1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.  Hey y’all! My name is Payton Smith. I was born and raised in Frisco, Texas. I am currently going into my junior year at the University of North Texas. My major is Kinesiology with a minor in chemistry. I originally entered college hoping to one day be a collegiate women’s basketball coach, but after spending a year as the team manager for the women’s basketball team at UNT, I felt like I was still missing something. That is when I found medicine, and I have not looked back.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? My favorite professor so far has been my American Literature professor, Jacqueline Walker. Although the content of her class may not be directed towards the medical field, what she has taught me has a person is something I will carry forever. No matter the circumstances, Professor Walker always had a smile on her face, always gave us words of encouragement, and always was honest and real with us. I admire her for that, and I am a better person (and writer) for taking her course.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why? I first decided that I wanted to be a doctor towards the end of my freshman year of college. I know that that is late for most people, but for me, I always saw myself involved with basketball. All of that changed for me when my brother was diagnosed with an AVM in his right hip my senior year of high school. Being a part of his journey and seeing the amazing work that his doctors have done over the last two and half years of his treatment has sparked a passion and curiosity in me that basketball did not live up to. As I continued to be around the medical field, I found that my interest had shifted to being a doctor, and I decided to follow the premedical path.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? I am extremely interested in the emergency medicine field because I love how it keeps me on my toes. It blow my mind that you can walk into one room to treat a common cold and than walk across the hall and have to perform a life saving procedure. The adrenaline rush and mental challenge that the environment offers makes me always want to go back.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? One of the coolest things that I have experienced so far in my premedical journey is traveling to Honduras this summer to help doctors in a local community. The experience was extremely humbling. We were able to treat 957 patients in only four days. Every patient there taught me something, whether it was about something referring to medicine or about just making the best out of what life throws at you. It was truly life changing, and I can not wait to see where we travel to next.

6. What is your favorite book? I love to read in my free time, and I especially love autobiographies of athletes. My favorite autobiography that I have read so far is Forward by Abby Wambach. Her story is inspirational and extremely intriguing at the same time!

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. I absolutely love music, and my favorite instrument is the acoustic guitar. I have actually taught myself some of the basics and can play some of the favorite songs. My singing may not be the best, but it is still a great hobby to have.

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? If I was unable to be in the medical field, I would most likely get back into basketball. I would most likely try to coach at the high school level. I know the impact that my coaches had on my life, and it would be awesome to be able to be make a difference in other girls lives.

9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it? So far my biggest obstacle as a premed student has been losing motivation and focus for a semester. Last semester, I was going through some personal things, and I found myself losing focus on the goal of being the best student and person I could be. My grades began to slip, I wasn’t setting up shadowing opportunities, and overall I was being lazy. Lucky, I was able to realize what was causing me to act completely not like myself and fix my mindset. I moved out of the toxic environment I was living in, I found ways to keep myself motivated, and I did a mental reset. My grades are back up this summer, and I am feeling more and more myself everyday. I think all of us at some point are going to go through days, weeks, or months that we are struggling to find ways to keep up with the grind that is required to be a premedical student, but it is important to know that you are not alone in those struggles and you will get through them.

10. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? What I love about PreMed Star is that you have the opportunity to connect with so many other people that you would normally not meet, and you have the amazing resource of doctors that have been in our shoes and are willing to give us advice and support throughout our journey. It has helped me immensely in my journey so far.

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