Hey y’all! This week on The PreMed Voice we have some awesome information about recommendation letters from Gregory Proctor. Every single one of us will have to gather some of these together for our medical school application, so this information is extremely valuable! We hope that you guys enjoy it!
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If you’re a premed, we’d love to have you on our show. Send us an email at Voice@PreMedSTAR.com with your name, the link to your PreMedSTAR.com profile page, and the topic you’ll be discussing. We’re looking for personal stories (struggles, humor, and successes), premed tips, and anything else you think is worthwhile!
Please remember to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Google.
**Premeds, join our online community of thousands of future doctors at www.PreMedSTAR.com.
PreMed Mondays Podcast Week 11: 5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Major
Week 11 of the PreMed Mondays book covers 5 things to consider when choosing a major. They are:
1) Major in something you enjoy
2) You can have more than one major
3) Don’t pick a major because it’s easy
4) Choose something
5) Master your major
**Remember to register for our upcoming webinar with recruiters from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Click HERE to register. It will be held on Sept 6th at 8pm Eastern Time.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself I am a student, a musician, a diplomat, a photographer/videographer, a scientist, a translator, a speaker, and my brother’s keeper. I’m an African American who grew up in suburban, Midwest America within the lower sector of the working class. Loving all humanity and challenging all injustice is a part of my agenda as well. I am contending to be a medical student because I want to give back to my community!
2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? Mr. Martin was awesome. He impacted me by showing me how to enjoy discovering my identity. He was my honors biology teacher in 9th and 11th grade, and he noticed my passion for science and commended my volunteerism early on. He encouraged me to not allow the stigma from others to get in the way of helping people and aspiring for my dreams.
3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? Shadowing Dr. Wade was the clinical experience that had the largest impact on my decision to go to medical school. I found a role model in Dr. Wade that kept me motivated to strive to be a medical doctor. It also gave me insight on some of the pros and cons of the career. I had the opportunity to see what the job of a physician was like firsthand.
4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I love kids! So, naturally, pediatrics is of interest right now. Not only was it my first exposure through Dr. Wade, but I have had the pleasure of working with children in other volunteering experiences. No matter what my career looks like in the future, I do not see myself doing anything without having some involvement with youth.
5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? My volunteer work at Manos Juntas in Oklahoma City was SO cool, and so eye-opening. The mission was to serve low-income/homeless and diverse communities (i.e. various racial/ethnic backgrounds that spoke Spanish, Vietnamese, or English). Because of my experience with the Spanish language, I often served a high number of Hispanic patients that preferred Spanish and translated conversations between nurses/doctors and patients. It broke my heart that people from these communities did not have anywhere else to go. It inspired me to serve my community on a new level.
6. What is your favorite book? My favorite book right now is Unaccountable by Dr. Marty Makary. This work gave me valuable insight on how transparency in health care provides safety and economic benefits for patients, healthcare givers, and health administration. I learned about the book through my health economics class and decided to buy it and read independently.
7. Tell us on thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. Saxophone. It’s my thing. Most people wouldn’t guess it, but I have enjoyed playing in several churches and bands since a young age. However, I have also played for nursing homes, funerals, and weddings. I don’t’ charge because it is a God-given gift that I love sharing to make others happy!
8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? A child/family psychologist would be a great option for me. Most of my education revolves around mental health, which research shows is becoming increasingly important for this nation. I know that I can offer valuable help for children and families because I have a brother with autism, have volunteered extensively with special need children and adults, and studied psychology in every degree I have earned.
9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you overcome it? It was the loss of my significant other. A tough question deserves an honest answer… This obstacle initiated tremors that would strongly affect me emotionally, academically, and financially. I nearly surrendered my premed journey. However, I overcame the situation by doing something I too rarely resorted to before- asking for help. Through wise counseling of those who had lived longer and knew more than me, I was encouraged to carry on. I am convinced that if I can do it, anyone can.
10. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? The posts that Dr. Dale and others share are my favorite part of being a PreMed STAR member. They give me something that is sometimes hard to find in the premed journey- POSITIVITY! Though the webinars have been valuable to my journey in the application process, the articles help me to stay motivated. The advice from PreMed Mondays and other shared posts from members has shown me how to look at the medical school application in a realistic, yet optimistic, perspective.
The PreMed Voice – Welcome to our new student podcast!!!
Hey y’all, welcome to The PreMed Voice! We’re super excited to introduce this podcast presented by the premedical students at www.PreMedSTAR.com. This is our podcast! Stories and advice made by premeds for premeds! In this episode, I’ll be introducing the podcast and telling you what you have to look forward to! All premeds are invited to take part and we’d love to feature you on the show!
