. I also highly recommend Dr. Lynch’s medical
terminology class because there isn’t enough time for our lecturers to stop and
teach us the meaning of every term they use. You’re just expected to know the
terminology, or else learn it on your own very quickly.
Second, I would say to remember that not everyone takes the
traditional route into medical school. Many of my classmates took a year or
more off to do research, work in another career, improve their MCAT score, or
join the Peace Corps before starting medical school. While I knew that keeping
the momentum going was best for me, it works best for a lot of other people to
have some other experience first.
Lastly,
this probably goes without saying, but make sure that you really want to make
this commitment. There are far easier ways to make money and gain prestige, but
I can’t imagine enjoying medical school if my heart wasn’t in it. It’s not a
cake walk, but if you really want to become a doctor medical school is a lot of
fun and really rewarding."
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