Don't be consumed by the quest to get into medical school: Remember those who helped you get to where you are

Yesterday, I received some very shocking news. One of my outside dissertation committee members, Dr. Chelsea Deroche, passed away, suddenly, on March 7th. Apparently, as far as we in the Sinclair School of Nursing know, there was no prior illness and she had just come back from maternity leave. Dr. Deroche was an amazing professor, one of the best that I have had across all of my graduate studies and hands down, she was the best statistics professor that I have ever had. She was so very patient with me (and all of my classmates if you were to ask them) and she knew how to “unlock” statistics to make it understandable. I was THRILLED when she agreed to sit on my committee because I wanted to show her that I’d absorbed all of the lessons that she’d taught me. Like any of my high school or college football coaches, I wanted to make her proud. We’d last spoken about two weeks ago and she said that she was looking forward to my dissertation defense in May and she said that she was happy and proud of me that I’d gotten into medical school. Over the last year, I’d really come to see Dr. Deroche as a friend. It seems that the good one’s don’t get to stay with us for long enough…

We never know when death will come to claim our loved ones. As I’ve gotten older, its dawned on me that as an African American male, I am at increased risk of certain chronic ailments and I’ve seen a significant number of my high school classmates pass on to the next life over these last few years. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my own mortality and that of my wife (as a Black female who is attempting to have a child, there are risks from chronic disease, pregnancy, and childbirth). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ready to leave this life and I tell Eboni all the time that I pray that the Lord allows us to live a healthy, active, full life well into our late 90s or early 100s. The thing is that this year and the recent passing of Dr. Deroche has shown me that we can’t take the people in our lives for granted and we have to let them know that we love and care about them while we can.

I know that we are all incredibly busy with taking the MCAT, finishing pre-requisites, making lists of schools to apply to, writing personal statements, and all of the seemingly millions of other things that we have to do to have a successful application season. Its overwhelming at times. Last year, when I was preparing for the MCAT, I was working full time and finishing the last of my PhD coursework/writing my dissertation prospectus. I remember my wife saying one night, “It seems like we are just two ships passing in the night.” Those words really came back to me after I heard about Dr. Deroche’s passing. Don’t let the pursuit of a goal keep you from letting your loved one’s know that you care. Don’t forget the people who made it possible for you to be where you are. If not for my wife, I would not have gotten into medical school. She’s been my rock and support since before I returned to finish my undergraduate degree. When she and I met in 2006, when I was literally blind, she and her mother gave me the gift of sight. It would not be an overstatement on my part to say that she is the whole reason why I will be starting medical school on July 26th. If any of you have had that kind of support, please honor those people and when you can, spend time with them. You never know when they won’t be here to spend time with.

The Path to Healthcare: How to be a strong applicant

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!

Several admissions specialists from the University of Illinois (including the Dean of Admissions) will be holding a webinar on how to be a successful applicant to professional school on Monday, 3/15/21 at 7pm CT. You don't want to miss it!

To register click here

The importance of choosing a medical school that is a good fit

Most students dream of studying medicine at a so-called top tier or well-known medical school. There is undeniably a certain amount of prestige that is associated with attending a highly ranked or well-known program, it may not be the best choice for you or your career. When choosing a medical school (or a PhD, master’s, SMP, or post back), its FAR AND AWAY more important to choose a program that is the right fit for you. Choosing a program based on it being a good academic, financial, and cultural fit for you increases the odds that you will thrive and excel. You’ll be happier, experience better performance, have less overall stress, and will have a better, overall academic experience.

In terms of academic fit, a medical school that is reputed for its academic rigor may be a great fit for highly competitive students, however, students who are not into competing with their classmates may find the environment to be very stressful. Feelings of imposter syndrome may rear its head more frequently. Conversely, a medical school that does not offer an environment that you find challenging enough may leave you feeling bored and unmotivated. You should also consider the structure of the school’s curriculum when considering a medical school. Personally speaking, I was not looking for a program where attendance is mandatory or where lecture goes from 8am – 5pm, Monday thru Friday. I thrive in a curriculum where there is ample time for self-study, the opportunity to seek information in the ways that make sense to me, the chance to learn in an environment that isn’t doing the whole “sage on the stage” thing, and one that allows the early integration of clinical practice. ATSU-SOMA and UIWSOM both offered these things.

Besides academics, you should make sure that the programs that you are considering are a good fit for you financially. Many pre-meds and medical students are of the mindset, “Just take whatever loans you need.” That is certainly one way to look at it but you have to realize that loans come with real consequences. I’ve had a number of primary care providers tell me that it does not make financial sense to pursue a career in primary care if you are graduating from medical school with 300K or more in student debt (and if you attend a DO program, you may very easily accumulate that much debt). I read a post on Facebook that other day where a physician was explaining how she took a 20K residency relocation loan that she is STILL paying on 10 years later. I had a good friend who had to quite medical school because he literally exhausted ALL of his remaining Federal Grad Plus eligibility for medical school. He now has $478,000 in medical, graduate, and undergraduate debt and only completed two years of medical school. He will never pay all that back. He always chose the most expensive programs and took the maximum loans that he was allowed to take. Now he is in a financial bind. Look for schools that offer some scholarships or grants to offset your burdens. Look for outside funding sources. I was able to find a source, the VA-HPSP, that will cover my 100% of my medical school tuition and fees AND gives me a small stipend to help with rent. If I have to take any student loans, they will be minimal at best.

You also want to assess programs in terms of the environment of the school and location. Choosing a program that allows you easy access to the things that you care about can make life as a medical student more palatable. Though I grew up in a rural part of Texas where I was one of three African American students in a school of 1,500 white kids, I’ve no wish to go back to that type of an environment. So this heavily influenced my thoughts about where I would want to attend medical school (and eventually residency). ATSU-SOMA is not a diverse school though the class that has been admitted will be the most diverse class in the school’s history. UIWSOM on the other hand is an incredibly diverse school in an incredibly diverse city. The Phoenix Valley is growing more diverse and its very beautiful out there (I’m going to miss living in the Valley) but SOMA is still lacking diversity in the student body and faculty; this is ultimately why I withdrew my acceptance from SOMA in favor of UIWSOM.

Last thing. While you may not think much about it, its important to note that medical schools also consider fit when considering who to admit. For example, if you apply to ATSU-SOMA and your goal is to specialize in cardiothoracic surgery, you will not be a good fit for SOMA. The school seeks applicants who have a strong commitment to service and primary care. Medical schools strive to create a well-rounded cohort and will give preference to applicants who are a better fit for them. Thus, you should seek to ensure that the school is as good of a fit for you as the school wants to be sure that you are a good fit for them.