The Premed Perspectives

In this week's episode, Lasya sits down with Divya Gumudavelly, MPH Candidate at Yale University. Divya is a budding public health professional passionate about improving global maternal and child health and mental health outcomes — currently staying in Uganda. She began undergrad with the goal of matriculating to medical school upon graduation; however, she started participating in global health related electives and organizations, which sparked her passion for public health. Although Divya began studying for the MCAT and completed all of the pre-medical requisites, she made the decision to consider starting medical school later in her life after working in the public health field. In this episode she explains how she knew this was the right decision for her, how she convinced her loved ones that this was the best decision for her, why she's passionate about public health, and how she is nurturing her passion. Overall, this episode is great for anyone considering health-related paths other than medical school! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Lasya sits down with Michael Minh Le, an MD Candidate at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. He is very knowledgeable about the pre-medical path and mentors many students. Make sure you check out more of his content on Tik Tok @michaelminhle. Through this episode, he shares the 6 components that make a competitive medical school applicants. He emphasizes the importance of authenticity working through pre-medical years through pursuing interests you truly enjoy and how to find such activities. Furthermore, he explains how exactly pre-meds can make a plan and self-assess to make sure they don't fall behind on their path to medical school. Sometimes pre-meds do fall behind, but Micheal describes how to self-assess and compensate for any gaps on your application. Overall, this episode can be informative to anyone interested in pursuing medical school! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Ambika sits down with Dr. Amalfitano DO, PhD, who serves as the Interim Dean at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is also the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation endowed professor of pediatrics, microbiology and molecular genetics and director of the MSU Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. Having earned all of his degrees at MSU, Dr.Amalfitano is an immense inspiration to Spartans - Go Green! Dr. Amalfitano is a proud DO and explains what the osteopathic philosophy entails. He elaborates on "the art of medicine" and osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT) in which DOs receive 200 hours of training -- a key difference between allopathic and osteopathic medical education. Dr.Amalfitano also describes how MSUCOM is shaping the future of osteopathic medicine through world-class, student-centered medical education and research. SpartanDOs purposely work to build thriving communities, where all can grow and learn together. Therefore, he advises premedical DO aspirants to immerse themselves in their communities to serve and learn from those different from themselves. This episode can provide insight to anyone interested in healthcare, as osteopathic medicine is the fastest growing medical profession in the United States. If you're applying to osteopathic medical schools this application cycle, this episode can better inform your decision and prepare you to answer one of the most important questions you'll be asked during the application process: "Why osteopathic medicine?". For more information on osteopathic medicine, check out Dr.Amalfitano's article. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

To open season 8, Viji sits down with Kelly Cheung, @kellytakesmedicine , a new internal medicine resident. Kelly has always had an interest in primary care and geriatrics, and she explains how she developed this interest and the importance of primary care in this episode. Kelly also shares her journey to medicine as a first generation college graduate and physician. She reveals that she was afraid to pursue medicine due to a lack of resources or mentors and that she suffered from imposter syndrome. Kelly discusses how she considered both pharmacy school and medical school but decided on pursuing medicine after taking a couple of gap years. Kelly also discusses the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) scholarship in this episode. She discusses the benefits she received from this scholarship and some of the eligibility requirements. The deadline has passed for this year, but definitely take a listen if this is something you would be interested in for next year. Lastly, Kelly discusses her residency application process. When this podcast was recorded, Kelly was still in the interviewing process for residency, but now she has successfully matched and started an internal medicine residency! A huge congratulations to her for starting this major milestone! A lot of great information about being a first-get physician, pursuing primary care, and the residency app process in this episode so be sure to give it a listen. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, to wrap up season 7, Lasya chats with Deepti, an incoming M1, from the University of Michigan. At the time of the podcast, she had just submitted her application, and she breaks down each of her 4 years in undergrad. She shares how at first she struggled to balance her clinical activities and school but later found methods that worked for her and ended up doing very well. Not only does she discuss academics, but she also talks about the variety of experiences she took part in such as study abroad. Looking back on her journey, Deepti shares what she is glad she did but also what she wishes she did differently. Ultimately, her journey resulted in multiple acceptances! The information in this podcast could be especially helpful to incoming undergraduate freshmen who hope to be premed, as it lays out what to expect during every year of your premed experience. It can also be especially helpful for premeds who are unsure about whether they want to take a gap year or not, as Deepti talks about why she chose to take a gap year before applying. If you are interested in the MCAT retake course that was mentioned during the episode, make sure you visit /www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Lasya sits down with Lara Hakim, medical student at MSU's College of Human Medicine. Lara applied to medical school the first time, but was not admitted. She explains what she did after that point to make sure she could gain admission as a re-applicant! Lara took part in Wayne State's special masters program and applied to medical school after completing it, and she had great success! She explains why she chose this program, what she did during her gap year, and how she believes that stepping away from the traditional pre-med “checklist” helped her get in to medical school. If you are interested in the MCAT retake course that was mentioned during the episode, make sure you visit /www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

