Hey, everyone! For the first time ever, I decided to do a joint interview with two inspirational women. Monica and Jenna are future doctors who have an awesome blog together. In this interview, they will discuss their path to medicine and provide advice to others wanting to pursue medical careers.
*Monica’s responses are in blue
*Jenna’s responses are in purple
1. What is your professional background? Where did you go to school? What year are you? Where are you from?
Hi! My name is Monica and I’m an Afro-Indigenous woman from the Chickahominy Tribe. I was born and raised in Southern California and graduated from Dartmouth College in 2015 with a double major in Romance Languages and Native American Studies. I did a premedical post-baccalaureate program after college and am now starting my first year of medical school!
Hi everyone! My name is Jenna. I’m of indigenous descent from the Eastern Shoshone Tribe of Fort Washakie, Wyoming. I was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. I received my Bachelor of Arts from Colorado College, a small liberal arts college in Colorado Springs. I majored in Molecular Biology with a minor in African Studies and spent a lot of my time volunteering at Planned Parenthood and working with the Native American Student Union. I am currently a part-time graduate student at Dartmouth College where I am pursuing my Master in Public Health. I am currently taking some time off from school to work in the medical field as a medical receptionist at an OB/Gyn clinic in Las Vegas.
2. How and where did you two meet?
Jenna and I met while participating in the Four Directions Summer Research Program (FDSRP) at Harvard Medical School in 2014. We quickly bonded over our love of fitness! (FDSRP and the STARS program at Harvard are two great summer opportunities for students of color to get exposed to research — and it’s free!)
As Monica mentioned, we met through the FDSRP at Harvard Medical School. We found that we had a lot in common including our fitness and career goals as well as our passion for social justice for marginalized communities.
3. Favorite food? Movie? TV show?
I love burritos and chicken tikka masala 🙂 The Mindy Project is my favorite show. It’s SO funny and I love to see a woman of color who plays an Ob/Gyn on TV.
My favorite food is enchiladas by far! I love any type of Mexican food. My favorite show is Game of Thrones (I got sucked in!)
4. Why medicine? Why did you decide to become a physician (vs. other medical fields: PA, nurse, NP, etc.)?
I started to think more seriously about a medical career when I learned about the history of forced sterilization of Native women in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Because of the trauma and human rights abuses to Native people in particular, there has been a legacy of distrust of Western doctors in indigenous communities. I later saw the documentary No Más Bebés and learned that Latina and Black women have also suffered from forced sterilization. I would like to right this wrong by providing more sensitive care to communities of color. I’m interested in Ob/Gyn and am passionate about the health of women, trans men, and gender non-conforming people.
I’ve always been intrigued and amazed by the human body. I decided on a career in healthcare at a very young age and throughout my education, my desire to become a physician grew stronger. As I grew older, I observed and learned more about the lack of Native physicians in the US and poor quality of healthcare on reservations. It disappointed me and further fueled my desire to become the first Native physician in my family. Like Monica, I am very interested in OB/Gyn as well as general surgery. I am excited to eventually use my MPH degree to work with Native American communities throughout the US.
5. What is a typical day like for you?
This is my first week of classes so I’m still getting used to the new routine! So far we have lecture and small groups 8am-12pm most days. I have anatomy lab on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings. Luckily my Friday afternoons are totally free! The first few weeks of school is different from the other blocks. Later we will start to incorporate more clinic exposure through what’s called Clinical Microsystems Clerkship. We’ll learn how to take patient histories, conduct physical exams, etc. I’m already a little overwhelmed in med school but I’ll get the hang of it soon! I’m also trying to figure out my new workout schedule but have so far been going to the gym in the evenings.
