Q1:  Congratulations! How are you feeling about the start of this new journey?

 

I’m very excited! and I’ll admit that I’m nervous as well. It’s a huge transition going into medical school (no matter if you were working previously or just completing your undergraduate studies). It’s only been a week and I’ve realized that there are a lot of habits I would have to refine e.g. study methods, sleeping schedule, being with friends and also having adequate personal time. Overall, I’m just very grateful and humbled to be in this position - for so long it was just a dream and now being able to live that dream and work towards my goals is just surreal.

 

 

Q2:  What are you most looking forward to ?

 

I’m looking forward to the wealth of knowledge that medicine has to offer and gaining the skills that allow me to adequately interact with and care for patients. What’s exciting about the program is the early exposure to clinical settings with the opportunity to see many of these concepts in action and also do. Most importantly, I’m looking forward to being trained as a doctor who recognizes the unique social realities of patients, how these realities impact their health, and how to go about providing them the best care with all of this in mind.

 

Q3:   What advise do you have for aspiring med school students?

 

So I know that this is something aspiring medical students are always told but it is so important – DO NOT GIVE UP and DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. I would say that the path to medicine is never straight for a lot of people, and as you experience pit falls, take them as lessons to help you do better rather than demotivators. For example, I almost did not re-write my MCAT because I was just over it and exhausted from my first try. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to try something again to get a better outcome (and trust me there will be something along the application process that looks like a steep hill to cross over), always remember – if you do not try, how will you know if you’re good enough?

 

Also, as you work towards medical school, make sure that you do what you like. When you volunteer, do not just do it for the hours, do what you are actually passionate about because that is what will make you shine when it comes to you being assessed for admissions. 

 

Most importantly, do not go through the process alone. I can’t stress enough how valuable it was to have a good support system throughout the entire process. It’s tempting to isolate yourself as you apply to medical school because of the fear of being viewed as a failure if you do not get in. No matter what the outcome is, it is always better to have people on the other side who are cheering for you and supporting you, because just those little gestures go a long way in pushing you towards your goal.