For this episode, Viji sits down with Holly Seybold, and incoming M1 student! Holly graduated from Temple University and is currently finishing up her gap year. She was accepted to multiple medical schools, and in this episode, she reflects on her successful application cycle, undergraduate experience, and gap year. Holly describes how she majored in Spanish in undergrad and how this became a major part of her application story since she also studied abroad in Spain and volunteered at a clinic that was predominantly for Spanish speakers. Holly also explains how she was able to find mentors early in undergrad that provided her a lot of guidance as she navigated the MCAT and application process. She also discusses why she chose to take a gap year and what she did during this time, including managing a French bakery! This episode contains a lot of great information, so definitely give it a listen if you're planning to apply this cycle! If you are interested in the MCAT retake course that was mentioned during the episode, make sure you visit /www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

We are so excited to release our next episode in Dr.Josie's Guide to Writing Your Way into Medical School series. Dr.Josie is an acclaimed writer and advisor, as she has her own company: Write Your Acceptance. Through her affordable services, Dr.Josie helps people get into their dream schools! This week's episode is about how to research and write secondaries. She details what common secondary prompts are, how to research the answers to those prompts, and how to write compellingly. Definitely listen to this episode if you are applying to medical school this cycle, as writing secondaries can be very stressful. If you are interested in gaining help from Dr.Josie, check out her website https://www.writeyouracceptance.com/. If you like what you see, use code premedpod2022 for $15 off of her personal statement programs. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

We are so excited to release our next episode in Dr.Josie's Guide to Writing Your Way into Medical School series. Dr.Josie is an acclaimed writer and advisor, as she has her own company: Write Your Acceptance. Through her affordable services, Dr.Josie helps people get into their dream schools! This week's episode is about how to write the activities section on the medical school application. She explains how many activities you can write, and how many characters you can use to describe them. Additionally, she explains what activities to include and how to write about them. If you are interested in gaining help from Dr.Josie, check out her website https://www.writeyouracceptance.com/. If you like what you see, use code premedpod2022 for $15 off of her personal statement programs. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Lasya sits down with Mike Foster, M3 at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Mike talks about how you can bounce back from an unsuccessful medical school application cycle, as he experienced one before getting into CWRU Med School. He describes why he does not think his first application cycle was as successful as he wanted it to be, what he did differently to have a successful second application cycle, and what he suggests for someone who is not getting the attention they thought they would during their application cycle. Make sure to listen to this episode if you are a re-applicant, but also listen if you will be applying in the coming application cycles, as you may learn what to avoid! If you are interested in the MCAT retake course that was mentioned during the episode, make sure you visit /www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

We are so excited to release our next episode in Dr.Josie's Guide to Writing Your Way into Medical School series. Dr.Josie is an acclaimed writer and advisor, as she has her own company: Write Your Acceptance. Through her affordable services, Dr.Josie helps people get into their dream schools! This week's episode is about how to know if you should write the disadvantaged essay and how to go about writing it. If you are interested in gaining help from Dr.Josie, check out her website https://www.writeyouracceptance.com/. If you like what you see, use code premedpod2022 for $15 off of her personal statement programs. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

In this episode, Viji sits down with Dr. Samuel Stanley, MD, President of Michigan State University. Dr. Stanley discusses his initial interest in becoming a physician and describes his journey from medical school at Harvard to internal medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital to infectious disease fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Stanley also describes the various positions he has held throughout his career, starting in academic medicine as an Assistant Professor at WashU to eventually becoming the President of Michigan State University. He shares what he does now as a university president and how his background in medicine helps him in this role. Dr. Stanley ends with sharing his favorite part of his job and his biggest piece of advice to students interested in pursuing medicine. This is definitely an episode to listen to if you are interested in academic medicine and want to learn more about how physicians pivot into other roles outside of clinical practice. If you are interested in the MCAT retake course that was mentioned during the episode, make sure you visit /www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