My typical day starts at 7:45 am in the clinic. I spend my work day checking in patients, verifying eligibility with insurance companies, scheduling, creating lab orders, giving referrals, helping medical assistants and more! We are a rapidly growing women’s health clinic so we stay very busy. I always pack a healthy lunch and since I am currently out of school, I spend my lunch hour reading my kindle- I’m currently in the middle of “$2 A Day: Living on Almost Nothing In America.” After work, I go straight to the gym or else I’ll be too tired to make it. Then I come home, shower, eat dinner and relax with my cat 🙂
6. Why did you make your page?
Jenna and I wanted to share our journeys to medicine and provide digestible information about health and fitness. We hope that our account will encourage others to improve their health as well as inspire young women of color to pursue medicine! It’s also been a great way to hold myself accountable with exercising.
Monica and I noticed a huge lack of Native women representation in both medicine and fitness on social media platforms. We thought it would be fun to make a unique page that can inspire other women of color.
7. What role does fitness play in your life?
Fitness is a way for me to destress and re-center. I can forget about school and just focus on myself. Being able to block everything out and just jam to music while I workout can almost be therapeutic. It’s also really fun to track and share my progress toward my goals. I honestly didn’t get serious about my fitness routine until I met Jenna! She helped me figure out what workouts were best for me and showed me resources about eating well.
Growing up, I played multiple sports and was very active. Once I left for college, I had no structure in my fitness routine and struggled with healthy eating. My body was changing and I felt extremely depressed all of the time. I started educating myself on weight lifting and healthy eating and fell in love with the gym. Over the years, I’ve fallen on and off the wagon and I’m striving to find a healthy, lifelong balance. I truly feel my best physically and mentally when I am exercising and fueling my body properly!
8. As Native American women, what do you hope to see from medicine in the future?
I want to see more health care providers taking time to understand where their patients are coming from. It’s so common for the stories of patients from vulnerable populations to be dismissed or go unheard, which only perpetuates the disparities in health and healthcare. I want to see social context become more of a focus when facing disease and chronic illness. Frankly, I think this would be alleviated by diversifying the healthcare workforce.
I would love to see more Native representation in the medical field and cultural education/competency from all providers. I also would like to see improvements in Indian Health Services as well as extension of their services to more tribal nations.
9. Do you have any study tips for pre-med classes and/or the MCAT?
Taking as many practice exams as possible and reviewing every single question and answer was fundamental when I prepared for the MCAT. It allows you to see if you’re misreading the question and see the common mistakes you’re making, as well as what areas you should study more. I also HIGHLY recommend taking all the official MCAT practice exams and answering all the question and section banks (and reviewing your answers!), because they are much more similar to the real MCAT than any review material out there.
Organization was key to my success in my undergraduate pre-med classes. I blocked out time in my planner to study for certain subjects and including specific tasks such as problem sets, creating flashcards, reading a certain article, etc. Being very specific with my study plan gave me more structure and allowed me to cross off small things from my to-do list, which always makes me feel good! As far as the MCAT goes, I didn’t take it seriously the first time I took it. DON’T BE LIKE ME! This test is a huge deal and shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you don’t feel confident, you probably aren’t ready and there’s no shame in waiting to ensure that perfect score. I recommend dedicating at 2-3 months of full time studying and to treat it like a job. Take plenty of practice tests to build stamina and take time for self-care so you don’t burn out.
10. Finally, do you have any special words of warning or encouragement for pre-med students as a result of your experience?
DON’T GIVE UP! There were so many points in my pre-med career when I thought I couldn’t do it or that I wasn’t smart enough. I almost gave up my dream of becoming a doctor completely but I was lucky to have a family who believed in me and kept encouraging me. Learn to believe in yourself and try to find a support system of people who will build you up even when you feel low.
It’s extremely important to remember that everyone has their own unique path, as cliche as it may sound! I always had this belief of how my life “should” play out. I wanted to go to college, attend medical school right after graduation, and become a physician. Instead, I fell in love with public health during undergrad and discovered many outside interests and passions. I pursued an MPH and decided to take time off from school and experience the working world. There is so much time to experience life and attend medical school, don’t put pressure on yourself and never give up! Explore interests and live your life. These experiences will make you a better physician in the long run.
Thanks for the interview, Jenna and Monica! 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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