Talking Admissions and Med Student Life

How do you strategize to apply and get into medical school? What activities help prepare you for medical school? How much should you consider the financial implications when applying to medical school and residency programs? Why are couples slow to announce that they’re dating while in medical school? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview couple, Necia and Milo, both former fourth-year medical students who recently graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine.

What do you do when you find yourself trying to figure out your next move in life? How does a trek through the jungle in Vietnam prompt you to pursue a career in medicine? Why is it important to have a strategy that works best for you when applying to medical school programs? What is like to do a couple’s match into the same residency program? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview couple, Rudi and Quinn, both former fourth-year medical students who recently graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine.

How do you find balance between medical school and your wellness and life outside of school? What’s it like having your third-year clerkship rotation cut short because of COVID-19? How does a career in business and football prepare one for a career in medicine? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview Bridger Battaglia a third-year medical student about to start his fourth year here at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

How does COVID-19 impact one’s clinical clerkship experience and desire to give back? What should you look for in an MD/PhD program when applying to various schools? What is it like to be an MD/PhD student? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview Claire Bensard a third-year medical student here at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

How does being a medic in Afghanistan inspire one to become a doctor? Why is it important to start both the admissions process and relationship building early? What is medical school like as a nontraditional student? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview Carson Mills, a fourth-year medical student here at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Why does someone decide to go into a triple board residency program? How do you promote wellness and balance during a five-year residency program? What’s the difference between west coast swing dancing and the jerk-and-pull swing dancing in Utah? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview Dr. Powell, a second-year psychiatry resident here at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

How does an architecture internship in China make one decide to change gears and pursue medicine? What are some ways to survive and thrive during your post-bacc studies? Why is workplace culture such an important question to ask during residency program interviews? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview Lily, a fourth-year medical student here at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

What is it like to move from the East Coast to the stunning Rocky Mountains of Utah? How does one decide to become a pediatric endocrinologist? Why is there such a demand for creating exceptional learning experiences and excellent educators in medicine? What is the Bills Mafia and how is one an associate of the Bills Mafia? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview Dr. Kathleen Timme, an attending physician in pediatric endocrinology here at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

What triggers someone to decide they want to go to medical school after completing their first year of college? How does one’s vision of their future physician practice evolve throughout medical school? Why is it important to always go to the dinner hosted by a potential residency program? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview Anna, a fourth-year medical student here at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

What is it like being a first-generation college student and choosing to chase a career in medicine while combating self-doubt? How do you flawlessly perform a scene from The Sound of Music in front of your new classmates during your medical school orientation? How does one go about deciding what to pursue their residency program in; particularly anesthesia? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview Max, a fourth-year medical student here at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

How does a person’s little brother inspire them to become a pediatrician at that the ripe age of fifteen? What is it like growing up African American in American Fork and becoming more resilient and driven because of it? Is it possible to still be a sports aficionado and a busy medical student at the same time? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview Eddie, a first-year medical student here at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

What motivates a track and field star to pursue a career in medicine? How does a series of health setbacks while living in the Philippines strengthen your sense of identity and goals? What is it like to trailblaze your own path to medical school while blocking out discouraging voices? Why should you always “shoot your shot” even when the odds don’t look in your favor during the application cycle? Today on Talking Admissions and Med Student Life, I interview Siale, a first-year medical student here at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

"My mentor early on, the Italian doctor, he showed me how to be truly a compassionate physician. I remember he used to spend so much time with the patients talking to them, not only about their disease, but just getting to know them." Ludovica grew up in Italy until the time she was 12 years old. She recalls her uncle, a traveling doctor who would go to small villages to visit patients in their homes. She says that it was his influence that began her love of medicine. Today we discuss moving to the U.S. before learning English, the difference between Italian medicine and America medicine, research experiences, the power of mentorship, and finally, preparing to apply to medical school.