We are so excited to release our next episode in Dr.Josie's Guide to Writing Your Way into Medical School series. Dr.Josie is an acclaimed writer and advisor, as she has her own company: Write Your Acceptance. Through her affordable services, Dr.Josie helps people get into their dream schools! This week's episode is about how to answer the diversity essay. A lot of medical schools require you to write an essay about what makes you who you are. In this episode, Dr.Josie explains how diversity is more than your cultural background, as you can be diverse in your identity or intellectually. Give this episode a listen to get some ideas about what you could write for this essay! If you are interested in gaining help from Dr.Josie, check out her website https://www.writeyouracceptance.com/. If you like what you see, use code premedpod2022 for $15 off of her personal statement programs. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

We are so excited to release our next episode in Dr.Josie's Guide to Writing Your Way into Medical School series. Dr.Josie is an acclaimed writer and advisor, as she has her own company: Write Your Acceptance. Through her affordable services, Dr.Josie helps people get into their dream schools! This week's episode is about how to avoid cliches and material that hurts the personal statement. She describes themes/red flags in personal statements to avoid in order to maximize your chances of admission. If you are interested in gaining help from Dr.Josie, check out her website https://www.writeyouracceptance.com/. If you like what you see, use code premedpod2022 for $15 off of her personal statement programs. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

We are so excited to release our next episode in Dr.Josie's Guide to Writing Your Way into Medical School series. Dr.Josie is an acclaimed writer and advisor, as she has her own company: Write Your Acceptance. Through her affordable services, Dr.Josie helps people get into their dream schools! This week's episode is about how to plan out when to write your essays and how to make sure it is done on time. She also describes how to know where to place your experiences whether its in the personal statement or activities section. If you are interested in gaining help from Dr.Josie, check out her website https://www.writeyouracceptance.com/. If you like what you see, use code premedpod2022 for $15 off of her personal statement programs. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

We are so excited to start a new series on the podcast: Dr.Josie's Guide to the Medical School Application Cycle. Dr.Josie is an acclaimed writer and advisor, as she has her own company: Write Your Acceptance. Through her affordable services, Dr.Josie helps people get into their dream schools! This week's episode is about how to brainstorm for your personal statement. As the next medical school application cycle is nearing, many applicants are starting to craft this incredibly important essay. Make sure to listen to this episode on how you can get started on yours! If you are interested in gaining help from Dr.Josie, check out her website https://www.writeyouracceptance.com/. If you like what you see, use code premedpod2022 for $15 off of her personal statement programs. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Esha sits down with Claire Jean, premed mentor and future medical student! She discusses her non traditional route of achieving success as a premed, including her engineering major and not having as many clinical hours as most applicants. She explains the important parts of the med school application and how to focus on things that you enjoy and give you valuable experience. She gives amazing advice for all premedical students and this is a must listen! If you are interested in the MCAT retake course that was mentioned during the episode, make sure you visit /www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Lasya sits down with Maria Green, a medical student at Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine. She discusses her tremendous journey of taking the MCAT three times to cross the 500 score barrier. She describes her confidence levels every time she took the exam, what she improved every time she took the MCAT, what she did to improve her score during every attempt, what she would have done differently if she were to take the exam again, and how she made her school list based on her MCAT scores. If you are interested in the MCAT retake course that was mentioned during the episode, make sure you visit /www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Ambika sits down with Dr. Cochran, a PGY2 Internal Medicine Resident. She discusses her interesting path of being an international medical graduate from Mexico and later completing her residency in Puerto Rico. Dr. Cochran shares the scarcely known fact that Puerto Rican residency has equivalent ACGME accreditation to US residencies. Dr. Cochran describes how working in Puerto Rico and Mexico with limited resources made her a better physician who was able to critically think in situations and gives advice about applying to residences and the cost associated with it. She describes that not many people are aware at the amount it costs to go through the full journey. Listen to this episode if you are interested in working in Underserved Areas and want to learn about different paths to medicine! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Lasya sits down with Anjali Vaishnav. Anjali started her application cycle in 2020 (her senior year), graduated from The University of Michigan in 2021, and is currently an M1 at the University of Michigan Medical School. In this episode, she breaks down all the major milestones of a medical school application cycle, reflecting on what ultimately led to her successful outcome. First, she describes how she created a school list, focusing on many more factors other than average MCAT and GPA of matriculants. Next, she explains how she assessed her potential fit at the medical schools she was virtually interviewed at. Finally, she describes how she was weighed her acceptances and decided that the University of Michigan Medical School was her perfect fit. Listen to this episode if you will be applying to medical school in the future - especially 2022 applicants - so you know exactly what you need to do to have a successful application cycle. If you are interested in the MCAT retake course that was mentioned during the episode, make sure you visit /www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Ambika sits down with Dr. Katie Ruger, Associate Dean of Admissions and Student Life at Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Ruger discuses the application process and gives advice on how to “be yourself” in an application In this episode she discusses personal statement do's and dont's as well as the importance of including experiences in Osteopathic Medicine. She details certain student mistakes that admissions committees see through in the Personal StatementDr. Ruger also gives interview tips and gives advice on how to remain authentic in the interview. She is a big advocate for not giving “a text book” answer in an interview. If you are interested in applying to medical school, specifically an Osteopathic medical school, Dr. Ruger has the insider information that you want to know! Be on the lookout for a future episode with Dr. Amalfitano, DO, the Dean of MSUCOM, to hear more about what it is like to be an osteopathic physician and what being a DO truly means! If you are interested in the MCAT retake course that was mentioned during the episode, make sure you visit /www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Lasya sits down with Kavya Davuluri, an MD/MBA candidate at the University Michigan Medical School + Ross School of Business. Kavya matriculated directly to medical school from Wayne State University. Her very unique experiences propelled her in this direction. In this episode, Kavya discusses how she has a passion for business and was able to start an organization (OptiMize) in undergrad which helped others start their own businesses for social impact and participated in many business related internships — all alongside experiencing many medically related experiences. She explains how she articulated her passion for medicine and business to gain admission to her top choice medical school with a merit scholarship. Overall, listen to this episode if you want to learn about how you can do what you love (medically or non medically related) and get into medical school! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

