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Emily He, MS1

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Rush Medical College
USC, B.A. Biological Sciences, M.S. Global Medicine
Age 24
From Cerritos, CA

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

Our schedule depends on the day of the week. We are broken up into morning and afternoon groups. A normal class day for me would involve an 8am quiz from the self-study material in preparation for the class. These sessions are under the flipped classroom model in which we no longer have lectures for class. We get self-study packets that are based around a patient case. We get a video presentation of an actor with a certain chief compliant, the patient chart, and then the rest of the packet provides our material ranging from microbiology and immunology of various disease processes, pharmacology to treat potential diseases related to the case, pathology and histology of the organ systems, anatomy of the body that’s involved, and various other subjects depending on the case such as genetics of family inheritance, psychology if the patient is experiencing alcoholic withdrawals, and the clinical skills to test for different related illnesses.

Our flipped classroom setting meets twice a week for the hard science material and once a week for clinical skills. Each class is a group of 16-17 students and within the class, we work with a smaller group of 4 or 5 students on interactive case-based activities to apply what we learned from the self-study packets.

After class, the time is yours. You can research, study, volunteer, or explore the city. If I had to put down a “typical class day”, it would be wake up at 7:00am (snooze the alarm until 7:30), quiz at 8am, class from 8:30am-12pm, lunch from 12-1pm (there is almost always a lunch talk with free food) and I study until around 5 or 6:00pm. For the rest of the night, I have extracurriculars, grab dinner with friends, binge TV with my roommate, and do random house chores.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution?

Because our medical school has flipped classroom and no lectures, the style is very different from college. My undergraduate classes provided me with not only the foundational skillset to understand the basic science of our material but also the work ethic to study the large amount of information that we are given. My advice would be to go into studying with an open mind. Don’t be afraid to change up your study habits. Even if it was working before, try something that’s new and more efficient. Talk to your friends, ask around, and see what works best for you.

What have you liked about the teaching practices at your institution? Alternatively, how satisfied are you with the class structure at your institution? Are there aspects that you would like changed?

Rush has recently gone through a curriculum change where it remodeled its curriculum to have a flipped classroom. Initially, it was overwhelming to have a huge breadth of information from every discipline ranging pathology to pharmacology into a single case. Even now, I still struggle with the amount of information that we need to know. But looking back at our previous blocks, it’s exciting to know that we have an understanding of diseases from the micro level to the macro level and a clearer understanding of how to apply these integrated fields into clinical care.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

My main advice is to know what you are looking for. When I was applying for medical schools, it was very important for me to grow as a student and as a person. I have lived in Southern California all of my life and even though I was tempted to stay, I knew it was important to push myself to explore something different. Because I would be venturing out of my comfort zone, it was incredibly important for me to find an institution that was supportive and aligned with my passions. I found that at Rush. When I came for my interview, I felt a sense of warmth from the faculty and students. Even now for our clinical rotations, one of my attendings always addresses her emails to us as her colleagues. These may be little things but they foster an environment of collaboration and support from students and faculty. I don’t feel like just a number. I feel like my passions can be supported here and they have. It is important to consider what is important to you. Do you think this place will support you? Can you see yourself living here? Medical school is hard and you want a place that will foster your growth.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

Rush is in Chicago, so there is a big city feel surrounding the area. I love how there are many choices of coffee shop options near us since we are close to Downtown and Millennium Park. Also, as students, you get unlimited public transportation so getting to and from places is very easy. The main concern for my parents when I was moving to Chicago was the safety. We didn’t know much about Chicago besides vaguely hearing that it is unsafe. Like most big cities, there are areas that are unsafe. But Rush is not in those areas or the places in Downtown that are close to the school and my apartment. When we first started school, Rush did an amazing job in talking about safety and brought in Chicago PD to talk to us. I’ve never felt like my safety was in jeopardy during my time here.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

Research, free clinic volunteer work, suture and intubation team, student professional interest groups, Asian American student organizations. One of the main things that drew me to Rush and what I love most about the school is its overwhelming commitment to the community. Every aspect of volunteer work always goes back to the community. For example, the extra food from the hospital and cafeteria kitchens that have not been served are packaged and delivered to the Franciscan Homeless Shelter. Initiatives like these at Rush empower me to continue giving back the community.

How much/well have you been able to develop clinical skills alongside your classroom work first and second year? What does your institution do to help you develop clinical skills before the clinical years?

We started hands-on patient care during our 3rd week of school. During each semester, we are immersed in a different clinical setting. In the past year, my clinical placements have been primary care, urogynecology, and this semester I’ll be working in orthopedic oncology spinal surgery. My friends had been able to gain OR experience in ENT, anesthesiology, and many other surgical specialties. Rush does an amazing job exposing students early on and emphasizing the importance of clinical skills. We are also routinely tested on clinical exams that correspond to each block. For example, for the MSK block, we had to learn all of the associated clinical tests.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

I learned that medicine is becoming more and more integrated. No single healthcare discipline can do it on their own. During the past year, we had Interprofessional Education (IPE). We were with the same small group of 6 or 7 first year students from different graduate colleges at our institution. Some disciplines include nursing, medical lab science, speech pathology, audiology, health administration, cardio perfusion, OT, PT, and many others. In our group, we met every month to work on interdisciplinary cases and learn the importance of integrative patient-centered care.

Are there any resources that stand out to you as most useful to you in self-learning medical school material or for expanding on material taught in class?

Besides the usual resources like Sketchy and Pathoma, I have found that my classmates were the most useful. Because our curriculum is flipped classroom, there is no one resource that has it all in one place. Our faculty and upperclassmen really encouraged us to share notes, information, and resources. It’s important to talk, share, and teach each other. Our class is very collaborative where we have a Google drive and GroupMe message group for our entire class where we share notes, helpful resources, reminders, and other helpful tips.

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

If you are interested in science, pursue a major that fulfills most of the pre-med requirements for medical school. Then for a second major, minor, or masters, you can explore your passion and find what else interests you. Studying science is always great, but it’s also great to explore other topics to add depth to your knowledge and provide a different perspective so you can bring something different to the table.

What is your favorite event of the year put on by your medical school? Tell us a little bit about it.

My favorite event has been the Chicago Bulls games. Rush are the official healthcare team for the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox. The stadium is walking-distance from our school. One time, I got free tickets in the library, walked with friends to the game, and then came back to campus for our backpacks. These games have been new and exciting, especially watching a new NBA team since I’ve been mainly a Lakers fan.

