Hey, everyone! I decided I wanted to interview someone in medicine who knew more than I did about pursuing a medical career. I knew immediately who I should interview for this post. I met Dr. Kristen Kirby after she graduated from her post-bacc graduate program. She has been an excellent mentor and adviser to me when I need some advice or someone to listen to my pre-med struggles. Dr. Kirby recently graduated from medical school (yay!) and is starting her pediatric residency soon. As I stated earlier, I have been following Dr. Kirby from when she completed her post-bacc program to present day. Dr. Kristen Kirby is truly an amazing person and inspiration to me and other students dreaming of becoming physicians. She has overcome so many obstacles, and it has been a pleasure to watch her grow and become the physician she is today. I am honored to have the opportunity to interview her for my blog. I asked Dr. Kirby to answer some questions about her path and what led her to become a pediatrician. Through the lines of this interview, you can feel the ambition and desire for medicine that brought her to where she is now. I hope you learn from her advice and enjoy reading about her.
Tell me a bit about yourself. What is your professional background? Where did you go to school?
I am from Richmond, Virginia and have always had a passion for working with children. I am about to start pediatric residency at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina. I went to the University of Virginia for undergrad and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine for medical school.
Favorite food? Favorite book, TV show, or movie?
My favorite food is pizza and my favorite book is Black Man in a White Coat by Damon Tweedy.
Do you own a pet? If so, how did you care for him/her during school?
I do not have any pets.
What hobbies do you like to do outside of work/school?
I enjoy going to Zumba and hip-hop dance classes at the gym. I also enjoy playing tennis. It is important for me to make time to do these things on a weekly basis.
Why medicine? Why did you decide to become a physician (vs. other medical fields: PA, nurse, NP, etc.)?
I was always fascinated when learning about the human body in biology class. Shadowing physicians from different specialties and seeing how they have the opportunity to interact and impact the lives of individuals made me want to pursue medicine.
What field of medicine did you choose and why?
I chose Pediatrics because I enjoy interacting with children. Some of my extracurricular activities included being a camp counselor, volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club, and tutor for elementary school students. When working with children it is necessary to be creative in order to figure out the diagnosis, which allows me to constantly analyze situations and develop solutions.
Tell me about a typical day as a medical school student/resident.
During the first two years of medical school the majority of days consist of attending lectures such as biochemistry, pharmacology, and anatomy. The third year of medical school is when students rotate through different specialties and have the opportunity to interact with patients. The focus of the fourth year of medical school is on applying to residency programs and interviewing. There is also time to take electives in weak subjects or areas of interest.
What do you do? What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job?
During rotations in my third and fourth year of medical school, I was assigned patients of whom I would perform a history and physical exam and present my findings to resident and attending physicians. This was the start of solidifying the knowledge gained during the first two years of medical school.
If you had to break it up into percentages, how do you spend your day?
During third year of medical school, about 40% of the day was spent in the clinic or hospital, 10% of the day was spent studying and reading up on different medical conditions, and the rest of the day was spent participating in extracurricular activities and sleeping.
What kinds of problems do you deal with? What kinds of decisions do you make?
As a medical student, sometimes the large amount of information we are expected to process can be overwhelming. It is important to know your learning style and be very efficient with your free time. During the clinical years of medical school, we are able to think of management plans for our patients and discuss these plans with the residents and attending physicians for learning purposes.
What part of this path do you personally find most satisfying/exciting? Most challenging?
As a pediatrician, I will usually have two patients, the child and the adult, which requires me to find means to connect to both individuals and gain their trust. I enjoy this challenge and once this trust is built, it is a satisfying part of the job.
Is there flexibility as far as work hours?
Each specialty varies on the number and flexibility of work hours. Some physicians work part-time whereas other physicians work one week on, one week off. It depends on the practice and hospital that you are working at.
How has your job affected your lifestyle?
As a medical student, the number of hours studying and rotating through different specialties can leave little time for extracurricular activities and hobbies. Despite the long hours, it has always been important to me to make time to invest in relationships with my friends and family. There have been moments when I have missed important events such as weddings and birthdays but that is all a part of the sacrifice to becoming a physician.
What are the skills that are most important for a position in this field? How did you learn these skills?
Time management is very important in medical school. I am detail oriented and planning out my days and weeks in advance has ensured that I have time to complete the necessary tasks. It is also important to be to open to constructive feedback. Feedback given to me throughout medical school has helped me to grow in my clinical skills.
What experience is necessary to become a physician? What did you accomplish prior to being accepted into medical school and becoming a physician?
It is necessary to obtain the basic science knowledge to effectively diagnose and treat your patients. It is also important to be empathetic and able to communicate well with patients and staff. Prior to being accepted in medical school, I shadowed physicians in many fields such as cardiothoracic surgery, family medicine, and pediatrics. Throughout medical school I have had opportunities to work with underserved populations and educate them on topics such as nutrition, fitness, and cardiovascular health.
Can you suggest some ways a student could obtain the necessary experience to apply to medical school?
In undergrad, students should take the required pre-med classes to get a foundation in the basic sciences. It is also important to shadow doctors in your field of interest to get accustomed to a typical day as a physician. Networking and finding mentors who can guide you on your journey is also integral.
What extracurriculars did you hold in undergrad?