"I thought wow, what is it about medicine that can take something that can be so raw and so hurtful and transform it into something that makes people somewhat excited and hopeful and that kind of launched me into medicine." Ha grew up with her grandparents close. It was their respect for doctors and appreciation for health care that sparked Ha’s interest in becoming a doctor. Years later, after achieving her undergraduate degree from Harvard, Ha will be attending medical school at the same place her grandparents received treatment. Today we discuss what it’s like to leave your family and home state to study in Boston, how important it is to find community, choosing the right activities that align with your goals and passion, and finally, applying to medical school with hopes to land your first choice.

"I ended up shadowing another female physician who had a family and kids and was balancing other things. That’s when I knew I could do it. It points to the importance of representation in medicine because your mind is so moldable when you’re younger. You can really be effected by the role models you see around you." Kaitlyn grew up in northern Idaho with a love of science and an affinity for sports. Even after receiving a lot of discouraging feedback surrounding women in medicine, Kaitlyn pushed to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. Today we talk about how to balance life and prepare for medical school while participating in time consuming sports related obligations, perseverance through three application cycles, how to improve your application after feedback, and finally, what it’s like to apply to 25 different schools with 13 interviews.

"I grew up with humble means. My dad was a meat cutter at Smith's, a lot of my childhood we were living in trailer parks, and we had a couple bankruptcies, so I kind of got here on a winding road." Michael grew up with a very humble background in Cedar City Utah. To pay for his college education, he decided to join the Army National Guard. During his undergrad, Michael fell in love with the sciences and considered going into the heath care industry. It wasn't until he was almost finished with nursing school that he knew he wanted to be a doctor. Today we discuss the winding journey that led to medical school, best practices for interview day, and finally, what it's like to be the first medical student in the family.

"It was really fulfilling being able to create products that I knew were going to better people’s lives, but it didn’t feel as real without seeing their actual impact and seeing the people it was helping day to day." Annabah's family experienced a lot of health related issues during her teen years. Spending time in and out of the clinics allowed her to grow respect and appreciation for doctors and the health care industry. It wasn't until after achieving her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and working in the field that she realized she wanted to practice medicine. Today we talk about the pivot in career choice, what it is like to move away from Utah for the first time to attend Stanford university, volunteer time in "street medicine and how that led to a term with Americorps, and finally, preparing to apply to medical school.

"I served an LDS mission in Africa and I kind of saw more of a lack of healthcare than I've seen in the U.S. and that sort of solidified the idea that I wanted to go into medicine and help people." Growing up on a small farm in Duchesne, Garrett knew he had a love for science. It was until he served an LDS mission in Africa and witnessed a real lack in healthcare that he thought of becoming a doctor. Today we discuss Garrett's experiences overseas, growing up in a small community, the benefits of building relationships with your premedical advisor and other premedical students, studying for the MCAT with a busy schedule, and finally, choosing an MD program from multiple acceptance offers.

"I realized that there was a lot more I could do at the intersection of research and medicine and people than being a materials engineer." Laurel has always had a love of science fiction books. Initially, they even teased that they were pursuing a PhD so that they could author sci-fi novels. After having very impactful community experiences, Laurel found their passion at the intersection of science, people, and medicine. We talk about the journey of self-discovery, independently pursing big life goals without traditional family support, transgender advocacy, becoming a mentor and example to rising members of the LGBTQ community, choosing the right MD/PhD program, and finally, what’s it like to receive an acceptance to your top choice.

"I've spent a lot of time with Physical Therapists and I think that did definitely contribute to my interest in medicine. While it always sucked to be injured, I was always interested in what was going on there and the mechanics." Eoin’s professional career in ballet was at its peak when he found his mind wandering to medicine. Although he was very interested, Eoin thought that he was too old and perhaps not academic enough to chase the dream. It wasn't until he retired from dance and became an EMT that he knew he had to pursue a career in medicine. We discuss the journey from a hands off approach home school education, and a full career in the arts, to beginning medical school with an undergrad in kinesiology.