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

I wish I knew that everything would work out. I had a lot of doubt and always worried if I wasn’t doing enough. It’s hard to stop comparing yourself, but comparison is never really helpful. In the application process, know yourself, be proud and supportive of your friends, and you’ll get through the application cycle together.

Neela, MS1

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UC San Diego School of Medicine
From Los Gatos, CA
UCLA, B.S. Psychology
Age 23

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

We have lecture at 8 AM every day, but because it’s never mandatory, I usually wake up at 8 AM, chug a disturbing amount of coffee, and videocast the lectures from home at 1.5x speed. This allows me to pause when a concept is more difficult and warrants a few repetitions or to skip ahead when I can quickly read the slides to get the information I need. It also allows me to spend some quality time with my cat, Fitz! On the days we do have mandatory class, it’s usually PBL (Problem Based Learning) or POM (Practice of Medicine). Both of these classes are with small groups of 8-10 students and very interactive, so I don’t mind walking to class and being present. On those days, I’ll often hang around on campus after class and study in MET, the shiny new building that UCSD med students call their second home. At night, there’s almost always time to hang out with friends, even if the time spent is in between studying lectures in someone’s apartment. Lastly, I will brag that there have been a few glorious days when I drove to Windansea Beach, set up a blanket, and studied next to the ocean.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution?

The lectures are actually very similar–typically, a clinician from that particular field will present the lecture for an hour, and I write notes directly on the slides using my iPad. So far, I have only had to buy one textbook throughout the entire year because usually all the information you need to know is on the slides. Sometimes, the presentations aren’t always organized to my liking, so after lecture I’ll have to consolidate the information into tables or a flowchart. One incredible thing about most medical schools is that they are now Pass/Fail. This means I can focus on what seems most high-yield or most relevant from each lecture and spend far less time learning minutiae. This also means that I am significantly less stressed out than I was in undergrad. I have also become a much more efficient studier–now, when I listen to a lecture, I am actively picking out what seems most relevant in real-time and even scribbling mnemonics or memory hooks in the margins of the slides.

What have you liked about the teaching practices at your institution? Alternatively, how satisfied are you with the class structure at your institution? Are there aspects that you would like changed?

My professors are extremely approachable and actually enjoy it when you talk to them about their research or their jobs. Because many of them are currently practicing physicians, they provide us with fascinating clinical vignettes that are highly relevant to our future careers and that get us excited to start practicing medicine! Sometimes, I have felt that the lectures weren’t my best studying resources, and I have instead chosen to use resources like Pathoma or SketchyMed to learn the material. This isn’t necessarily a reflection on our lecturers, however, but instead speaks to how awesome those resources are. If you haven’t checked them out yet, I highly recommend looking them up! We also have a lot of small group classes, including PBL, POM, and discussion groups to go over clinical cases relevant to the current block. The small group classes are great opportunities to get to know both the instructing physician and your classmates very well. The clinical case and PBL small groups are especially helpful because they get you thinking more like a doctor and less like an undergraduate.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

For me, the number one most important factor was happiness. When I went to Second Look for the schools I was accepted to, I was paying close attention to the current first years and asking them questions about their lives outside of medical school, their social lives, their mental health, etc. What really struck me at UCSD was that the first years seemed really, really happy–WAY happier than I thought possible at a medical school. They all did cool things outside of school: they surfed, they went to breweries, they had game nights with their friends, they went to Padres games, and the end result was that they were ecstatic that they had chosen UCSD. I think it’s important to remember that medical schools in the US offer pretty much the same things–PBL, POM, Pass/Fail, and small group case-based learning are all facets of pretty much every curriculum. It’s important to ask about these things, but in my opinion, they are not the most important things to consider. Find out how happy the students are, because it’s a definite indicator of how you’ll be feeling for the next four years of your life. And if you are content and feeling fulfilled, I promise you that things like rankings and prestige will not matter one bit. Likewise, think about it–if you’re miserable, will being able to say “at least I go to the #1 school” make you happier?”

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

San Diego is the BEST. At UCSD, you’re in close proximity to some of the best beaches in the world (at least in my humble opinion). When you’re feeling stressed, nothing makes you feel better than going to Dog Beach with your best friends, setting up a blanket, and playing with 30 different dogs. As annoying as this may be, there is seriously nothing I dislike about San Diego!

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

At UCSD, we have a Free Clinic so awesome that almost every single student is able to participate in it. I manage the neurology and psychiatry free clinics with some of my fellow students, and it is by far the most fulfilling thing I have done in medical school. The patients are incredible teachers, and it is a genuine honor to be able to learn from them. If you come to UCSD’s Second Look, I really recommend touring the Free Clinic and learning more about it.

How well have you been able to develop clinical skills alongside your classroom work first and second year? What does your institution do to help you develop clinical skills before the clinical years?

UCSD does a lot to help us become more clinically competent as first year. We have POM (Practice of Medicine) every other week, in which a physician facilitator teaches us physical exam skills and gives us plenty of opportunities to practice. We also have GOSCEs, which are opportunities to practice skills like interviewing and physical examination on standardized patients (paid actors, basically), who are so convincing that I sometimes forget the experience is simulated! We also have ACA–basically, we’re paired with a physician that practices somewhere in the San Diego area, and each week or so, we shadow them. Our ACA preceptors will usually give us opportunities to practice interviewing and examining their patients as well. Finally, I mentioned Free Clinic above, but it bears mentioning again. At Free Clinic, we usually see 1-2 patients per visit, conduct the entire interview and physical exam, and then present to the attending. Then, we see the patient again with the attending and see how the real thing is done. So overall, we get lots of opportunities to develop clinical skills!

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

This is a really hard question! I think that before, I saw medicine as memorizing a bunch of facts about diseases and then applying those facts with patients. To be fair, you do need to be able to memorize and apply facts to be a successful doctor. But I think I underestimated how much of medicine is an art. Patient interviewing and physical examination are really, really hard and require so much practice. The experience so far has given me even more appreciation for what doctors do every day and for the sheer amount of training and practice that go into one short fifteen minute patient visit.

Are there any resources that stand out to you as most useful to you in self-learning medical school material or for expanding on material taught in class?

Pathoma and SketchyMed hands down!

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

I would tell them to choose a major based on what they’re actually interested in, not based on what they think looks good. Some of my classmates were English majors, history majors, and physics majors. No matter what, you have to take the same pre-med prerequisites as everyone else, anyway! I chose to major in psychobiology because I love psychology and have always found it to be so fascinating. I used to be insecure about the fact that a lot of my friends had way harder majors, but today, I’m glad I took classes that I loved and that have stuck with me to this day.

