Even though this was my second year of college, I feel this was my first real taste of higher education. Although I did stress freshman year to a certain degree (although my year in review from last year will make it seem like it was the end of the world), sophomore year took the difficulty level to a whole new level in several different aspects: classes, extracurriculars, and my personal health.
Classes were much more difficult, I was busier with leadership positions in organizations, and I found the pressure to prepare for medical school weighing down on me. I got much less sleep as well, as I tended to have either research or classes very early in the morning after staying up late every night. However, the classwork was much more enjoyable. I started to take some upper level medical sciences electives like molecular genetics and human physiology, which were not only interesting and fueled my love for science, but they were actually applicable to future science classes in my undergraduate and medical school careers as opposed to many sections of general chemistry and general biology. Organic chemistry was not as difficult as I anticipated. I will admit that I did not work as hard as I could have in this class, partially because I didn’t find it particularly interesting. I regret not trying harder for the sake of learning the material more effectively for biochemistry, but academically I was still successful. My favorite class this past year was sociology of health of illness, which opened my eyes to the social side of healthcare. I was already passionate about the broader aspects of public health and the sociological view of healthcare from volunteering at Crossroad Health Center in the fall, but this class, although generally critical of physicians’ efforts, viewing them as futile, it made me realize how important continuous education, advocacy, and widespread public health legislation is for improving the health of Americans as a population. It also made me realize that disadvantaged populations truly need more attention, and that in my position as a physician, I can advocate for people that do not have the power or resources to fight for themselves. The class and my professor, Dr. Bissett, fueled my passion for medical sociology, especially in the realms of women’s health. I hope to take another sociology class with her in the future.
In the fall, I began to volunteer at Crossroad Health Center as a VIP. This is an experience that I’ve wanted to participate in since the beginning of my freshman year of college. Helping to process referrals at Crossroad has been one of the few truly fulfilling volunteering experiences I’ve had, besides Bearcat Buddies. I felt not only that my work was making a difference, but that I was learning even more from the staff and patients about the barriers that people face to gain access and utilization to healthcare. People have been critical of the volunteer position at Crossroad, saying that it de-incentivizes patients, generally in poverty and of minority descent, from learning how to navigate the healthcare system. Although I disagree with this opinion, the conversation opened my eyes to how people with different political beliefs think, which is essential to being able to change the healthcare system to best fit everyone through legislation. I continued my research experience in the Lewkowich Lab, which you can read about in the tab entitled “the role of epithelial cells in the allergic asthma immune response.” I also took on the role of benefit dinner coordinator in GlobeMed this year, which was both rewarding and fun, and the benefit dinner raised almost $4500 for Social Action for Women, our partner organization in Mae Sot, Thailand.
All of this involvement ended up taking a toll on my mental and physical health, especially fall semester. I suffered from minor anxiety and a lot of stress during fall semester, which led to me pursue help and advice from Emily Rawers, my Connections advisor. She helped me get back on track and realize that I can’t do everything. She was also very comforting, and I found a new mentor and friend through seeking help from her. After that talk with Emily, my mental health improved significantly, and I feel more able in handling stressful situations. I am very fortunate to have great mentors, family, and friends to help me through tough times. Physically, because of all the stress, my own laziness, and lack of conscientiousness, I started to gain weight more quickly than I had in the past. I have been overweight for a long time, but it got to the point in February where I didn’t even recognize the body I was in anymore. I asked my friend Andrea, who has had similar struggles in the past, for help, and she along with my family helped get me on track to take better care of my health. As of now, I’ve lost 22 pounds and I’m losing more as I go. I feel better every day, and I hope that this will be a permanent lifestyle change for me.
If I had to give myself a piece of advice for junior year, I would tell myself to remember who I have around me. I have so many mentors, great friends, family, a loving boyfriend, and even strangers who are willing to help me through stressful situations. I know that junior year will be even harder than sophomore year, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. For this next school year, I have a couple goals. One would be to continue losing weight and stay on track with my health, which includes exercising more. The second would be to solidify my plans for the future in terms of the MCAT, deciding whether to apply to a medical school besides UC, etc. I’m very proactive about long-term goals, so this goal is very attainable. Finally, I have a better sense of who I am as a person and who I am in terms of my career. I’m sure this will change, but I am certain of who I am at this moment in time. I now know that I would like to do primarily clinical work with teaching and possibly research as a supplement. I would also like to participate in some aspect of community health or public health, whether that be participating in an advocacy board, starting a program at a local school for underserved populations, or working part time at a federally qualified health center, I would love to have different aspects to my career to contribute in a more meaningful way. In the future, I will look for more opportunities to contribute or learn in a more holistic fashion, whether that be through seeking different opportunities, reaching out to other cities, or trying something I’ve never done before. After this year, I feel it is my duty to use my future skills as a physician to help others in multiple aspects. I hope I can elucidate my career goals even more in this upcoming year.
