Hey, everyone! A new post for Labor Day! Hope you enjoyed your 3-day weekend, which was just a normal weekend for me since I don’t have any classes on Monday. Also, I feel like I never stop working after school begins. No matter what holiday comes along.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Matt, who was a Supplemental Faculty member (basically a fancy term for TA hehe) at my post bacc program. He has supported me and other students through our post-bacc and medical journey. He is always open to giving advice and often has a quote to share when we’re feeling unmotivated or discouraged. I have gone to his office too many times to count, because he is so good at explaining material. He has been in the med game for awhile, so he knows all of the twists and turns of the pre-med road. I was so happy to find out he got into medical school! He is going to make such an awesome doctor! I’m thrilled he agreed to an interview, so he can spread his wisdom to you all. Get ready to be inspired! Hope you enjoy this read.
Tell me a bit about yourself. What is your professional background? Where did you go to school? What year are you? Where are you from? (skip if you do not wish to say. Completely understand!)
26 year old from Milpitas, CA! Lived in the DC/DMV area for the past 4 years. Graduated from UC Davis and did the Georgetown SMP! Currently an MS1 at University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa!
Favorite food? TV show? Book?
Food = Burritos/Mexican Food!
TV Show = Rick & Morty!!!
Book = The Wheel of Time Series!!
What hobbies do you like to do outside of work/school?
Rock Climbing, Board Games/Puzzles, Festivals
What do you do to relieve stress? Basically, how do you remain sane?
I climb and hang out with friends! I also have other goals besides school, such as fitness goals. I’m also trying to learn how to communicate more effectively, manage expectations, and make improving my learning a goal.
I suggest using the Pomodoro study method. 25 minutes of studying, 5 minutes break. Every 3 times (intervals), you take a 15 minute break.
Tell me about a typical day as a medical school student/resident?
Basically, for first year we’ve just had orientation but what I imagine our school week will look like would be:
Class in the morning (8am) and afternoon (MSK Anatomy and Cancer Bio/Biochem right now). In the afternoon probably just go to the library and study my butt off! Grab dinner with some friends (or meal prepped lol). And then light studying and wind down with some Netflix.
What experience is necessary to become a physician? What did you accomplish prior to being accepted into medical school and becoming a physician?
From an admissions perspective, you definitely need to have clinical experience working with physicians in a patient setting! It also helps to have other volunteer experiences working with patients in any form.
From my personal perspective, I think experience working with people is necessary in today’s medical landscape! Besides needing to know your stuff, you also need to learn how to work with people. I personally think that’s important!
What extracurricular activities did you hold in undergrad?
I was part of a cultural Lion Dance Troupe and worked in a Cancer Screening clinic!
What are leadership roles and are they really THAT important?
I think it depends on what you want to do! I personally think that they’re important. Leadership can really bring people together and make a larger positive impact than one person can alone. By being an effective leader, you can empower others to make change!
In terms of medicine, I think when you become a physician you are automatically a leader. Regardless of whether you are given an official title or not, people will still look towards you! So it’s important to get some experience in that area at some point.
How important are grades/GPA and MCAT score when considering a career in medicine?
It’s pretty important. Especially MCAT right now. From what I’ve heard, GPA is the only number in the past that has a correlation with success in medical school. I think that the new MCAT represents some medical school material pretty well and that’s why schools are using it as the new standard for their applicants. Strong MCATs seem to give an indication for how well students do on STEP (although I don’t think there’s any real data yet). They’re probably the two most important factors to get your “foot in the door”.
But! That doesn’t mean that you can’t be successful without those things! If you have a low undergrad GPA you can also do a masters or post-bacc. You can retake the MCAT. If you have strong clinical experience and volunteer experience you might be able to overcome those barriers at the right school. That being said, it definitely helps to be strong in both categories!
How did you get to where you are? Did you take gap years? What did you do in that time?
I had a bit of a non-traditional path! I graduated in 2013 with a degree in Biology (Surprise!). I worked for a year and then did a one-year SMP. After that I worked as a Supplemental Faculty for a pre-med Post-bacc for 3 years!
How was the application process for you? Was this your first time applying?
The application process is a pretty grueling (and expensive) journey! This cycle was my 5th time applying. I think I grew a lot with every cycle and it definitely toughened me up. Every time you go through it I think it gets easier too! But it definitely is a good opportunity to look at yourself and reflect on how you’ve changed each year.
Do you have any special words of warning or encouragement as a result of your experience?
Don’t give up! Always keep learning – especially about yourself. When you know about yourself, that’s when you can start to make positive changes in your life and move in the direction that YOU want to head towards. If you stay motivated, you can do it!
Finally, what is your favorite quote?
Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Thanks for the interview, Matt! I know you’re killing it in medical school! If you want to read more motivational posts like this, check out my other interviews! And remember,
Thanks for visiting my blog! Be sure to check out my other posts. More to come soon! Until then be kind and remember tomorrow depends on what you do today. Hope you enjoyed reading! — Taylor ❤
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