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

 I wish that I had realized that getting into medical school is hard, but it’s doable! Lots of people led me to believe that I could never get in or that I’d be setting myself up for failure by applying. As a result, I became deeply insecure about my abilities. I’m grateful that my friends and parents always stood behind me and encouraged me every single step of the way, until I believed that I could do it. Sure enough, I did it, and you can do it too!

Chuck Chan, OSM1

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Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
From Cerritos, CA
UC Berkeley, B.A. Public Health
Age 25

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

Typically we have 4-8 hours of class per day depending on the day of the week. 4 hours a week are spent learning to prepare for patient encounters and another 4 hours a week are spent on learning principles of OMM.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution?

In general, I don’t find the material to be harder to grasp than in undergrad, but the pace is significantly faster. Each course will be integrated with several professors teaching us their specialty in a given course. For example, in our neurology course, we had different professors for neuroanatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology, microbiology, etc. We tend to have a lot of lecture hours per science course and people tend to like to webcast all of them to save time. There is a focus on clinically relevant material and board material.

How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

Definitely switched my approach to getting information that is high-yield only. There is so much information in medical school that it is hard to learn everything so I usually spend time trying to decipher what is going to be tested on, whereas in undergrad I would just study everything and try to understand it in depth. I supplement my lecture powerpoints with board materials like Pathoma, Sketchy, and Boards and Beyond to know what material is the most important. Also, I use Anki to retain information better.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

The most important things to me would be putting myself in a situation where I could succeed. That includes having established curriculum, P/NP courses, going to a school with a good match history, location, presence of a teaching hospital, board scores, and research opportunities. At the time of my application I didn’t really have the luxury of choice to hit all of these criteria, but definitely chose based on what other people said about the school.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

School is located in Pomona, CA. Typically known for a medium level of crime, but have not experienced any negative experiences myself. Bad thing is that there aren’t very many good food options compared to the OC or LA but is close enough in distance to travel to after exams. Homelessness and poverty is fairly prevalent in Pomona, CA and there is not much to do in the city itself. I personally don’t feel unsafe because I usually drive places, but it would not be safe to walk the streets alone at night. I feel bad for the city sometimes and try to give back through volunteering at clinics when I can.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

I am involved in a medicine track called Lifestyle Medicine. We have sessions where we learn about diet, physical health, mental health, etc. I really like it because I do feel it to be important to be well informed to teach future patients about ways to manage their health and I want to learn for my own health as well. I don’t know if there are organizations that are unique to my school itself, but being a DO school we do have a lot of osteopathic specific clubs. Some of these clubs hold workshops with physicians to teach us how to treat low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, etc using OMM.

In retrospect, which classes in undergrad do you think were the most useful coming into medical school?

Physiology and biochemistry were probably the two most helpful classes for the MCAT and medical school. Several molecular biology class were helpful as well as endocrinology. I did not take a microbiology class, but I think it would have been helpful. I took anatomy in undergrad and it felt like I had never taken anatomy before when going through the med school version. Useless.

What is a unique aspect of education at your medical school that has been valuable to you thus far as a medical student?

We have about 8 patient encounters per semester which initially sounds annoying, but is such good practice to deal with patients later. Not sure if this is unique to my medical school, but we recently had a psych focused OSCE where we diagnose a patient with either bipolar, depression, panic disorder, PTSD, etc. and really got a chance to practice empathy and how to ask questions for a difficult patient.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

There are some days I think I would never encourage someone to go to medical school then there are days I am like wow this is really a blessing. I find it pretty hard on average to enjoy learning every detail about some obscure disease or histology, but every now and then I get to reflect on how much I’ve learned so quickly and how incredible these tools are going to be after preclinical years and in practice. I struggle mostly because of the lack of weekends and breaks we are given and often think about long term consequence of being a slave to medicine (such as having less time to start a family, being too busy for anyone), but am genuinely grateful that I have this opportunity and the challenges it poses in so many ways in my life that will hopefully make us all better doctors.

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

I would tell them to pick whatever major they like the most, but to take science courses as electives to fill their schedule. I don’t think there are too many courses outside of the prerequisites that are essential before starting school. College is there to learn cool shit that they will never take a course on again – not reinforce all the courses you will already learn in medical school

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

In general i think it is good to take advice with a grain of salt. I probably sought advice too frequently while taking everybody’s advice without considering my own needs. If I stopped to think about what I do best, I think I would have had more success

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school?

It seems like the best route would be to not be pre-med in college and fully immerse yourself in the college experience would be the best way to go. Then take a post-bacc and kill it so you get into med school. But this option is expensive.

Dominic Carusillo, MS1

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USC Keck School of Medicine
From San Diego, CA
UCSB, B.S. Biochemistry-Molecular Biology
Age 24

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

Medical school is pretty varied in terms of scheduled, but I can always guarantee I will be studying for most of the day. If i had to put a “typical day” down on paper, I’d say i wake up at 6:30am, get ready and go to campus, hit the gym and finish around 9:30am, study from 10am to 12pm, eat lunch, go to any required afternoon sessions I might have or if I don’t I get back to studying, finish studying around 5pm, head home and eat dinner, start studying again at around 8pm and finish at around 9:30-10pm. Then i relax and do whatever I want till about 11:30pm.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution?

One of the biggest differences is you can’t blow off class as much as you could in undergrad. a week in medical school is a ton of material compared to undergrad. So you just have to be diligent and get your work done each day. Another big difference is that while there’s an insurmountable amount of information to know, you learn to distill concepts and facts to their bare essentials. In undergrad, you had to know each lecture very in depth and be able to thoroughly explain every concept, medical school is very much more understanding a concept at a more superficial level and then knowing associated facts or key details within that concept. So there’s a lot more information in medical school, but to be honest, you don’t have to know it as well, if that makes sense.

