1. Tell us a little bit about yourself .  Hey! My name is Egypt Vlymen-Williams, I’m from Westchester, NY. I’m what New Yorkers call a “sophisticated ratchet” in that 95% of the time I’m a reserved, upstanding and professional individual. But if you catch me at the right time & place, you’ll see me turning up to trap music or dancing around to some dancehall/soca music! My hobbies include yoga & lifting weights. Integrating fitness into my life gives me a major confidence boost by helping me understand it’s ok to invest in myself. My life lessons taught me if you don’t love yourself, no one will do it for you! My vision is to inspire others to be the best version of themselves. I do this by continuing to grow in my own journey, hoping I can motivate others to step up their game. I believe my purpose is to be a blessing to everyone I possibly can, both in medicine & my personal life.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school & how did he or she impact you?  I actually have 3 professors that have had a huge impact on me & I can’t choose which one is my favorite. All 3 are my exercise science professors at Mercy College. First up is Dr. Mel. She is the director of the exercise science program and she’s the first professor I’ve had who I felt really cared about her students. She views us as her kids! She wants us all to succeed and it shows in how she interacts with us. I call her Mama Mel! Next up is Dr. Williams. She has so much swag! The first class I had with her I thought she was so cool. Not only that, but I’ve seen her lift weights and she’s a beast! I love interacting with her outside the classroom because she’s so fun but also very wise. She has been a guiding figure these past few years and I appreciate the gems of advice she continues to give. Last but not least is Dr. Davitt. I love the fact that he comes in every class with a huge smile on his face. He’s super competitive, he talks sooo much smack (he backs it up most of the time). He cracks jokes & he makes me laugh pretty much every time I have class with him. He’s also like a walking encyclopedia in that he’s always telling us about interesting research he’s learned or is a part of. All three professors are amazing in their own way but the one common thread is how their passion pours out in the classroom. I can’t emphasize enough how honored I feel to be a part of this program.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why?  I believe I was 13 or 14 years old. My sister had a severe asthma attack and had to go to the hospital. In my mind, those doctors saved her life and I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. If I couldn’t be a superhero then being a doctor was the next best option!

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I’d like to use my knowledge in exercise science to specialize in either sports medicine or orthopedics.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had on your premedical journey?  I’m a personal trainer and I had the opportunity to train a doctor while I was working at Equinox. He was sooo funny. I looked forward to training him because every session he had me cracking me up! It was cool because it was one of the first times I interacted with a doctor that I didn’t feel was stiff or arrogant. I was able to shadow him for a day and he was the same with his patients as he was with me. He knew when to be serious but he made all his patients laugh. I hope to embody his fun and loving personality as a future physician.

6. What is your favorite book?  Hands down, my favorite book is “Grit” by Angela Duckworth. She talks about the difference between talent and effort. Talent only takes you so far, it’s the hard work that gets you to the finish line! This book is a pick-me-up to build mental fortitude. I read it frequently whenever I want to work on my mindset which reminds me it might be time to read it again!

7. Tell us one thing about you most people don’t know.   I’m not Egyptian even though I’m named after the country. I’m painfully shy at times but I’m working on coming out of my shell. I love Caribbean culture, I don’t know why I have no Caribbean background in my family. I did mixed martial arts for 2 years and loved it!

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do?  Me? Not be doctor? Not happening.

9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you or are you overcoming it?  Unfortunately, I am my worst enemy. After graduating from Wesleyan University with a trash GPA, I didn’t believe I was smart enough to become a doctor. I made every excuse in the book as to why I shouldn’t pursue medicine. “It’s too expensive, I’ll never pay off my student loans, what about malpractice insurance, I’ll be in school forever.” Blah, Blah, Blah. At some point, it just clicked I can’t live my life with regrets. Now I’m back in school, ready to prove myself I am capable of accomplishing my dream. It’s all about my mindset!

10. What do you like most about Pre-Med STAR?  I love the guidance! I love the networking! Pre-Med STAR is the type of platform that will be the new wave in pre-med advising! I can’t wait to contribute!

