Congratulations to Madison! Premed of the Week!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Hi, my name is Madison Francis and I’m a first year student at Santa Fe College. I am majoring in Microbiology. I am just starting my premedical journey and I am eager to continue and build experience!

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? My favorite teacher in high school was my chemistry teacher. Before my sophomore year in high school, I moved across the country. That year was difficult for me because I had to adjust to a new curriculum and get to know my atmosphere. My chemistry teacher understood that I was a new student and I was also an athlete, hence she helped me keep up with my studies. I would often visit her classroom during my lunch and she would offer me extra help to better understand the material. She allowed me to realize that I can learn difficult subjects even when I am busy and in an atmosphere I am not used to. This will later help me as I continue my premedical journey so that I will continue to learn and succeed in new environments and areas of rigorous studies.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? In the 2nd semester of my senior year in high school, my father was diagnosed with a rare form of bladder cancer. He mentioned that his biopsy was being sent to labs and we were waiting to hear back from pathologists. I did not know what pathology was and I began to look into the medical field when I heard the term. I realized that I wanted to involve myself in research and become involved with patients. Before realizing this, I could not find a career field that felt right for me. I was considering biomedical engineering, but I was not sure if engineering was what I wanted to do. Fortunately, my father is cancer free, and I know that I aspire to become a doctor.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I am interested in many areas of medicine. I grew up with eczema and dry skin and I was always looking into ways to treat and care for my skin, so I would love to consider dermatology. Additionally, I am a very detail oriented person and enjoy solving problems, so I am interested in pathology. However, there are many areas in medicine I have not been exposed to, so I may pursue an area I have yet to learn about.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? The coolest experience I have had so far on my premedical journey was attending the AMSA PreMed Fest at USF. I learned a lot about the process to apply and become a good candidate for medical school. I am early on my premedical journey so I do not have much experience yet, and I am genuinely excited to continue and enter the field.

6. What is your favorite book? My favorite book is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I read this book in my senior year of high school and enjoyed annotating the book. My class discussed the ethics of Frankenstein creating new life and studied why the creation behaved the way he did. I had a positive experience studying this book and recommend reading it.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. I was a gymnast for 9 years and I can still perform several skills.

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? If I couldn’t be a medical doctor, I would want to get a PhD and research. I enjoy research and medicine alike, so I am currently aiming for an MD-PhD. Therefore, a PhD will be my first choice if I don’t become an MD.

9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it? My biggest obstacle as a premed has been balancing my time and making time for myself. Personally, I perform my best when I stay busy; however, it was challenging to find balance so that I can excel in academics, extracurricular stuff, and also take care of myself and find time to hang with friends and go to the gym. I’ve been able to do this by having a consistent schedule every week and having a few supportive friends who are also pre-professionals, since they are also just as busy and understand what it’s like.

10. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? PreMed Star is a unique tool and I like the convenience of it. There are many beneficial resources all in one place and it makes me feel more focused. It allows me to monitor my progress and create a resume with encouragement from others and articles and webinars to watch. I like the mentorship and close-knit community that PreMed STAR offers. PreMed STAR offers guidance through articles, webinars, posts, and connections, and I love that it’s all in the same place.

PreMed of the Week Jan 8, 2018

PreMed of the Week Nov 12,2018