How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

I’ve just become much more consistent in my studying. I treat school like its a full-time job with overtime hours. I also use 3rd party resources a lot more in medical school. Efficiency is the name of the game when you’re studying this much and if you can nail down a concept more quickly using a Pathoma video than reading lecture handouts or watching the lecture for example, then that’s what you should do.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

I think webcasted lectures are a must. You save so much time and energy not having to go to class. I think another thing is if the school has a good relationship with a large hospital nearby. The amount of research and shadowing experiences I think are directly related to this. Other than that, I think most medical schools are probably pretty similar (aside from maybe the top 10 research institutions.) There are tons of other things that make a medical school (your classmates, free food/lunch talks, student interest groups, study spaces/libraries, anatomy labs) but most of these are less important and some can’t be really identified until you’ve matriculated.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

Directly surrounding my school is a fairly economically impoverished area. That is typical of most medical schools. To be fair though, I don’t spend much time in the area around campus. I’m either at campus or at home or doing something fun in LA. I like that LA has a bunch of things you can do because it is such a big city (shows, hikes, bars, beach, etc), but the traffic and number of people here is absolutely exhausting. Plus the air quality can be pretty gross. Overall though, pretty happy with where I landed.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

I’m in several student interest groups and I’ll be a board member on two of them next year. I’m not sure if there’s any one program here that other schools don’t have…. maybe the HTE program (health, technology and engineering)?

In retrospect, which classes in undergrad do you think were the most useful coming into medical school?

Biochemistry was very useful in the beginning, and will probably help with Step 1 prep. I took a cancer/neoplasms upper-division in undergrad and that helped give me a foundational understanding of cancer which helps a ton since every organ system spends a good chunk of time talking about neoplastic pathologies. I think doing research in undergrad helped me a good deal in reading scientific papers and being comfortable/familiar when basic science research is brought up in our lectures. I’m not totally at a loss when we talk about immunohistochemical staining for example because I’ve done some of that before.

What is a unique aspect of education at your medical school that has been valuable to you thus far as a medical student?

I think shadowing has been the most valuable extracurricular thing ive done so far. There are so many resources and opportunities to see really cool specialties, and as a med student, attendings are very excited to show you all the cool things they do and why their specialty and practice are so awesome. I can’t emphasize enough how important shadowing as been for me.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

It hasn’t a ton really. I guess maybe I have a better idea of how different two specialties can be, even though they are both ‘doctors’.

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

Do the major you’re interested in. I think too many people try to game the system and do things only to make their resume better or put themselves in what they think is the best position. Find something you enjoy studying and make sure you satisfy med school course requirements through it or some other way. With all that being said, I wouldn’t pick a major i didn’t think i could get mostly A’s in if I were 100% serious about applying to medical school. Electrical engineering is awesome, but it doesn’t usually leave you with the most competitive GPA. So there’s a balance to be struck. Don’t pick the “easy” major because you think it make you more competitive GPA wise, but don’t pick a major that’s going to make admissions an uphill battle because of your GPA. Follow your interests and try to align them with your end goal of med school acceptance

 What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

How much of a pain in the butt getting letters of recommendation could be. Try to talk with professors early in the fall before the June you apply. I was stressed that some of my letters wouldn’t be ready in time for my secondaries, which was not fun!

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school?

I probably would’ve studied more in my first two years so I wouldn’t have had to work so hard to make up for my low GPA in my last two years. But…… I did have a ton of fun and I got to where I wanted to be so maybe not haha. I wish i would’ve talked with and met more professors at undergrad. I was always anxious talking to them, and looking back, I probably missed out on a lot of great conversations and learning opportunities. Being in medical school has taught me that Impostor Syndrome is something that a lot of smart, competent people have. I used to be self-conscious that I didn’t know anything or that in talking to a professor my lack of intelligence would be exposed somehow. I wish i would’ve just gotten over this anxiety and engaged more with the faculty.

 

Drew Weinstein, MS2

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Drew Weinstein
From Santa Rosa, CA
UCSB
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

Wake up at 6:30 AM. Get to the library at 7:30 AM and do some pre-viewing for the lectures to come and planning out my day. Go to class at 8:00-Noon. Lunch 12:00-1:00 PM More lecture, anatomy class, or random mandatory class 1:00-3:30 PM. Study 3:30-9 or later depending how close it is to an exam. The latest is midnight. Gym either in the morning if I don’t have lecture or during lunch/early afternoon.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution?

The lectures are moving way faster and often require more details (i.e. you spend 10 minutes on glycolysis but you focus on the enzymes and the limiting steps rather than the molecule structure.) A lot more clinical information is added…a metabolic disorder that is due to enzyme A of step 7. Almost all lectures are powerpoint. Instructors are either MD or PhD and most don’t accept questions during class but after you can walk up to them ask them any questions. Most don’t have office hours but you can go to their office whenever and if they are there and not busy they will talk to you. They all want you to succeed. They are not looking to fail anyone.

How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

I use Anki and study every day. You cannot cram. I also utilize group study time.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

Apply early and broadly. Reach and safety. It is literally a cluster-f***. I have friends with okay academics that applied to a ton of schools and got one interview at UCSF and got in. I have other friends 15 interviews and no acceptances. Then once you get acceptances, look at schools where the students are happy and the school listens to their ideas for change. Also you might want to look at the match list and hospitals associated with their rotations. You can live anywhere but will you be happy and able to succeed there? Also work on your interviewing skills! You might think you’re an expert but I can guarantee you are far from it.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

My school is the middle of no where which is no fun but it is great to study. On the weekends we can take a train 45 minutes into the city to enjoy the night life or just to explore. During rotations third and fourth year we move downtown which is awesome.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

We have interest groups for all the major specialties. AMA and PDE as well. Then we have a ton of intramural sports and volunteer organizations that support the community around our school

In retrospect, which classes in undergrad do you think were the most useful coming into medical school?

Physiology, biochemistry, and cell biology.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

You know nothing and everything you learn is not even a drop in the bucket!

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

Do a major you will get the best GPA in. If that is Psych or something else, just do a post bacc with a linkage after.

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

How much your GPA matters and how it is very important to talk to your teachers since you will need letters of rec.

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school?

I used my time between undergrad and medical school wisely but working at a startup, research lab, scribing, medical assistant, volunteering for the underserved. But during undergrad, there will always be another party and it might be beneficial to study more the night before for that physics final.

Brian James, MS2

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Brian James
From Laguna Nigel, CA
UCSB
USF Morsani College of Medicine

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

On a typical day (Mon, Wed, or Fri) I’ll wake up at 5:30 and go to the gym from 6:00-7:15. I’ll shower there and then head to class as 8 AM. There are usually 4, 50-minute lectures: 8:00-9:00, 9:00-10:00, 10:00-11:00, 11:00-12:00. We get 12:00-1:00 off for lunch every day regardless of what’s happening. Then there will usually be a 1:00-2:00 lecture. Then I go home and am done for the day. Once a week we’ll have a 2-hour anatomy lab, either Monday or Wednesday from 2-4, switching days each week. And on Thursday from 2-5 (Tuesday for the other half of the class) we drive 10 miles south to downtown Tampa for “Doctoring” in which they teach us the basics of patient interaction and how to conduct an H&P. We also have a class called Evidence Based Clinical Reasoning Tuesday’s from 9-11 where they teach us about academic research and how to read and write papers.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution? 