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If you’re a premed, we’d love to have you on our show. Send us an email at Voice@PreMedSTAR.com with your name, the link to your PreMedSTAR.com profile page, and the topic you’ll be discussing. We’re looking for personal stories (struggles, humor, and successes), premed tips, and anything else you think is worthwhile!
Please remember to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Google.
**Premeds, join our online community of thousands of future doctors at www.PreMedSTAR.com.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am a senior at UNCC studying biology and spanish. I am a raleigh native, so I am excited to study abroad in Santander, Spain in the spring because I have never been out of the country. When I become a physician, I hope to use my spanish minor to provide spanish speaking patients a positive experience.
2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? My favorite teacher was my High School Health Science Academy Advisor. She taught most of my health science classes and was my first exposure to healthcare. Her passion for the subject was inspiring and subsequently sparked my interest in health care.
3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? I first made the decision to become a doctor when I joined the Health Science Academy in high school. We explored different aspects of medicine and I became increasingly interested in the profession. I want to become a doctor because human physiology is extremely fascinating and I love problem solving.
4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I am most interested in surgery. When I took biomedical technology in high school, we watched a few minimally invasive surgeries and I found it compelling. I am a hands-on person and being able to identify a problem and physically fix it is exciting.
5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? I spent the summer of 2017 at Duke university in their Summer Biomedical Sciences Institute. During this apprenticeship, I was exposed to different areas of the hospital. My favorite day during this experience was when I shadowed a doctor in the emergency department. There was a dialysis patient found unconscious and septic. It was exciting to watch the team handle his care and procedures. He could have lost his life, but the diligence and attentiveness of the team allowed him to live. I saw first hand how rewarding my chosen profession can be.
6. What is your favorite book? My favorite book is “Complications: A surgeon’s notes on an Imperfect Science” by Atul Gawande. I enjoyed the book because it discusses his different experiences in surgery. It covers not only his views on surgeries, but issues he found in healthcare that he felt needed to be addressed. The book opened my mind to new perspectives on medicine.
7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. I am a classically trained violinist and pianist. I also play the guitar! I have played music since I was five years old. Although I don’t get to play as often as I use to, I still have such a passion for music.
8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? If I couldn’t be a doctor I would become a biology teacher. I am passionate about biology and I love being able to apply it to virtually anything. Sharing and showing others how cool biology is every day is something I would love to do.
9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it? I have always struggled with self doubt. Being a pre-med is extremely competitive. Pre-med is popular and it is hard to feel confident and competitive among many students. I continually have to remind myself about what makes me unique and remind myself of my goals regularly.
10. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? What I like most about PreMed STAR are the articles and forums. I love reading about ideation and innovation in medicine. Reading the journeys and experiences of other pre-meds students is both encouraging and inspiring. I love to see the different paths we take to reach similar goals.
The day has finally come, the day I’ve been patiently waiting to arrive for over two months is here: the day of my first conference. I woke up early, ate a hearty breakfast, dressed to impress, and got there at 9 AM sharp. By the time I left at 5 pm, I was completely underwhelmed. I barely talked to any physicians, was desperately trying to stay awake during presentations, and was being drawn to distractions all around me. I thought to myself why was the conference such a disappointment? I thought I did everything right. I remember looking to my left and my right and everyone else was so much more involved than me, so I figured it wasn’t the conference that went wrong, I simply did not go in prepared. I figured I was far from the only pre-med to feel as if they completely failed a conference, so I did a little research to help prevent any pre-med attending to a conference soon avoid making the same mistakes I made by writing a quick conference do’s and don’ts list:
DO: Network Network Network!!!-What is the point of a conference if you don’t talk to anyone? Medical conferences are a place where you can make yourself known to physicians, medical deans, recruitment officers, and more people who can potentially have a large impact on the next four or more years of your life. Talking to physicians can mean shadowing or research opportunities, networking with recruitment officers can mean knowledge on what their admissions committee is looking for, and networking with your fellow students can lead to a new accountability buddy to help you throughout the hard journey.
DON’T: Be that silent person sitting in the back-Yes, sometimes in these big conferences the sheer amount of people is overwhelming. Me, being the introvert that I am, secretly cannot wait to be back in my car, able to hear my own thoughts. However, you came to the conference for a reason. Imagine you’re at your high school prom and you see your crush all alone in front of you. You really want to talk to them, but your legs won’t move. Eventually, they walk away and find someone else to talk to. Now replace your crush with the recruitment officer of your dream school-sucks, right? Sometimes you have to swallow your fears and fake it ‘til you make it. Need a minute? Go into the bathroom, take a few deep breaths, go back out there prepared to wow people.
