Congratulations to Ashley! Premed of the Week!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Greetings, I am Ashley Henderson from Lufkin, TX. I graduated May 2017 from Prairie View A&M University with my Bachelors of Science in Biology and a minor in chemistry. I love listening to music and slam poetry. My favorite color is pink. I am terrified of flights, but I love to travel! I like experimenting in the kitchen, and one day I aspire to start a garden, even though I despise a handful of vegetables

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? This award would have to go to my high school track coach. She initially started off as my junior high basketball coach, then my high school world geography teacher, my junior varsity basketball coach, and finally my varsity track coach. I had a complicated childhood, which made me an angry kid. I had tons of frustration and disappointment bottled inside of me. No one ever noticed anything except my accomplishments until I met Coach Bolden. She made me acknowledge my hurt and channel it into a passion for the track. She reminded me always of the light at the end of the tunnel.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? When I was a child, I wanted to be a chef because I loved eating and cooking would supply me with an infinite access to delicious food. Then I wanted to be a carpenter because I love remolding turning the old into new. So, I cannot necessarily pinpoint the exact moment but more so an accumulation of events that have occurred in my life. My grandmother raised me until she passed away, the same day of my regional track meet, due to a ruptured varicose vein. I can remember sitting in class trying to figure out what I could have done to save her and not being able to come up with an answer. Although I did not a definite answer, I knew I wanted to attend college to break the cycle in my family. Since attending college, I have gained ample amount of opportunities I never dreamed of experiencing. Like conducting research, shadowing physicians, attending scholar conferences, studying abroad which all managed to play a vital role in my decision to pursue being a physician ultimately. My study abroad experience in Botswana Gaborone ignited my aspirations of becoming a physician as I witnessed disparities, volunteered in the clinics, and shadowed physicians. Many of the clinics and hospitals were understaffed and overpopulated with patients. Once again, I found myself full of grieve with the desire to help and this time I had an answer! I would join many of my peers aspire to provide efficient healthcare on the journey to becoming a physician.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I am interested in becoming a primary care physician working with underserved communities.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? This is the toughest question so far because it is hard just to pick one! I would have to say my clinical experience in Botswana wins the grand prize. I participated in a public health study abroad program as a sophomore in college. The purpose of the program was to go into clinics “observe issues” and present “solutions.” Unfortunately, many of the clinics where understaffed and filled with patients. The unfortunate circumstances presented me with my first legit clinical experience outside of shadowing. I got trained on the child welfare portion of the clinic for 30 minutes, and then my trainer went on a 3-hour lunch break. So, my colleague and I found ourselves operating a part of the clinic!

6. What is your favorite book? My favorite book as of now is The Wait. It focuses on resisting the temptations of instant gratification for the rewards of delayed gratification.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. I love cutting hair. I taught myself how to cut hair with the help of YouTube videos. Cutting hair is like art and therapy at the same time. The individuals head is my canvas, and the exchange of our life stories is more therapeutic than an ice cream cone during the Texas summer.

8. What do you like most about PreMed StAR? I get the opportunity to network with others aspiring to enter medical school. There is no one way to get into medical school. Each who gains acceptance tends to be unique from the next. PreMed Star allows us to meet the unique individuals before we become overwhelmed with medical school. The journey is more adventurous and less stressful when you realize you are not alone. PreMed Star simply reminds me that I am not alone and what some may consider impossible may very well be possible.