All of our lectures at the medical school are given via PPT and are also recorded. Lecturers post their lecture beforehand. Only about 1/4 of the entire medical school class goes to lecture and then rest watch the lecture from home. We also have “Turning Point” in which we can real-time answer multiple choice questions to see how the class is doing. Exams are on our computer in the main lecture hall. Each hour of lecture corresponds to 2-3 questions on the test, each test about 120 questions. Each exam is non-cumulative but the final exam for each course is cumulative for that course. We have 4 courses in our first year.

How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

I am definitely studying more frequently. I would slack and weekend-before-the-test-study in undergrad but now I rewrite all of my notes the day of and review them almost everyday. I study about the same net hours but more spaced out.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

For me it was the requirements. My GPA was a bit low and my letters of rec were limited so I needed to find schools that fit my requirements. I wanted to be somewhere near family, but honestly anywhere that took me I was going to go.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

Tampa is an amazing city. The medical school is moving downtown which makes it a bit more crowded with downtown Tampa but away from the main campus. All Major sports are here, and the Tampa Bay Lightning are only a few blocks away. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 10 minutes away, and the Tampa Bay Rays are 30 minutes West in St. Petersburg. Tampa is one of the fastest growing cities in the USA so it’s very exciting. Good bar scene, Ybor City has a great nightlife and is the cigar capital. St Petersberg and Clearwater are only 30 minutes away and have beautiful beaches and nightlife. Florida is nice and warm. Orlando is only 1 hour easy so Disney and Universal are close.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

USF offers the Scholarly Concentration Program, which is super cool. All CORE Students (130 CORE, 40 SELECT) are a part of 1 of 11 total and they all have cool focuses, like “law and medicine”, “business and medicine”, “nutrition and medicine”, “gender and medicine”, etc. also the SELECT program is super amazing. You have to apply specifically for it but it’s super nice for medical leadership and patient-focused values. There are a ton of Student Interest Groups and other clubs too. USF has its own Bridge clinic for the underserved, there’s Tampa Bay Street Medicine, and many others.

In retrospect, which classes in undergrad do you think were the most useful coming into medical school?

Biochemistry, Genetics, Pharmacology, Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Cell Biology.

What is a unique aspect of education at your medical school that has been valuable to you thus far as a medical student?

The faculty here are very receptive to feedback and will accommodate almost immediately. Also we have a lot of standardized patients to prescribe with to help hone in our skills. We are organ-based (I know most but not all schools are).

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

It’s super important to have a basics in all aspects of medicine for any specialty you go into. Even if you are a hand-specialist orthopedic surgeon, you still need to know the basics of medicine and how to conduct H&P. You have to know of cardiology and basics in all other disciplines. It’s not as much learn-and-dump like undergrad.

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

Anything science related. If they are super passionate about something else I would recommend it since undergrad is the last time to take things that interest you. But learning science in medical school is hard. It’s much easier to learn the background in undergrad and then apply it to medicine aspects in medical school. For USCB, I’d recommend Cell and Developmental Bio or Biochem.

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

Create an Excel doc with all the school you wanna apply to and keep track of ALL information there. Include in it the school’s portal, your usernames and passwords, their letter of rec requirements and app fee plus due dates. It’s SO important to submit everything early or on time.

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school?

Of course I’d study harder. Not that I would want another medical school but it’s much nicer having options to chose from (I only got into USF). I had an amazing time and got all the fun outta me but I wish I realized that unlike most other majors I would actually be using a lot of the info I learned for medical school and beyond. Also I wish I shadowed more different types of doctors to get a general feel for medicine.

Eric Nguyen, MS2

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Creighton University School of Medicine
From Cerritos, CA
UCSB, B.S. Cell and Developmental Biology
Age 24

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

As an MS1, I would wake up at 7 AM, get a quick workout in and get ready to stream lectures at 9 AM (lectures that start at 8 AM). I would do this until around 1 or 2PM and then get lunch. Obviously there are variations in my schedule due to small group discussions or meetings with my extra-curricular activities. I would be typically done with the “first half” of my day at around 4 PM. I would then take a break until about 5 or 6 PM and then eat dinner. If I slept in a little that day and skipped the morning workout, I would workout at this time before dinner. After dinner I would review the lectures of that day, which last until about 10 or 11 PM. Following this, I would relax by either reading a book, going on social media, or watching a TV show like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air or The Office.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution? 

Finishing MS1 showed me that there is a decent amount of similarity with my undergraduate classes, especially with Biochemistry, Cell/Developmental Bio, Genetics, and Immunology (take those classes in undergraduate if you can). Obviously in medical school there is more of an emphasis on how these sciences are clinically applied. I went to a research based institution that was centered on more of a molecular approach. For example, in undergrad we learned about the way the Sonic hedgehog protein leads to proper formation of the Neural tube. In medical school, we focused more on how mutations in this protein leads to conditions such as holoprosencephaly.

Instructors are definitely more “there for you”. They care more about your learning and I can appreciate how much more devoted to their students they are. It is never a problem to schedule office hours and email questions are answered within hours, sometimes even minutes. The medical environment is tailored for student success. At my school at least, the faculty truly want you to be successful and they will go out of their ways to help make that happen. In my opinion this is one of the greatest things about medical school.

How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

In medical school, the concepts of “active learning” and “spatial repetition” are emphasized. Active learning means that you don’t simply read through lecture slides and take notes. It means that you are constantly quizzing yourself. Sometimes I would study a lecture slide, and look away trying to write/draw everything I remember about that slide onto a blank sheet of paper.

Other times I would make my own flashcards or mooch off of friends’/other websites’ flashcards. (You’ll find that there are a ton of resources online for medical students) Studying like this really pushes you to think, regurgitate, and learn the information rather than passively stare at the material.

Spatial repetition means that you will revisit a topic multiple times with space in between. For example, I won’t spend 2 hours learning every detail about a lecture in one sitting. I will spend 40 minutes going through that lecture to get more of an outline of the material. After a few hours, I will spend another 40 minutes to revisit the lecture to fill in the details. Maybe a day or two later, I’ll spend another 40 minutes to fill even more details. With 4-6 lectures per day, spending hours on hours in one sitting doesn’t lead to your brain consolidating information. Now, when its time to study for the test, you’ve already seen the material 2-3 times and now you can truly make the material stick for the test.

