Congratulations to Nichelle. Student of the Week.

1. Tell us about yourself.

My name is Nichelle. I’m 22 years old and obtained my B.A in Psychology at Brooklyn College in May 2019. I love psychology and am working to become a Psychiatrist. Currently, I am at Texas Southern University completing my pre-med post-bac.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you?

It’s so hard for me to decide on a favorite teacher because I’ve had so many, however, one that comes to mind is Mr. Lucas. He was my 10th-grade geometry teacher. Whenever I fooled around in class he’d always threaten to tell my dad because he knew my dad didn’t play those games and that’s just what I needed. Before I graduated high school, I remember telling him I was going to become a doctor and he called me “Dr. Solomon”. He was speaking it into existence for me and I’ll never forget him saying that.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why?

I first decided I wanted to become a doctor when I was in high school. My pediatrician Dr. Maria, who I’d been with since I was a baby was amazing. I could tell she really cared about me and my family and she inspired me to become a doctor. She told me about her and her daughter’s journey to becoming a doctor. She both encouraged and inspired me.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in?

As of now, I am interested in Psychiatry.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey?

My premedical journey has just begun but I’m excited about everything I expect to experience with all the new people I’ve been meeting. I recently got a new job in a hospital and I’m looking forward to learning a lot and meeting even more new people.

6. What is your favorite book?

My favorite book currently is Christine by Stephen King. I love horror novels and he’s one of my favorite authors. There’s also just something about a good mystery that keeps me on my toes.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know.

I love Anthropology. I took my first Anthropology class to fulfill a core class requirement and then I fell in love. I actually decided to minor in Anthropology along with African-American studies.

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 Psychologist. My passion will always be in the world of psychology and helping others.

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 student has been myself because I dealt with a lot of doubt in my abilities. I overcame these doubts by having an amazing and encouraging support system. When I was explaining some of my doubts, one of my mentors asked me, “Why wouldn’t you be able to become a doctor?”. Her question made me really think about it and realize that there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be able to as long as I put in the work.

10. What do you like most about Diverse Medicine?

What I like most about Diverse Medicine is that it connects Doctors, pre-med students, and medical students together. Networking is very important and beneficial. The mentoring aspect is also great especially for someone like me who doesn’t personally know any Doctors or medical students.