In undergrad, some of my extracurricular activities included being a member of the Daniel Hale Williams Pre-medical Society, Mahogany Dance Troupe, Fundraising Chair for the March of Dimes, Treasurer of Area Council for my dorm, volunteer at a local elementary school, tutor for children at a community center, and working part-time at the fitness center.
What are leadership roles and are they really THAT important?
Many organizations in undergrad have opportunities for students to hold leadership roles. It is important to be involved in extracurricular activities and organizations. Successfully holding a leadership role shows that you are responsible, organized, and can lead others while balancing academics.
How many hours of shadowing do you recommend?
I recommend at least 50 hours of shadowing before applying to medical school. It is also important to have other clinical and volunteer experiences in medical settings.
How did you find doctors to shadow?
During undergrad, I was a member of pre-medical groups that sent out emails with shadowing opportunities. I have also searched on hospital websites for physician’s emails and contacted them to tell them of my interest in shadowing them. There are also many volunteer opportunities during the summer and school year with clinics and hospitals that I took advantage of.
Any advice on how to dress for shadowing, med school interview, or other professional opportunities?
When shadowing I wear business casual clothes with comfortable closed toe shoes or heels since I will be walking or on my feet for the majority of the day. For my medical school and residency interviews I wore a suit (blazer and skirt) with a solid colored shirt underneath. I also wore stockings and comfortable heels.
Which past jobs have been most helpful in reaching your target career?
My jobs as a camp counselor have taught me patience, teamwork, and the ability to connect with a child’s creative side, which has provided me with a foundation for my Pediatric career.
What other jobs can you get with the same background?
Jobs such as a physician assistant, nurse, physical therapist, or nurse practitioner are other options to consider.
How do you apply to medical school? Residency?
When applying to medical school, the first step is filling out the primary application (AMCAS). Some areas of the common app include your classes and grades from college, extracurricular activities with a description, and your personal statement. After sending the common application to all of the schools you want to apply to, you await secondary applications. Each school has criteria that determine which candidates get selected to receive secondaries. For example, this could be based on GPA, MCAT score, or your extracurricular activities. Secondary applications consist of short essay questions and other forms. After secondaries, you await interview invites. After receiving and going on interviews, you get offers of acceptance from schools and choose which school you plan to attend by the given deadline.
When applying to residency, you fill out the ERAS application, which consists of choosing residency programs to apply to, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and extracurricular activities. After submitting this application in September, residency programs send out interview invites. The majority of interviews are between October-January. After interviews, each applicant creates a rank list where residency programs you interviewed at are ranked by preference. Also, the programs rank applicants in the order they prefer. On Match Day (in March), each applicant is notified of what program they matched into. It is a binding contract, so the program you match into is where you will be starting residency.
To how many medical schools should prospective students apply? How early should they apply?
Since it depends on your individual circumstances, including grades and extracurricular activities, it is important to talk to an advisor and/or mentor who knows you to determine the number of schools you should apply to. I would recommend applying as early as possible because the later you apply, the more competitive the applicant pool is, and interview slots can fill quickly.
How important are grades and GPA when considering a career in medicine?
It is important to show that you are competent in the basic science courses because medical school is rigorous and they want to accept students that will succeed. However, grades and GPA are not the only things that are looked at when screening applicants. You must make time for hobbies and extracurricular activities in order to be a well-rounded applicant.
The MCAT. What, how, when, where, and why? What is it? How did you study and what resources did you use? When did you decide to take it and how did you know this was the right time for you? Where did you take it? What was that day like? Why is this such an important exam?
The MCAT is a national exam that must be taken to enter medical school. It is not pass/fail, however medical schools usually have a minimum score that an applicant needs in order to be granted an interview. This standardized exam is used to assess your knowledge of the basic sciences. I wanted to complete biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics before I took the MCAT so I chose to take it the summer after my third year in college. I took a review course, which provided me with reading materials and practice exams. I knew doing well on this exam was very important so I was nervous the first time I took the MCAT. The exam was long and draining and was one of the most difficult exams I have ever taken.
What recommendations do you have for non-traditional students (students with low GPA/MCAT score, students above average age, students with families, etc.)?
I am a non-traditional student and I completed a two-year post-baccalaureate program in between college and medical school. I had a below average GPA and MCAT score so I decided to spend more time taking courses and restudying for the MCAT. During this post-bac program, I took classes such as anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry that helped prepare me for the MCAT as well as medical school. This program taught me study skills that I have used throughout medical school. After these two years I was confident that I had the tools I needed to complete medical school and become a physician. My advice to students with a low GPA and/or MCAT score is to talk to advisors to figure out a plan. As long as you are persistent and do not give up, you will be able to reach your goal of becoming a doctor. For students above the average age or with families, some of my medical school classmates were in their mid 30s when starting medical school and others had spouses and children. They are proof that it is possible to balance being a mother or father as well as a medical student.
Throughout this entire process, how did you stay motivated?
My family and close friends were my support system. I was far from home, but technology allowed me to be in contact with people who would consistently encourage me. Also, focusing on my relationship with God and spending time praying and going to church definitely helped me through the difficulties of medical school.
What special advice do you have for a student seeking to become a physician? Do you have any special words of warning or encouragement as a result of your experience in medicine?
Becoming a physician is a long journey but a rewarding career. It is important to surround yourself with people who are positive. Continue to stay confident in your abilities and do not allow set backs to hold you back. Instead, use them to drive you to work harder to reach your goals.
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With love,
Taylor
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