I’ve also learn to take breaks more frequently. 50 minutes on 10 minutes off and repeat. Gotta let your brain rest. For 10 minutes I would walk around, socialize, blast some good music, or eat some snacks. This allows me to come back to the material ready to focus.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

1. What kind of culture is it? These will be the people you will be spending LOTS of time with. If you’re a chiller like me and you end up in a cut-throat gunner school, you might not make many friends and you might not be that happy. Well-being is the priority. If you can’t enjoy the process, what’s the point?

2. Location. If you like the action of a metro city but you end up in a rural medical school, you won’t be able to maximize your study breaks. If you love hiking and the outdoors, then maybe choose a medical school that has lots of national parks around! If you need to be around family, then stay near home!

3. If you really want to think ahead about what kind of medical setting you want to be involved in, make sure your school is aligned with that. If you want to be a physician involved in medical technologies or you want to be highly involved with community service, then I hope you pick a medical school that represents that. Remember that medical school is where you cultivate yourself as a physician.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

I am in Omaha, Nebraska. I love how welcoming the people of the city is. You can strike up a conversation with absolutely anyone in Omaha and you don’t have to worry about prejudice or discrimination of any sort. To my surprise, there was a lot of diversity and therefore there is a lot of variety of food! Omaha has a ton of good food, but I confess the best food in Omaha are American.
Something that I didn’t like about Omaha is its lack of access to good hiking spots. The area is pretty flat and unless it is summer and spring, all of the trees aren’t the greenest. The trees lose all leaves in the winter and all grass/bushes turn green. I guess I’ve been spoiled with California weather.

Also, it isn’t as feasible to travel to other major cities. Denver and Chicago are both 7+ hour drives away so trips to other cities usually must land on 3+ day breaks. However, there are closer cities like Lincoln, NE, Kansas City, and Iowa City which are 1-3 hours away, and I hear they are decently worth exploring.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

I am involved in the American Medical Association at my school and I am a co-founder of the MICE Club (Medical Innovation Collaboration and Entrepreneurship Club). I also participate in various community service activities such as volunteering at free clinics, mentoring schoolchildren at their schools, and serving the homeless populations of Omaha.

I once participated in Creighton’s “Wisdom Groups”, which I believe to be relatively unique to Creighton only. With our school being a Jesuit one, we have the opportunity to group up with other students along with a church father, who studied extensively to be a member of the Society of Jesus. In these programs, we can discuss the meaning we find in everyday life, from what we fear to what makes us happy, what it means to be a medical student, and how we reflect on everything we do. It was a very fulfilling program.

In retrospect, which classes in undergrad do you think were the most useful coming into medical school?

After the prerequisites, in order of importance with 1 being the most: 1. Biochemistry 2. Cell Biology 3. Immunology 4. Developmental Biology 5. Genetics

What is a unique aspect of education at your medical school that has been valuable to you thus far as a medical student?

For our recent Neuroscience course, our school was able to partner with Firecracker, a board exam (NBME + USMLE) preparation course. We were able to supplement our lectures with Firecracker content, flashcards, and practice questions. It provided another means of tackling the material.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

We always knew we wanted to help people, but I was able to bolster my understanding of the humanistic side of medicine. Like many schools, Creighton taught us to truly empathize with the patient as a person. We were taught to not only understand how a patient’s ailment affected one’s bodily function, but also how it affected one’s daily life. We learned to ask “How does this affect your ability to do your favorite hobbies? How does it affect your ability to spend time with your family? Your ailment must make it even harder for you to pay your bills and send your children to college. It must be incredibly difficult for you.” etc etc

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

I would invite them to pick something they are highly interested in, but sure take the pre-reqs, and maybe a few additional other classes that I mentioned above. Aside from doing something interesting, you never know how you can integrate medicine with your field of interest in the future.

I believe the future of medicine will be full of collaboration, so if you are interested in biomedical engineering, business/economics, computer science, or even music, there will be awesome ways to integrate it with medicine. I believe much innovation can come from collaboration so you never know what kind of cool things you will come up with if you become a little more well-rounded.

Given the number of obstacles we face en route to a career in medicine, everyone at some point feels doubtful of themselves. How has this affected you and what has helped you persevere through these sorts of feelings? 

It isn’t always easy to maintain consistent confidence in your abilities, but I always have an inner optimism knowing that things will always work out in the end. Having this faith makes me start each difficult day with confidence.

Furthermore, exercise, meditation, and staying social keeps me on top of my adversities. Also, I don’t usually complain. I try to remember the blessings that I have in life, that I have an opportunity of a lifetime to become a physician. I remember that being healthy, alive, and with everything I need to live already puts me in the top 5-10% of the world. I have no reason to complain and this mindset makes life so much more fulfilling.

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

Don’t live for anybody else. Don’t do something because someone or something told you to do it. Live for yourself, be patient, and enjoy the process. Your time in undergrad will absolutely fly by. Seriously!

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school? (This is open ended…can be related to academics or anything non-academic)

I would have traveled more/studied abroad! Absolutely everyone should do it. Traveling is an amazing opportunity to broaden your perspectives and learn about other cultures/traditions. And when you have summer break, and you’re not studying for the MCAT, go travel and/or do some mission trip in a different country so you can appreciate how good you have it. Also try to do it without parents so you can better personally develop.

Alexa Lucas, MS1

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UC Irvine School of Medicine
From Thousand Oaks, CA
UCLA, B.S.

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

Going to a coffee shop to watch lectures/study, going to meetings for groups I am involved…..and the occasional trip to Disney!

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution? 

For some courses you have different professors for 1-2 lectures, which makes it a bit hard to adjust to lecturing/powerpoint style. Also, there is no better phrase for the amount of information we face than the “drinking from a firehose” analogy. It is fast and very in depth. That is why I like to podcast more than go to class. That way, I can pause, rewind, fast forward as needed! I do really like the way UCI course is outlined. Normal function of all systems 1st year and then pathology of all the systems 2nd year. I feel it is a good way to be exposed to every system twice before studying for boards.