In this episode, Viji sits down with Olivia Failla, who is a current OMSII at MSUCOM. Olivia received a BSN from the University of Michigan and worked as a registered nurse in a dermatology clinic before starting medical school. Olivia shares her motivation for pursuing nursing in undergrad and why she decided to apply to medical school later on. Olivia also discusses how she came overcame hurdles she faced in her path to medical school, including having to retake the MCAT and go through two application cycles before being admitted. She shares the valuable information she learned from her first application cycle to attain success the second time around. A lot of great information and advice in this podcast especially for those considering a career change into medicine or planning to reapply! If you are interested in the MCAT retake course that was mentioned during the episode, make sure you visit /www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

Did you know that nearly 50% of people who apply to medical school have to take the MCAT multiple times? Retaking the MCAT can be a daunting feat, but Pillar Prep has the exact strategies and resources you need in order to do well on your next attempt. One of the only prep companies that offers a specific retaker course, Pillar's Prep promises one-on-one attention to your success, a customized study plan, 100s of strategy based videos, and a UWorld subscription as a part of your purchase. They have plans for you to improve your score in as little as 8 weeks! Check out https://www.pillartestprep.com/the-retaker-course for an in-depth look at the packages, and use discount code "PREMEDPERSPECTIVE" for 20% off of your purchase. LINK FOR PILLAR PREP REVIEWS: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/seanstudies.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Lasya sits down with Dr.Keme Carter, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Admissions at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr.Carter shares a lot about the mission and vision of the medical school such as what their curriculum entails, what students thrive in that curriculum, and what her favorite part of being a leader in the school is. Later, she answers some hot topics within the admissions world such as the pros and cons of taking a gap year, lack of clinical experience due to COVID, and whether research is experience is necessary for gaining admission to medical school. Listen to this episode if you want to hear directly from a medical school admissions expert to learn how you can get into your dream medical school! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Lasya sits down with Nidhi Jha, a premed at Case Western Reserve University. Nidhi is a student athlete (tennis player) and a leader in many different communities, including her sorority/Panhellenic community. They discuss how Nidhi balances her various extracurriculars with being premed. Additionally, it is very difficult to study for the MCAT without any extracurriculars - let alone while being so busy! Nidhi discusses how she balanced the MCAT and found a lot of success on her second attempt. This episode is perfect for any student, premed or not, who is extremely involved in their college experience. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Lasya sits down with Mr.Mike Woodson, the Director of Admissions at Tulane School of Medicine. They discuss the unique programs that this particular medical school offers such as their hybrid model of learning, clinical opportunities to give back to the community, and the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine. They also discuss how Tulane School of Medicine offers an Early Decision program for applicants, and Mr.Woodson describes the pros and cons to that program. Additionally, Mr.Woodson gives his best tips on how to be a competitive applicant by sharing tips on how to write a personal statement, who to ask for letters of recommendation, and how to shine in an interview. Finally, Mr.Woodson gives us a glimpse into what happens at admissions committee meetings, where they make the decisions on who they are going to admit. Give this episode a listen if you want to learn more about Tulane School of Medicine, want to hear an expert share how to gain admission into medical school, and want to know some insider information on how candidates are admitted. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