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1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.  My name is Gregory Proctor. I am originally from our nation’s capital, Washington DC. I have been involved with providing patient care since and helping people since 1998. I began serving as a Volunteer Firefighter/ Emergency Medical Technician when I was 16 years old. I have served in the United States Air Force as a Firefighter. My travels have led me to five of seven of the continents in the world (all I have left is Antarctica and Australia). I met my wife at a fire house. The first time I met her I fell in love with her. This year we will be celebrating 15 years of marriage. We are both on the pre-med track together. I am currently working as a Flight Paramedic. She is an Emergency Department Registered Nurse. We have a rescue dog named Rascal.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? Dr. Jim L. Marshall is by far my favorite professor. He was my General Chemistry I&II professor. Dr. Marshall has the unique ability to help any student. I was retaking general chemistry one with him. After the first test I wanted to withdraw from the course. We sat on the bench outside of the lecture hall and took the time to go over every test question. As we where discussing the test I would perform mathematical calculations in my head and answer the questions he asked me correctly. Dr. Marshall looked me directly in my eyes and said, “you are a right brainer.” He went on to explain that my style of learning and understanding was conceptual. He identified himself as a “right brainer” as well. Dr. Marshall’s thoughts were that people that people that utilized the right side of their brain more than their left side worked better with concepts to explain mathematical based problems than math only. He made learning so enjoyable. He did not even have a book. Dr. Marshall had PowerPoints that he taught from and all math problems were worked on the board in to different methods to appease the left and right brainer. As a non-traditional post baccalaureate student, I felt so respected and understood. Dr. Marshall aided in making me feel like a student that had value. Just because I learned and understood things differently did not mean it was wrong or less than any other student.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? This is truly a loaded question. Many of my mentors tell me that admissions committees do not want to hear about when I was in grade school playing doctor and imaging myself as that one day. But I will share the first moment that I really wanted to be a doctor. When I was five years old I came from school one day sitting at the top of steps in my house. It was bring your father to school day and I asked my mother where was my father. She explained to me that he was in the United States Marine Corps and he had been shot and killed while on active duty. I learned that my father had been shot to the left side of the chest which shattered his heart and broke several ribs. At that moment I wanted to be a “heart doctor.” I felt that if I could fix hearts that I could bring my father back to life. I learned long ago that there is nothing that I could do to bring my father back. But my path in life towards becoming a physician continues to be filled with acts to help people as best as I can and to display the upmost dignity and respect while doing it.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? Anesthesia is of special interest to me. The anesthesiologist is the surgical middle link in the hospital chain of survival. Prior to and during surgery to the transition to post anesthesia care unit the anesthesiologist maintains the airway, breathing and circulation for the patient. The anesthesiologist serves as a patient advocate and manager of vital life sustaining functions through ventilator, medication and blood product management. These actions give those that are surgically, and specialty trained the best chance to mitigate the patients issue. If medicine were a sport I would equate it to professional basketball. Michael Jordan is the best professional basketball player ever. However, the Chicago Bulls did not start winning championships until Scottie Pippin came along. For me to be number two on a successful team would be so rewarding and awesome to me. The success would translate to a higher rate of positive patient outcomes.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? I am currently working in the medical field as a Flight Paramedic. So, I get to see lots of cool stuff all the time. But one event stands out as noteworthy. I worked at Presbyterian Hospital’s Emergency Department in Dallas, Texas where the first confirmed case of Ebola was treated in the United States. We had a physician from Doctors Without Boarders that was working in West Africa come speak to us about effective treatment for Ebola patients. In an open forum with that physician, our physicians and staff members I asked a question. “Since the Ebola disease attacks red blood cells directly and sickle cell patients already have their red blood cells altered would this give a sickle cell patient a higher probably of survival?” There was a moment of complete silence, then curious pondering looks on people’s faces, followed by some physicians saying, “wow that’s a really good question.” The guest physician went on to explain that it did not matter if a patient had sickle cell or not. Their chances for survival were no more or less than someone that did not have the sickle cell trait or disease. At that moment I felt like it was another moment of confirmation that I was on the track in life to become a physician. I was asked what my thought process behind my question was. My response was that Ebola originated in Africa. Human Malaria is believed to have originated in Africa as well. I was thinking that perhaps one disease could be a potential defense against another disease since they both originated within the same continent. Sickle Cell Disease often offers a degree of protection from Malaria.