How has your approach to learning or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

I used to be much slower at studying (I still am slower than my peers). But, I used to make beautiful hand-written study guides, fancy flash cards, etc. Pick one thing and stick with it. I have really had to learn to co-study. I make my study guides (typed and quick) and share those with friends who share their flashcards. You have to learn to be efficient and flexible. Your study habits have to constantly adjust, but trust your process. No two people study the same.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

For me it was location, opportunities, and cost. I don’t think I really understood what I was looking for originally. At first, I just wanted to go anywhere and become a doctor. But, as I had more choices and more opportunities, I started to realize that I needed to study somewhere with a friendly, laid-back environment and I needed to be around an area that made me happy. There is nothing like a walk on the beach to destress.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

Irvine itself is suburbia AKA not much going on. But, the surrounding areas are incredible. Irvine is safe and has every store or type of food you need within a 5 mile radius. When I want to have fun, I can go to the beaches in Laguna, Newport, Huntington. I have an annual Disneyland pass for some after class decompression with a group of classmates. I am close to LA and SD. I really love the location. Also, I am obsessed with coffee shop studying and I have a long list of incredible places.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

 I am VP of Education for the Emergency Medicine Interest Group, team leader/fundraising coordinator for a global health/research/ultrasound education trip to Tanzania, group leader for Elephant Mentors (mentorship program for underserved high school girls), student government education policy student representative, and participated in the ultrasound and culinary medicine electives on campus! I think the global health aspect is super unique and incredible (but a lot of work!)

In retrospect, which classes in undergrad do you think were the most useful coming into medical school?

Honestly, I feel that I forgot so much of what I learned in undergrad, and because I never learned in this much detail I think the basics were important for foundation. I really can’t think of a specific class that I felt prepared me for medical school. I think my clinical experiences (ambulance/medical assistant) really were the most helpful in setting me up for success in the clinical aspect of medical school in terms of comfort around patients. Still, plenty of my friends have developed incredible skills in this arena without prior experience.

What is a unique aspect of education at your medical school that has been valuable to you thus far as a medical student?

I think just the curriculum has been helpful. UCI does their best to overlap courses. For example, you are learning about the physiology, anatomy, histology, etc of the heart at the same time. The redundancy and different angles of the material have helped me learn.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

I think medical school has really exposed me to how multi-faceted and intense medicine is. I always knew it was a complex field, but every day I discover a new aspect of the moving parts of medicine and even though at times it is scary, it keeps reminding me that this is the path I am meant to take!

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

Personally, I felt like the best major is a major you ENJOY and a major that you can get GOOD GRADES IN! I was in a really difficult major at UCLA that I LOVED, but I knew it was so difficult that I would not have the GPA I needed for medical school. I switched into an easier major that included all the necessary pre-requisites. I still loved the easier major and was able to petition in order take interesting classes from the other major as my prerequisites. Unfortunately, numbers are important, so don’t set yourself up for a bad GPA.

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

Enjoy. Relax. Trust in the process and trust in your abilities. “This too shall pass.”

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school? 

RELAX. If I studied like I do now in undergraduate, I would have had a better GPA. I think I stressed too much and spread myself too thin. I would have taught myself to use my time more wisely and efficiently. Worrying is just forcing yourself to face something twice. Enjoy the ride, make memories, work hard and things will work out.

Arya Shah, MS4

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Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
From Cerritos, CA
USC, B.S. Neuroscience
Age 25
www.aryashah5042.wixsite.com/aryaadabsurdum

What experiences throughout your life contributed the most to you wanting to go to medical school and pursue a career in medicine?

Los Angeles as a city was probably responsible for my decision to pursue a career in medicine, as it’s a city fraught with inequities. Most glaring was what I saw working on Skid Row at a needle exchange clinic. We had patients who were homeless but we also had patients from affluent neighborhoods of Orange County. Folks would bring in hundreds of used needles in the hopes of minimizing the negative effects of their addictions on themselves and on other people. Some may have called them non-compliant patients but to the people who ran the clinic, they were individuals doing their best. I would hear stories from clients about doctors who refused to treat them, or health care providers who yelled at them. I had one homeless man tell me that his doctor jumped backwards when he found out he was an injection drug user with an abscess. This shocked me, as I know drug use is a universal issue that so many people deal with on a daily basis; I couldn’t fathom a physician being so terrified, disgusted, and unprofessional in the face of something that I see as a sign of human suffering. I wouldn’t say that my decision to pursue medicine was based on my time at the clinic. I’ve wanted to do medicine for as long as I can remember, but my time in the clinic really showed me why: health issues, addictions and all, are some of the most graphic examples of human suffering. Even if I can’t cure you, or even if I can’t make you stop using heroin, at least I can work with someone to show them that I value their efforts to shoot up once a day instead of twice.

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

A typical day in medical school depends on the year: Year 1: 8-12 class on most days, with some 8am-5pm days when we have standardized patients, extra class for anatomy, etc. Mostly a lecture based year with some standardized clinical encounters. Year 2: 8-5 lectures with one or two weeks a morning dedicated to hospital-based doctoring small groups. This was when we had systems-based lectures, as well as when we started learning how to take a basic H&P. Year 3: Clerkships, in which days vary based on the service and the schedule that you are following. Certain days may be longer when you have to study for shelf exams or for Step 2. Year 4: Totally variable, as schedules work around residency interview season. Elective and core rotation requirements vary by school.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution? 

I would say structure of classes is similar, in that there is a mixture of large group lectures and small group discussion. The one difference is that students are treated like adult learners with enough autonomy to make decisions about how they learn best. Lectures are taped, a word document syllabus is often provided, and attendance isn’t always mandatory. Additionally, lectures frequently provided the basic information, but synthesizing it and finding ways to use the information to answer complicated questions (as opposed to just memorizing rote) is something that’s a little bit different in medical school.

How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

To be honest, it hasn’t really. I was always a person who liked to study the material on my own at first, and then discuss it with other people to solidify the concepts. I also learn well by teaching to others. That was something that helped me in undergrad and continued to be useful for me in medical school.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

When you do interviews, I’d recommend telling someone your dream job. Whether that’s to be an internist in aerospace medicine, a child a family psychiatrist that uses art and narrative, or a surgeon that does in utero fetal surgery, tell them and see how they respond. The school that is the best fit for you will have people that are excited about your passions and willing to connect you with people who will support you, no matter how far-fetched the idea.

What do you consider to be unique about your medical school that has been valuable to you thus far?

The small size has been great. I feel like I’m in a community in which I know, not only all of my classmates, but also all of my faculty, administrators, mentors, and preceptors by name.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork?

Medical Humanities – USMLE Tutoring – Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Interest Group – Research in chronic pain, neuropathy, community psychiatry – Creative Writing – Nicotine Dependence Center – Yoga, Embroidery, Medical School Dodge ball Team (Public Enemas)

How has mentorship played a role in your medical school experience thus far? How has your medical school provided you guidance for your specific circumstances or interests?