DO: Bring business cards and resumes to the event-The purpose of these events are two-fold: soak up new knowledge while also selling yourself. While you may truly be remarkable, medical personnel meet so many students at these events that it is hard for them to remember everyone. Make yourself stand out by giving them something to remember you by. If you have a nice talk with a recruiter or physician give them your business card with your name and contact information. Some may even want your resume, which can really lead to you standing out from the rest as they have a copy of not only your name but your accomplishments.
DON’T: come with nothing to write with-This goes back to the first purpose of these events. Imagine you’re learning so much information it is hard to keep up with, the presenter’s been talking for 20 minutes and you can’t remember what they said 5 minutes ago. You are lost, and with no pencil or notebook, the information is potentially lost forever. I personally carry a 3×5 memo book everywhere I go in case I find something I just have to write down, and these small notepads can be perfect for soaking up and jotting down as much from a presenter as possible.
DO: Talk to medical students as well, not just doctors and faculty-There are two reasons why I think this is an important point: first of all, as a pre-med, faculty is there with one goal and that is to promote their school. They will tell you everything amazing about their school and you will leave thinking like “man, this school sounds perfect.” The medical students on the other hand do not have much incentive to sugarcoat things. Maybe their version of the culture is very different from the recruiter’s version, while the recruiters may say the teachers push their students to their academic limits the medical students say that the teachers are cruel and unforgiving. The second reason is in regards to the change in times. It might have been decades since the doctors at the schools have been in medical school, so their information has the chance to be vastly outdated. However, the medical students are probably your contemporaries, and can paint a picture of the medical school lifestyle that you’ll be living.
DON’T: appear uninterested: the phone can wait-This is extremely important. There are very few things as disrespectful as being on your phone while someone is speaking. A conversation can be going amazingly, and the second you instinctively pull out your phone once it buzzes alerting you about the newest tweet, the conversation can go sour. Even if someone is giving a presentation and you are sitting along with hundreds of others, every second on the phone is a second where you don’t receive valuable information. Put the phone on silent and soak up all of the information you can.
I hope this post helps some of the other pre-med students out there. This is not only information I hope you all learn, this is information that I wish I told myself two days ago so I could have come into my first conference fully prepared and left feeling as if I learned something. If you all have any more conference tips don’t be afraid to add a comment.
At times, the premedical life becomes overwhelming. Bad health, bad grades, bad relationships…these are all things that can affect any one of us at any time. And even when we’re not dealing with these things, in the back of our minds, we’re still worrying about the possibilities of them. The true issue underlying our concerns is lack of control. We stress because we can’t control an of these things. In the end, becoming a doctor is your goal, however, so many outside variables will affect whether or not that dream comes to fruition.
So, what would happen if we focused on the things we can control? Would this decrease our stress levels? Better yet, would we be able to lay out our own premedical destinies? I believe so. Below are three things you can control in your own life that can lead to your success.
Control your attitude. This is where it all begins. The way you approach life from an attitude perspective will set the tone for everything you do. It’s a choice! You can choose to be optimistic, or choose to be pessimistic. You can choose to fight, or choose to give up. You can choose to see the glass as half full, choose to see it as half empty, or even better, choose to take action and fill it up! What’s your attitude! Here’s one thing I’m fairly confident about, winners are positive people. And more important that is the truth that happy people, are positive people. Control your attitude!
Control your preparation. When people ask me what the key to success is, I tell them it is preparation. As a matter of fact, I had this conversation with my 2nd grade son just yesterday. I explained to him that if he wants to enjoy school, he should come prepared every day. Being prepared removes that awful element of uncertainty which so many of us disdain. If you’ve done what you’re supposed to do ahead of time plus more, then you should know what to expect. Often, we fail to prepare because we tell ourselves we’re too busy doing other things. Typically, the lack of preparation results in us spending more time catching up than had we done it right ahead of time.
Control your influences. This means choose your network wisely. I cannot sufficiently emphasize the importance of this. The people you surround yourself with will affect your attitude and your preparation. If you don’t get this one right, everything else may go down the drain. As a premedical student, you want to be influenced by people who have your best interest in mind and who can help you accomplish your goals. Take control of who you allow in your life. Be influenced for the better, and influence others in the same manner.
In the end, your job is to take control of your life and shape your own future. Be accountable to yourself and blame no one for your shortcomings. If you are able to control the three aspects listed above, I believe you will do well and accomplish your goals.
As a man of faith, I’ll end on this note. I believe that ultimately, God is in charge and He allows us to walk our own paths. We’ll slip and fall from time to time, but those set backs are training exercises building us up for greatness. With this in mind, remember to say a little prayer for guidance along your premedical journey. You’ll be surprised what a little faith can do!
I’d like to know, what other things can you take control of that will help you be successful along your premed journey? Share your thoughts?