"As I started growing up and learning a little more about life, I understood that a job is going to be something you are doing for somewhere around half of your life so if you’re surviving that rather than enjoying it you pretty much wasted your life." Fadi’s journey towards medicine began in Syria, it then found its way to California, South Dakota, and eventually Utah. He explains that while cultural influence may encourage young Syrian’s into medicine or engineering, it was ultimately his love of biology and passion for helping people that made up his mind. We discuss what it’s like to move to a country you’ve never been to, the organic flow of experiences that build a strong application, finding friends and a sense of community, and building strengths from areas of weakness.

“I had to ask myself some serious questions. One of them was: If you get to the end of your life and this is what you did, you stayed in real estate, would you feel like you had done enough? The answer for me was no, so I knew I had to make a change.” In the back of her mind, Jessica had always wanted to be a doctor. As a single mother of three, she prioritized taking care of her family by building a successful career in real estate. Jessica remarried, and with the support of her family, the dream of going into medicine became a reality. We discuss the process of making a serious career change, balancing family life with medical school, the benefit of being a non-traditional student with life experience, personal growth as a couple through mutual sacrifice, choosing a specialty, and finally, preparing to apply for residency.

"The theme of my application was my Spanish. I did some volunteer work at elementary schools, where I would translate at parent teacher conference. I got involved with the American Red Cross where I taught CPR and emergency preparedness in Spanish. I kind of wove Spanish into all of my activities." During his undergrad, Troy was sure he wanted to teach Spanish. After volunteering for the American Red Cross and taking an anatomy class, his heart turned to medicine. Fortunately, Troy has been able to combine both of his interests, serving his community and succeeding as a med student. We discuss the how Troy was able to work Spanish into his medical application, finding balance as a newlywed, finding a natural talent for leadership, choosing a specialty in ophthalmology, and finally, life after match.

"I really like puzzles. I felt like internal medicine had puzzles and mysteries, but I think Neuro has more." Keti has known she wanted to be a doctor since kindergarten. Having a mom in medicine and a passion for science only solidified her direction. It wasn't until her third year that Keti found herself having to choose between the love of internal medicine and neurology. We discuss the struggle of choosing between two passions, the transition from undergrad to medical school, study habits, third year rotations, and finally, the strategy behind choosing a residency program.

“I ended up getting involved with Planned Parenthood and volunteered at the county jail where I taught sex ED. I also volunteered with the Rape Recovery Center and worked on the crisis line. Those are the main community things I did, it changed a lot of how I ended up thinking about my career and what I wanted to do.” Guinn did not get accepted her first application cycle. After taking her post-cycle feedback to heart, she was able to really strengthen her application and in the process gain some personal insight to her own interests in the health care field. We discuss perfect timing on Guinn’s acceptance, what it’s like to create new boundaries with family when it comes to time, best practices for medical school study habits, and finally, matching with a spouse in the PhD program.

"We always re-emphasized again and again, our number one priority was each other and we couldn't let the match come between that." Chelsey was a T.A. in Marcus's undergraduate anatomy class. Needless to say, it was love at first G.I. lesson. After going through pre-med and medical school together, Chelsey and Marcus have finally matched and are ready for the next adventure. We discuss Chelsey's Hesitation to go to medical school after getting married, Marcus's difficulty choosing a specialty, navigating the couples match program, rating programs together, and finally what it's like to cross your fingers at the end.

"One of the things we were really interested in was matching at programs that were collegial with really friendly cultures." James and Laura met during undergrad at Utah State University. Initially James was the only one who had plans for medical school. When Laura discovered her love of medicine, they both hoped they would be accepted at the same school. We discuss Laura's jump from pre-pharmacy to medical school, winning funds from Bench to Bedside, what it's like attending medical school as a couple, and finally the process of couples matching into two competitive programs.

"It wasn't just me trying to be a doctor, my whole family, my wife and my kids, they just loved the idea and were supportive and kind." Kyle started medical school at 34 with full support from his wife and kids. It wasn’t until his psychiatry rotation that he realized where he wanted to be. With a background in social work, Kyle came to understand that the experiences from his past were an important part of his future. We discuss how that journey transpired, what makes medical school a different challenge than regular university, and finally how it feels to first anticipate your match results, then work through the emotions of finding out where you will spend the next several years of your life.