6. What is your favorite book? As far as leisure reading goes my favorite book is Never Surrender. The book is based on the real-life story of Jerry Boykin. He is a United States Army Lieutenant General and was one of the original members of America’s Delta Force elite counter terrorism unit. It almost reads like a Tom Clancy fiction novel. But it is a story about General Boykins as a solider and his journey to the crossroads of faith and freedom. Reading this book inspires me to do what the title says, “Never Surrender.”

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. I did not graduate from High School. I had to drop out in my 12th grade year to help with serious health and social-economic matters that involved my immediate family. I obtained my GED at age 20. I will too ashamed to go back to school, finish half a semester and obtain my actual high school diploma. Most people assume because I have a bachelor’s degree and doing post baccalaureate coursework to become a medical student that I must have had a well-adjusted background and upbringing. But I learned a very valuable lesson from that experience. There is no greater enemy than one’s own fears and it takes a great person to face them. Never again will I settle for second best. No trying to get into Physician Assistant school because Medical School will not accept me. Since my GED when I set a goal I have not settled for less. To date I have been successful with every exception to continue being successful with the top tier of any reasonable goal that I set!

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? This may sound like a very predictable response, but I am at a point in my life that I honestly cannot see myself as anything else but a physician. I view my journey as marathon not a race. I have been in the fire service for many years. My last formal paid fire department job was a senior leadership position in which I was directly responsible for the day to day operations of 9 fire departments and 1 fire prevention bureau with +400 personnel assigned in Southern Afghanistan. I transitioned from that position to become a full-time student again and dedicate myself to working medical jobs only. From a pre-hospital care standpoint, I have performed every job. Emergency Medical Technician to Paramedic to Flight Paramedic. I would continue to be a life student stay at the tip of the spear of flight paramedicine, perform emergency medical services training and continue to pursue my passion of being a physician.

9. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? I love that fact there is a forum where traditional and non-traditional students with my same interest are sharing their knowledge and experience about this process. We are all sort of in a specific bubble. But there is this flow of ideas, thoughts and information about everyday life and professional development opportunities to make you better as an individual. I am pleasantly surprised at all the applicable information to my journey that I have read and learned from the people here in a such a short period of time. There are opportunities for all of us to be showcased to medical schools which will enhance our chance of being chosen for medical school program. To date, I am not aware of any other forum or venue that showcases premed students as PreMed STAR does. Thank you!