I think my decision to pursue psychiatry was solidified by my mentors. It wasn’t because they convinced me to chose it. It was that I was so taken by their personalities, by their conversation styles, and how they were so different as people and yet all so effective at connecting with the individuals they worked with. Also, most importantly, I felt like I connected with them as people in terms of interests outside of medicine as well as in terms of perspectives on health care practice.

In retrospect, which classes in undergrad do you think were the most useful coming into medical school?

Probably my Spanish classes (I minored in Spanish) were the most useful, simply because of how universally important it is as a language for communicating with so many patients.

How much does your unique background (meaning your major, or your work experience prior to medical school, or unique individual circumstances) play into you being successful as a medical student?

In all honesty, not at all. I’d say my experiences as an undergrad shaped some of my values and probably contributed to my decision to pursue a career in psychiatry. However, medical school is a whole new ball game, no matter how prepared you think you are.

What have you been most surprised to find out or realize about life in medical school since you started?

Food, exercise, sleep, and hobbies are just as important to acing an exam as are studying and going to class. It’s been so great to learn that if I have to take a day off to go for a hike, or skip class to sleep in, it’s okay. A few hours or days of studying lost may actually be exactly what your mind and body need to help you ace that exam.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

I’ve realized that the medicine I’m being taught to practice now is not the medicine that we will be practicing 10 years from now. I’ve learned how important it is to recognize problems in the system that are going to have to be resolved. I also know how important it is to keep up with research and literature, as half of what we learn in medical school will undoubtedly proven wrong sometime soon!

How would you describe the sense of community within your medical school class?

I come from a very small medical school, where each class is usually somewhere between 40 and 50 students. No two people are even remotely alike, and yet I feel that I’m close to every single one of my classmates. It’s a tight knit community in a small town that revolves around it’s large academic medical center. This makes it a really unique environment to go to medical school. I have 50 people that I learn with. I’m totally different from all of them, but I’ve become close to them. It just goes to show that in life we’ll never only be working with people that we know or get along with. In the end, we have to find ways to jive with whoever ends up on our team, and that was something that happened naturally among our medical school class.

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

Do what you love. Sincerity comes across when it comes to applying for medical school. Major in something you are passionate about, and I’m sure you can still find ways to make sure to fit in your required pre-medical courses.

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

Take more time to pursue my interests in the humanities. I think that undergraduate education forces us to pursue all the things that we think that we are “supposed” to do to get into medical school. However, what I’ve learned is that medical schools are looking for genuine human beings, with lives, interests, and passions outside of research and hard sciences.

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school? 

Like I said above, dedicate time to writing, painting and literature. It’s important to nurture your passions outside of medicine, both for your sanity now and to sustain a lifelong career that can otherwise be extremely draining.

Jonathan Acosta, MS2

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Drexel University College of Medicine
From New Castle, PA
UCLA, B.S. Neuroscience
Age 23

What experiences throughout your life contributed the most to you wanting to go to medical school and pursue a career in medicine?

I’ve always wanted to build a skillset that will be valuable no matter how markets are behaving at particular times. For that reason, medicine is an incredible field in that we will constantly need physicians to take care of people. I don’t particularly want to practice for very long, rather I’m looking to transition into health care system development. The field of medicine is so broad, the MD affords people the flexibility to enter into any area which is strictly unique to medicine. Growing up, I’ve always wanted to make the biggest impact on my local community, and I chose medicine because of the vast number of ways that I can improve life wherever I’m living.

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

Wake up at 5:30 AM. Arrive to school at 6:00 AM. All of our lectures are podcasted, so I’ll just study in one of our study rooms until about 7:00 PM then head home.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution?

They are pretty comparable. There will be a vast array of lecturers so it’s always difficult trying to organize studying. Most of our classes are podcasted, so the structure doesn’t matter a whole lot. Usually it’s just a ~50 minute lecture that has an accompanying set of notes. The main difference is just volume. Locking down time management will be very important for being successful, as they will give you many lectures every day that you’ll need to have completed within a much shorter amount of time than undergrad gave you.

How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

Not much. I’m a fan of group studying, so I found a group of 3 friends and formed a study group. We complete all of the materials on our own, then we discuss the material together to help lock down all the information we need to.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

The biggest thing will be your classmates. You will be spending so much time studying, so having friends to go out and do some non-school stuff with is so important. When you get an interview at a school, try to get a feel to see if the people there are people you could see yourself hanging out with. It will definitely help keep stress low and make medical school a much better experience.

What do you consider to be unique about your medical school that has been valuable to you thus far?

They did teach us about business in health care concerning legislation, insurance, reimbursements, and many other aspects of the field. It definitely clears up a lot of the confusing nature of how it’s structured.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork?

Intramural sports. I am president of a several clubs. I hang out with friends on free weekends.

How has mentorship played a role in your medical school experience thus far? How has your medical school provided you guidance for your specific circumstances or interests?

It hasn’t played much of a role. My father was a physician so I had a pretty clear picture of what I was going into.

In retrospect, which classes in undergrad do you think were the most useful coming into medical school?

Neuroscience, biochemistry, physiology, and anatomy will definitely give you an edge coming into medical school.

How much does your unique background play into you being successful as a medical student?

I was a neuroscience major in undergrad, and I went straight through to medical school. Neuro is a huge percentage of the material in medical school, and its principles permeate throughout all the other systems too. Thus, I found that I had a pretty good picture/approach of how to attack learning the material.

What have you been most surprised to find out or realize about life in medical school since you started?

You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn and retain in a short amount of time. It’s pretty cool actually.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

It’s definitely tough to just be in medicine for the pure desire to be a physician today. With so much debt, students are often forced to make their main priority salary, which is such a tough motivating factor to get you through medical school.

How would you describe the sense of community within your medical school class?

It’s pretty good. I have a large group of friends, and the atmosphere is very non-competitive which makes interacting with other students a good experience.

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

I’d tell them not to pick the easiest major. If there is a specialized major that can really teach you a lot concerning a specific area, go with that (neuro, physiological science, engineering also a very strong option).

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

I wish I’d known how time-intensive secondaries were. In order to get them back promptly, it takes a ton of time especially if you applied to many schools.

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school?

 I would’ve been an engineering major instead of a life science. Since I want to get into system development and more of the business side of medicine, it would’ve given me a much more unique perspective and skill set as a physician to drive innovative changes in the field.