“It’s no secret that I love surgery, I’ve loved surgery since before medical school.” Natalie comes from a family of surgeons but wasn’t sure that she would take the same path. It wasn’t until after withdrawing from an acceptance to law school, and moving to Utah for art and snowboarding that she realized her true passion was to become a trauma surgeon. We discuss how that journey transpired, the similarities between surgery and art, and finally how Natalie plans to use her social media as a means to educate and positively influence people on the subject of healthcare.

“I have met some of the best people of my entire life and made some of the best friendships I think I ever will make among my classmates.” It was her physician mother who inspired Jordan to pursue a life in medicine. Much of her childhood was spent watching her mom touch patients’ lives and build meaningful relationships with peers. Now it’s her turn to do the same. In this episode, we talk about that journey. Jordan shares her experience preparing for medical school, how customer service skills transfer to patient care, and finally, she talks about the tight bond formed between classmates.

“The Uber of Ophthalmology.” As a child of a Foreign Service member, Ian grew up in Beijing, China. We talk about his experiences there, and what it was like to move to Provo, Utah to attend Brigham Young University. We discuss how the Foreign Service application compares to medical school applications, and his innovative ways of making money as a med student. Finally, Ian voices his thoughts on how ophthalmology makes a big impact in a short amount of time and why he’s interested in pursuing the field.

“The best thing about Anki is that you study every day; if forces you, you’ve got to do your reviews every day.” It was during Second Look Day that Nick heard about the Anki app from a second year student here at UUSOM. Having previously used the app in undergrad, he wasn’t a big fan but decided to take a look at how it could help him in medical school. We talk about what the program is and how it’s become a powerful study tool for him. He shares what makes a good or bad flashcard and finally, what he feels the best thing about using the app is.

“I want to do more; I want to know what those numbers mean, I want to have that impact on people.” Kristen had always wanted to be a doctor, but fell in love with systems biology engineering in undergrad and later landed a job as a Technical Program Manager. While presenting at a conference, she was asked if she understood what the numbers she was presenting meant in terms of how they relate to treating a patient, and it was then that she realized she wanted to do more. We talk about her career as a Data Engineer and the places she experienced because of it. She shares what it was like to have a husband in The United States Air Force looking for order options while trying to match with med school applications, and finally, what it was like “learning how to learn” as a non-traditional student.

“I started studying for the MCAT and kept coming to the fact of why am I doing this?” Will was on the path to medical school, studying for the MCAT and volunteering, when he realized it wasn’t the path he wanted to take. He talks about how this realization came to be and what the shift towards pursuing dentistry instead was like. We discuss the differences in the MCAT and DAT, and finally, the similarities between applying to medical school and dental school.

“It never felt quite right; it always felt very close to right but not quite there.” Cecelia, having grown up in Utah, became interested in science while she was dancing for a company in San Francisco. We talk about her decision to go back to school, why she initially chose physical therapy and how she realized it wasn’t the right fit for her. Finally, she shares what it was like to fit in returning to school to complete additional pre-requisites, having a baby and preparing to apply for medical school all at the same time.

“It’s all about the deep breath.” At 15-years-old, Brett had spinal fusion surgery that he received permission to record. Seeing the footage confirmed his desire to become a doctor. He talks about his surgery experience and what it was like to go back to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles a year later to spend time in the OR with his surgeon and see the same surgery he had been through. He shares what his connection is to Kevin Costner and what it was like to be the youngest “jacketed member” of the Ski patrol. Finally, we talk about how he ended up at the U for undergrad and became “Swoop”.

“I feel very lucky in the sense that being older, being non-traditional; once I actually determined that’s what I was going to do, I didn’t doubt it.” It was during a senior film project in Africa that Sam started to think about what other possibilities were out there for him to experience. We talk about that trip and how it began to steer him in a different path from where he was going. He discusses balancing a career in digital media while preparing to apply for medical school and why he chose to pursue activities that fit his narrative. Finally, we discuss how knowing your strengths can help you as a non-traditional student.