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Hello! My name is Lauren Kanzaki and I graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S in Biological Sciences back in June of 2016. Since then, I have been working in a developmental and cellular biology research lab studying the development and regeneration of tendons and cartilage. I am drafting a manuscript for publication and have been steadily preparing for my MCAT exam this summer! In my free time I like to volunteer at a local free clinic serving uninsured/underserved people of Orange County and host and judge science competitions for K-12 students within the SoCal region. One of my favorite things to do is train and compete in half marathon races. I am currently training for my seventh race: the SF half marathon. It is becoming one of my favorite excuses to travel to new cities and countries. Maybe I’ll see some of you there!
2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? My favorite teacher growing up was my 9th grade biology teacher Mrs. Nguyen. She was the first to introduce me to biology and opened my eyes to what studying biology had to offer. She was a very hands on and interactive teacher, providing her students with opportunities to complete labs in anatomy, physiology, genetics, and a variety of other specializations within biology. The biggest lesson I gained from her class was to understand scientific concepts and apply critical thinking for the sake of understanding the world around us, rather than just memorizing content for a good mark. Her passion and enthusiasm for teaching inspired me to get involved in TAing during my undergraduate degree, where I utilized many of her teaching techniques and lecture styles. I may never have pursued a degree in biology or gotten the pre-medical path if Mrs. Nguyen hadn’t sparked my curiosity in biology.
3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? I decided I wanted to become a doctor through a volunteer experience at a local hospital during university. I actually came into UCI undecided/undeclared and attended a panel hosted by upperclassman where I learned about an internship where I could rotate through different hospital departments. I was always drawn to the medical field but hadn’t figured out exactly what my role would be in it. While in the oncology unit, I met the kindest patient who was only there for pain management. This was the first time I had heard of palliative care. In that moment, I had felt like there was nothing I could do to help her heal her illness and feel better. All I could do was give her a warm blanket and keep her company. I think that you can ask any medical student or physician and they can name one defining moment that was so impactful that they realized their passion for medicine or that reassured their calling to become a doctor. This was mine. From that shift on, I knew that I wanted to become a doctor. I want to do everything I can to help prevent people from getting that sick. I want to become the type of doctor who prioritizes patient care, health education, and preventative care. I see myself staying involved in research and working to find new treatments and cures for treating disease.
4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I am most interested in emergency and intensive care medicine.
5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? The coolest experience I’ve had so far on my premedical journey was definitely having the opportunity to study abroad. I found a program where I could complete my classical physics requirements at University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. While the program was academically rigorous (covering one year of material in one summer), I feel like the opportunity challenged me intellectually and personally. If I could sum up my trip in one motto it would be work hard, play hard. My mornings and afternoons were spent learning physical concepts from Irish professors and executing labs led by graduate students. Weeknights and weekends were spent traveling the countryside, exploring the city, and learning about the extensive history and vibrant culture of Ireland through interacting with the locals. Take advantage of every opportunity you get to fit studying abroad in your education.
6. What is your favorite book? My favorite book of all time so far is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The novel tells the story of a young boy and his best friend, the son of his father’s servant. The story is set during the fall of the Afghanistan monarchy, exodus of Pakistani refugees to the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime. The novel explores many themes in familial ties, regret, and redemption. While I would describe the novel as heavy and emotional, the narrative of the novel left a lasting impact. I love to read novels that introduce me to other cultures and experiences.
7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. One thing that most people don’t know about me is that I used to study shaolin kempo martial arts while growing up. In this self-defense oriented practice, I trained in forms, grappling, and sparring. One year I competed in a west coast regional tournament and ended up placing third place in sparring for my age bracket.
8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? If I couldn’t be a doctor I would go into teaching. Over the years I’ve discovered my passion for mentorship and community engagement through education. I have served as a mentor to younger students and partnered with organizations to get K-12 excited about science and health. Throughout my time in the clinic, I’ve also assumed the role of a patient educator making sure patients fully understand their diagnosis, action plans, and screening guidelines/practices.
9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it? The largest obstacle I’ve faced as a premed has been receiving the right kind of mentorship from the right people. My university did not have a set of counselors devoted to the “premedical track” and I also spent a large amount of my time as a graduate, without access to counselors at all. I’ve been able to find some really great mentors in medical school and have gotten excellent advice and resources from everyone on PreMed STAR.
10. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? I love how PreMed STAR connects you with so many people. Ever since joining the site, I’ve gotten to know other premeds, medical students, doctors, and admissions members. It’s nice to have a supportive platform where everyone is here to help you along your journey into medical school.
**Originally published June 12, 2017. Edited and republished for Lauren’s 2nd PreMed of the Week award on August 13, 2018