In this episode, Viji sits down with Cindy Chu, an OMS-II at MSUCOM. Cindy talks about her various study abroad experiences in Spain and China and discusses how she was able to build time in for study abroad during undergrad while also meeting pre-medical requirements. She also shares how she incorporated her study abroad experiences into her medical school application and how she was able to receive different scholarships to fund study abroad. Additionally, Viji and Cindy talk about studying a foreign language as a pre-med and medical student. Cindy double majored in Biomolecular Science and Spanish, and she discusses her motivation for pursuing the Spanish major and how she was able to continue her Spanish education in medical school. Definitely give this episode a listen if you're interested in studying a language or studying abroad as a pre-medical student! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Lasya sits down with Virali to discuss everything about mentorship within the premedical community. She explains why she is so passionate about mentorship, how to find mentors, what makes a good mentor-mentee relationship, and how to navigate mentor-mentee relationships. The path to medical school is so tremendously difficult, and it is almost impossible without mentors, so listen to this episode to learn more about how to find and maximize these important relationships. Also, Virali has a very informative Instagram page (@ thepremedmentor), so make sure you check it out! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Ambika sits down with Dr. Soliman MD,PhD,MBA. He details on how he got a competitive residency and gives tips on finding the best residency fit for you. He recently matched Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Dr. Soliman also provides details about his life coaching business and mental health. He provides excellent advice for premedical and medical students! As someone with a lot of research experience, Dr. Soliman also talks about deciding on whether research is right for you. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Lasya sits down with Samantha Saddler, the intelligent yet hilarious Tik Toker (@ sadlersammie) who graduated from Duke for undergrad and directly matriculated to Harvard Medical School. Premed culture is incredibly cut throat and can be extremely toxic; however, Samantha speaks extremely truthfully and openly about her journey of balancing a social life and an incredible academic life. She speaks about her struggles with ADHD, how she coped with the cut throat nature of undergrad, and how she was able to matriculate without a gap year to medical school. Samantha's honesty is so refreshing! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Lasya sits down with the leaders of Delta Epsilon Mu of Michigan State University to discuss pre-health fraternities. With the start of the semester, it can be overwhelming to decide what organizations to join; however, pre-health fraternities provide a great social and professional support system. Listen to this episode to find out the perks of membership, how to join a chapter, and inspiration to potentially start a chapter at your school! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Esha sits down with Dr. Kunal Sood, double certified anesthesiologist and Interventional Pain Medicine specialist. He talks about his journey of realizing his love for anesthesia and then pursuing his pain medicine fellowship. Dr. Sood employs multimodal therapies on order to optimize patient health, and he often refers to holistic practices which can help soothe pain. He shares insight into the field of anesthesia and interventional pain medicine, as well tips for students to stay healthy while studying. Be sure to check this episode out! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Lasya chats with Dr.Julia Kerolus, MD. Dr.Kerolus graduated from University of Missouri-Kansas City 6 year BS/MD program. She talks about the challenges of completing her medical training two years earlier than a traditional medical student, and how her young age played a factor in matching into a competitive specialty: Otolaryngology. After completing her residency in Illinois, Dr.Kerolus pursued a fellowship in facial plastic surgery in Beverly Hills. Apart from being a surgeon, Dr.Kerolus is a mother and wife of a Neurosurgeon. She discusses how she balances motherhood and marriage as her husband and her live apart due to his fellowship being in a different state than the one she lives in. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