Classes were much more difficult, I was busier with leadership positions in organizations, and I found the pressure to prepare for medical school weighing down on me. I got much less sleep as well, as I tended to have either research or classes very early in the morning after staying up late every night. However, the classwork was much more enjoyable. I started to take some upper level medical sciences electives like molecular genetics and human physiology, which were not only interesting and fueled my love for science, but they were actually applicable to future science classes in my undergraduate and medical school careers as opposed to many sections of general chemistry and general biology. Organic chemistry was not as difficult as I anticipated. I will admit that I did not work as hard as I could have in this class, partially because I didn’t find it particularly interesting. I regret not trying harder for the sake of learning the material more effectively for biochemistry, but academically I was still successful. My favorite class this past year was sociology of health of illness, which opened my eyes to the social side of healthcare. I was already passionate about the broader aspects of public health and the sociological view of healthcare from volunteering at Crossroad Health Center in the fall, but this class, although generally critical of physicians’ efforts, viewing them as futile, it made me realize how important continuous education, advocacy, and widespread public health legislation is for improving the health of Americans as a population. It also made me realize that disadvantaged populations truly need more attention, and that in my position as a physician, I can advocate for people that do not have the power or resources to fight for themselves. The class and my professor, Dr. Bissett, fueled my passion for medical sociology, especially in the realms of women’s health. I hope to take another sociology class with her in the future.
In the fall, I began to volunteer at Crossroad Health Center as a VIP. This is an experience that I’ve wanted to participate in since the beginning of my freshman year of college. Helping to process referrals at Crossroad has been one of the few truly fulfilling volunteering experiences I’ve had, besides Bearcat Buddies. I felt not only that my work was making a difference, but that I was learning even more from the staff and patients about the barriers that people face to gain access and utilization to healthcare. People have been critical of the volunteer position at Crossroad, saying that it de-incentivizes patients, generally in poverty and of minority descent, from learning how to navigate the healthcare system. Although I disagree with this opinion, the conversation opened my eyes to how people with different political beliefs think, which is essential to being able to change the healthcare system to best fit everyone through legislation. I continued my research experience in the Lewkowich Lab, which you can read about in the tab entitled “the role of epithelial cells in the allergic asthma immune response.” I also took on the role of benefit dinner coordinator in GlobeMed this year, which was both rewarding and fun, and the benefit dinner raised almost $4500 for Social Action for Women, our partner organization in Mae Sot, Thailand.
All of this involvement ended up taking a toll on my mental and physical health, especially fall semester. I suffered from minor anxiety and a lot of stress during fall semester, which led to me pursue help and advice from Emily Rawers, my Connections advisor. She helped me get back on track and realize that I can’t do everything. She was also very comforting, and I found a new mentor and friend through seeking help from her. After that talk with Emily, my mental health improved significantly, and I feel more able in handling stressful situations. I am very fortunate to have great mentors, family, and friends to help me through tough times. Physically, because of all the stress, my own laziness, and lack of conscientiousness, I started to gain weight more quickly than I had in the past. I have been overweight for a long time, but it got to the point in February where I didn’t even recognize the body I was in anymore. I asked my friend Andrea, who has had similar struggles in the past, for help, and she along with my family helped get me on track to take better care of my health. As of now, I’ve lost 22 pounds and I’m losing more as I go. I feel better every day, and I hope that this will be a permanent lifestyle change for me.
If I had to give myself a piece of advice for junior year, I would tell myself to remember who I have around me. I have so many mentors, great friends, family, a loving boyfriend, and even strangers who are willing to help me through stressful situations. I know that junior year will be even harder than sophomore year, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. For this next school year, I have a couple goals. One would be to continue losing weight and stay on track with my health, which includes exercising more. The second would be to solidify my plans for the future in terms of the MCAT, deciding whether to apply to a medical school besides UC, etc. I’m very proactive about long-term goals, so this goal is very attainable. Finally, I have a better sense of who I am as a person and who I am in terms of my career. I’m sure this will change, but I am certain of who I am at this moment in time. I now know that I would like to do primarily clinical work with teaching and possibly research as a supplement. I would also like to participate in some aspect of community health or public health, whether that be participating in an advocacy board, starting a program at a local school for underserved populations, or working part time at a federally qualified health center, I would love to have different aspects to my career to contribute in a more meaningful way. In the future, I will look for more opportunities to contribute or learn in a more holistic fashion, whether that be through seeking different opportunities, reaching out to other cities, or trying something I’ve never done before. After this year, I feel it is my duty to use my future skills as a physician to help others in multiple aspects. I hope I can elucidate my career goals even more in this upcoming year.