Visit my PreMed STAR profile: Gregory Proctor

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1.Tell us a little bit about yourself.  My name is Sinigdha Biswas, and I am currently a sophomore at Stony Brook University. My major is Biology, and I plan on choosing a specialization in neurobiology and physiology. I am passionate about the ways in which we can provide global health education and quality medical treatment including mental health for those who do not have equal access to these necessities. Some of my favorite hobbies, when I get the opportunity of leisure, are photography and writing.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you?  In high school, my history teacher Mrs.Pinto was my favorite. She made the class so interesting by emphasizing the power of history that I often read and did assignments ahead of time, leaving time to research topics outside of class. I always asked tons of questions, and she allowed me to add my findings to our class content. I loved going to her office hours and getting recommendations on historical books. She never put down my curiosity; instead, she referred me to articles, movies, museums, and just about any resources. From her, I learned the components of research outside of the classroom from recognizing which resources are valid to connecting multiple areas of discipline such as history, art, and medicine.
Mrs. Pinto was also the advisor and founder of my school’s National Honor Society, where she helped me to develop leadership skills. She taught me to be integral in a team by always coming prepared, voicing my opinions, and contributing to planning fundraisers on health causes such as a one we did to raise money for prostate cancer research. I learned to coordinate, keep a record, communicate, and manage multiple tasks which eventually helped me become treasurer.
Research, cooperation, and leadership are essential tasks that I learned from her which has helped me in college, work, and will on my journey to becoming a physician.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? I knew I wanted to be a physician from a young age because I have always been aware of the consequences unequal access to medical care can have on people, especially those in poverty. Not everyone has adequate access to medical treatment and general care, both in underdeveloped and developed nations. Even in the United States, I think we need to reach out to underserved areas because many of these, especially the elderly, cannot afford quality treatment resulting in painful years of coping with their conditions. Some of these illnesses could have been prevented and cured had they been diagnosed earlier. In underdeveloped nations, there is still a lack of education on basic hygiene, infant care, and universal health rights. I do not think medical care should be a heavy financial strain on anyone, no matter their background. My own grandfather died in rural Bangladesh of an infection because he could not afford medication. There are millions more like him even today, so I want to be a doctor to strengthen the accessibility of medical facilities and care for the improvised. One of my goals is to also set up clinics in underserved areas, around the world, and provide seminars on health education.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I am interested in neuroscience, gastroenterology, emergency medicine, and pathology. I am currently taking a cognitive psychology course which has made me interested in the field of neuroscience. Our brain’s ability to adapt, grow, and nourish us throughout evolution is something I have been reading much about this semester.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? The coolest experience I have had so far in my premedical journey is my work as a pharmacy technician. Although I am not directly interacting with patients and medical staff, I get to learn about the behind the scenes process after a doctor has prescribed medication which I believe is essential for anyone going into the medical field to know. I am responsible for understanding prescription labels, sending out the prescribed drug in packaging that is color coded or specific to a nursing home or patient’s needs, knowing pharmacy law regulations and state policies, answering calls from nurses and patients, consistently communicating with my pharmacists and staff for an organized work environment, and of course, learning about different drugs, their chemical properties & functions, and how they are administered.

6. What is your favorite book?  My favorite book is my course textbook for cognitive psychology. Don’t get me wrong; many textbooks can be a bit tedious, but this one has been so interesting for someone like me who wants to learn about the brain and human behavior. I have been emailing my professor various questions ever since reading a chapter, and he is always helpful to respond.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. Most people don’t know that sometimes, just sometimes, when I’m alone, I like to listen to music, sing, and clean the entire house simultaneously. It’s something about the music that activities my desire to organize everything!

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? If I couldn’t be a doctor, I’d work as someone who would provide humanitarian relief to underprivileged populations both in the United States and globally.

9. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? I just joined PreMed STAR, but already I’ve received so many supportive comments and advice from a ton of intelligent premedical and medical students. I finally found a valid site where I can ask professional questions, share my premedical journey and ready my portfolio for medical school along with the help of my new friends. I look forward to working with everyone here!

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1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.  My name is Melodi Harfouche and I am currently majoring in Anthropology with a minor in French at the University of Tennessee in my junior year. I am originally from Princeton, New Jersey and can speak 3 languages fluently (and am learning a 4th one!). Those languages are Turkish, English, French, and I’m learning Spanish! My parents immigrated to the States before I was born so in addition to being American I am Turkish, Lebanese, and Iranian. I am very invested in fitness and my overall well-being, and would consider going to the gym as one of my hobbies. In addition to the gym, I like to paint in my free time, and have recently gotten back into reading for pleasure.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? My favorite teacher in University came last semester in my first Organic Chemistry class. His teaching style was amazing and he really made the class enjoyable from the start. It was obvious that he cared about the subject and really wanted his students to succeed in his class. From the first week of class I went to his office hours because I wanted to get ahead of the material before it started getting very difficult (as Orgo is notorious for). He was really helpful and made me try to understand and learn rather than telling me the answers and sending me on my way. From that day on I was in his office hours constantly, even when he didn’t have them scheduled! He made me truly love Organic Chemistry and made me really enjoy coming to class every other day. He really believed in me and encouraged me to keep practicing and keep studying and would sometimes even overestimate the difficulty that I was capable of. After the semester was over, he told me that there was a position open in the General Chemistry Lab to work as a stockroom assistant and he told me that it was an open offer because he knew how dedicated and how hard of a worker I was. Happy to say that I took it and now I get to be helping out in the stockroom every Tuesdays and Thursdays. Although I’m no longer in his class, he encourages me to pop by at any time and is always ready to help with Organic 2 material. Having a professor believe in me so much really made me more determined than I already was to succeed.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? I think that I knew I wanted to be a doctor since I was in high school. I’ve always been interested in puzzles and mysteries since I was a little kid and the human body is exactly that to me. There are so many unknowns still yet to be discovered about us, and I would love to be a part of that discovery. Being a doctor is exactly like building a 1000pc puzzle (yet definitely more difficult than that) because you are constantly presented with pieces of the puzzle (symptoms of the patient), and it is our job to look at the pieces and put them together in order to form a proper diagnosis. I love critical thinking and am rewarded by the satisfaction of being able to put together a challenging puzzle. Being a doctor would not only fulfill my love for human connection, but also my passion for critical thinking.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I am currently interested in Forensic Pathology (being a Medical Examiner), but am entertaining the idea of being a Plastic Surgeon where I would be able to aid in helping patients have reconstructive surgery. However, my options are completely open and I don’t plan on deciding until the last round of rotations 🙂