In this episode, Viji sits down with Marjorie, @thehonestaudiologist, who is a current audiology student at University of the Pacific in San Francisco. Marjorie explains her motivation for becoming an audiologist and the activities she was involved with to learn more about the field, including advocating for the deaf community. In addition, Viji and Marjorie talk about the application process to audiology school. Marjorie also explains the structure of audiology school and describes a typical week as a student. Marjorie shares a lot of insight about the field of audiology in this episode, so make sure to give it a listen to learn more about this important field in healthcare! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

To kick off season 6, Lasya sits down with Mr.Christian Essman, the Senior Director of Admissions & Financial Aid at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine which is located in Cleavland, Ohio. He is also the podcast host of the podcast “All Access Med School Admissions, where he chats with other admission committee members from other medical schools. Make sure you check out his podcast. Lasya and Mr.Essman discuss the highlights of CWRU Med School including on how to apply to their programs, their case inquiry (IQ) style learning, research requirements, clinical opportunities, and so much more. Mr.Essman also shares tips about applying to medical school, giving advice on what activities to put on your medical school application, how to write your personal statement, who to ask for your letter of recommendations, how to write an effective secondary essay, and how to perform well in an interview! Make sure to give this episode a listen if you want to learn more about Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and the type of candidates they admit to their school! Links referred to in the episode Mr.Essman's podcast: https://case.edu/medicine/admissions-programs/md-programs/podcast-all-access-med-school-admissions. CWRU Med Secondaries: https://case.edu/medicine/admissions-programs/md-programs/application-process/secondary-application-questions AAMC Guide for Letter Writers: https://www.aamc.org/system/files?file=2019-09/lettersguidelinesbrochure.pdf --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

For the Season 5 finale, Viji sits down with her favorite Tiktoker, Amanda Braddock, also known by her Tiktok handle @hugewormgirl.med. Amanda just completed her first year of medical school at Baylor College of Medicine. In this episode, she discusses deciding between pre-PA and pre-med, the types of activities she was involved with in undergrad, and her application journey. Amanda also shares how she adjusted to medical school during the pandemic and explains different medical school structures/curriculums. Viji and Amanda also discuss social media, specifically how Amanda got into Tiktok and how she manages her large social media account with medical school. Amanda talks about how she likes to keep her account casual and honest to help humanize medical school, and she shares tips to students to mitigate anxiety and stay sane throughout the application and medical school process. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Lasya sits down with Shubhangi Sharma, an OMS1 at Campbell University of Osteopathic Medicine. She discusses exactly how she accomplished clinical hours, competitive stats, meaningful experiences, the MCAT, and application process all before she applied to medical school leading up to her senior year of undergrad. She breaks down her four years in undergrad and explains exactly when she did everything needed for the application process. She also discusses how disruptions due to the pandemic impacted her process. Give this episode a listen to figure out how you can plan your undergrad or premed experience based on when you want to matriculate to medical school! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Lasya sits down with Rose, who is an M1 at University of Michigan Medical School. Rose completed her premedical experience at Harvard. She reflects on Harvard's competitive premed environment, and she explains how she was able to find the strength and support to get through that. She also explains how she ended up matriculating to UMich Med, and how she is enjoying the support and opportunities that the school has to offer. Towards the end, she talks about what medical school is like when comparing it to undergrad. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Ambika and Viji sit down with Dr. Munir, a board certified cardiologist. Dr. Munir talks about his many fellowships in Peripheral and Structural Heart Disease, Interventional Cardiology, and Cardiovascular Diseases and Critical Care. He also discusses how he is a fellowship program director. Dr. Munir talks about transitioning from an overseas med school into American residencies. Listen to this episode to learn more about the cardiology lifestyle and what Dr. Munir looks for in a candidate! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Lasya sits down with Maya Hammoud, a medical student at the University of Michigan. Maya's path to medical school was not an easy one - she applied to medical school with 0 gap years but lacked a lot of really crucial elements from her application. As a result, she received 0 interviews; however, she did not let this disappointment hold her back from pursuing her dream. After immense reflection, Maya pursued post bacc classes, clinical experiences, and other valuable ventures which resulted in her receiving 7 interviews and her acceptance to her dream medical school in her second application cycle. Listen to this episode if you want to hear about what Maya changed in order to have a successful second application cycle! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Lasya sits down with Dr.Siri, MD, who is an Emergency Medicine physician. They discuss her journey to emergency medicine and why she decided on pursuing this field. She reflects on how much she loves what she does, but she also discusses how she manages her rigorous work with her fun life. Finally, she touches on the subject of women in medicine and what it is like to be in a male dominated speciality. Make sure you check out her Instagram @heyitssirimd, as she posts a lot of interesting content regarding medicine and her life on there! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

In this episode, Viji sits down with @dpt.steph who is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and the host of the All Things Physical Therapy Podcast. Dr. Stephanie shares what inspired her to become a physical therapist, and she describes the application process for PT school as well as the structure of PT school. Viji and Dr. Stephanie also discuss the “doctor debate” regarding physical therapists. In addition, Dr. Stephanie provides a comparison between the fields of physical therapy and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). She also talks about her experience working on the frontlines during COVID-19 pandemic and shares tips for success. A lot of information in this podcast, so definitely give it a listen if you're interested in physical therapy! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Lasya sits down with Marlee Mason-Mareddy, a medical student and admissions committee member at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. They discuss how to make sure you apply to schools that fit your goals, how admission committees make their decisions, the most common downfalls that applicants exhibit, and what makes an extremely successful applicant. If you plan on applying to medical school, make sure to listen to this episode to listen to the valuable insight Marlee shares about primaries, secondaries, interviews, and so many other parts of the medical school application process in order to maximize your chances of admission to your dream medical school! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Esha sits down with her cousin Dr. Naeha Gupta! Dr. Gupta is a board certified dermatologist. She discusses tips and tricks on how to match into such a competitive residency and how to make connections and network. She talks about how she was able to start working towards the residency early and how she was able to make connections without having any family members who are doctors. She also discusses her work life balance as a resident and now physician. Listen to this podcast if you are aiming for a competitive residency for advice on how to secure your spot! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week, Lasya sits down with Heena, the incoming medical student behind @scrubsandchaiii on Instagram. Heena, who applied to 28 medical schools, breaks down the entire medical school application: letters of recommendations, activities section, and personal statement. She explains how to ask for letters of recommendations, how to pick and write robust activity descriptions, and a how to craft a compelling personal statement which answers the question "why do you want to be a doctor?". Whether you are applying to medical school in this application cycle or a following one, be sure to give this episode a listen! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

With AMCAS and AACOMAS opening this week, we wish everyone who is applying this cycle the best of luck!  In this episode, Viji sits down with Carmen Zavala, an incoming MD/PhD student. Carmen describes her motivation for pursuing this rigorous dual degree, including having participated in neuroscience research during undergrad. She describes the process of applying to MD/PhD programs and how it compares to regular MD and DO programs. She also discusses the structure of MD/PhD programs and gives tips for success for students interested in this dual degree. Listen to this episode to learn all about MD/PhD programs, and the resilience needed to become a physician scientist!  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Ambika sits down with Dr. Rehman, a board certified general orthopedic surgeon and hand surgeon. She discusses being a woman in a male dominated field and how to advocate for yourself in a professional setting. She was the first woman to be accepted to her residency program and discusses the hardships and rewards that went along with that. She also describes being a surgeon in the hospital and clinical setting. Give this episode a listen to learn about this competitive specialty and about Dr. Rehman's journey! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Ambika and Lasya sat down with Sabina, an M2 at University of Pittsburgh Medical School. Before medical school, Sabina pursued a Masters in Science and Masters in Public Health. She discusses how she picked these degrees, and how she pursued her interests through these degrees. She also discusses how her previous masters education is helping her get through medical school. Check out her great content on instagram @thecurlymed. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

Lasya sits down with Jorge (@doodlesinthemembrane) who was inspired by his tutoring experiences to create an illustration heavy organic chemistry textbook. He discusses how to condense information effectively, how to find your learning style, and how to take great notes. Check out his free resources that make science easier: https://beacons.page/doodlesinthemembrane. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message

This week Lasya sits down with Joshua Chen, a student in PSU's BS/MD program, to discuss everything about the MCAT. They discuss what classes are recommended before taking the test, how long to spend on content review vs practice, his exact schedule, his test day experience, and his reaction to this score. If you plan on taking the MCAT, this episode is a must-listen! Check out Joshua's TikTok (@premedjosh) for even more premed advice. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lasya-marla/message