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? I wouldn’t say that any particular experience on my pre-med journey has been the coolest out of all of them considering they were all so cool. However, one that stood out to me was my experience visiting Icahn School of Mount Sinai in New York. Over my winter break from school I had arranged a meeting with an admissions officer and when I went to meet with him I had such an amazing experience. He gave me a tour of the school, told me about the admissions and interview process, and even showed me the dissection room for the medical students. It was honestly amazing and made me so excited about the school. I am going to have some pretty cool experiences lined up in the future as I will be shadowing an anesthesiologist pretty soon, and will also be shadowing my sister who does trauma surgery in Philadelphia! I think those two experiences alone will not be topped.

6. What is your favorite book? A book that I have read recently that was amazing is called “A Thousand Naked Strangers” by Kevin Hazzard. It is essentially the author, Hazzard, talking about his crazy experience as an EMT and Medic in one of the dangerous parts of Atlanta. It was hilarious, extremely real, and so enticing. I really couldn’t put it down and I think it will definitely be in my top 10. I am currently reading “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon and right now I love it! Would recommend both books if you get a chance. If that’s not enough here’s one more: “Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers” by Mary Roach.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know.  One interesting thing about me is that right now I’m a volunteer at the Body Farm at my University! It is technically called the Anthropological Research Facility, and I get to help Grad Students with their theses on human decomposition and what happens post-mortem. Essentially the ARF is in a forest, and we have bodies who have been donated to us (just like organ donors would do) placed all around for the purposes of studying human decomposition. Grad students and other project leaders who want to study a certain aspect of human decomposition would then place their subjects in various places and under different environments. For example, one of the people I work with wanted to study how extreme heat affects human decomposition, so she is eventually going to place her subjects in a sauna and observe what happens over time. It is extremely fascinating to see the different projects happening on the “farm” and even see the affects of diseases post-mortem. One of the most interesting things I’ve observed is raccoon scavenging. Raccoons, although nasty, are actually really interesting creatures. Unfortunately they do scavenge some our subjects, but they’re very selective about which muscles and which people from whom they scavenge. If a person had a disease or deficiency prior to death, the raccoons will generally steer clear.

8. What would you be if you couldn’t be a doctor? If I couldn’t be a doctor, I would be stuck between at least 4 career paths. I’ve been interested in so many things since being at school and I would struggle with picking a path if I couldn’t be a doctor. I would either be a lawyer, a chemist, a computer scientist, or a forensic anthropologist.

9. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? What I love most about PreMed Star is the ability to interact with a bunch of other students who are also on the pre-med track. It’s refreshing to be able to talk to so many people about similar things and give each other feedback and advice. I think the webinars are amazing as well because they can be very informative. Furthermore, I love how we can add to our profile and it not only identifies who we are, but makes our application process a lot easier considering all of our information is on one page. Honestly though, being able to make new friends from miles away based off of a similar career path is what makes me happiest about PreMed STAR.

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