Anxiety. Excitement. Blur. Great weather in Pittsburgh? Say what?
What a day. Although I am set on attending Pitt Med this Fall, not all pre-medical students that were accepted have made their decision between Pitt and other schools. This past Friday was my first encounter with most of my future classmates and potential classmates who wanted to give Pitt a second look and explore their new city.
What an incredible group of people.
I felt like this was my first day at a new middle school... or at least I would imagine. I have never moved schools as a child or had to adapt to a new group of large people in that way... and here I am in a group of 100+ people that will soon be my tight-knit small group of classmates for the next four years. I was overwhelmed and felt like the new kid... but we're all new kids here right? Still having trouble remembering the kids name I just talked to 5 minutes ago.. I met people from all over the world... Orlando, Michigan, California, India, and Australia... with lots of H2P love to go around too! I wasn't alone in the Pittsburgh connections. I would actually say MOST people I talked to had some connection to the 'burgh no matter how far they had traveled.
So many things at once. I learned of the INCREDIBLE overload of support I will get while in school... I honestly had no idea of the amazing resources available... a Dean appointed to me as an advisor, a psychiatrist dedicated solely to med students to help with stress, countless special interest group meetings to help me decide a specialty... doctors, faculty, and staff all a part of the groups. Dean Levine also has a weekly lunch with different med students to talk about student support and current needs.
There's no hiding in med school! This isn't undergrad anymore. Support is constantly around you to ensure you do not fail... starting to make sense that people say the hardest part of the medical journey is getting in.
I couldn't help but be continually reminded of the shadowing program I worked on for POMS in undergrad... It was my baby for years. I put tons of work into it starting it up... helping 2-3 students shadow per week... and I learned how hard it was to reach out (let's be honest...practically begging) to get a busy docs attention to help a group of pre-meds (LITERALLY put curly ribbon on envelopes to just maybe get them to read our mail!). It was VERY difficult to say the least. Every pre-med knows the process of the dozens of introductory emails for research or shadowing waiting for a single bite...
And now... the doctors are there for me! They are everywhere and know I WILL be a doctor. It's no longer wishful thinking or a dream of a doctor-wannabe. They see that we have passed the true test of getting in and are now worth their time to not only teach us but to learn from us too. Med school is shadowing and mentoring heaven. Your med school ID is the golden ticket to the factory.
Pitt Med is an academic institution. The doctors are there to help us and push us to be better and work harder. They are on our team and we are their newest project. It was beautiful the way Dr. Mahoney discussed how the students even one year ahead of us are paving the way for us. We all must work TOGETHER. It's not a competition. When they are great... Pitt Med gets a great rep... great for me when I am looking for residency... great for the students after me. It's a beautiful snowball effect.
Mahoney also talked about how honored he was to see his daughters future doctors 4 years BEFORE they become doctors... how amazing it is for him to be a part of that process. He asked, "How many people get to pick out their doctor when they are young?" He professed how the interviewers that have accepted us TRULY believe in us and would trust us with their children and grandchildren... How amazing is this? My cheeks actually hurt from smiling.
For one workshop, I got to play around with an ultrasound machine on first year medical students... I couldn't help but thinking wow... this is real. I am finally DOING things I will do for my career. Obviously, there is so much more to learn, but I am learning some hands on details and skills I need to be a doctor. Super awesome. Couldn't stop smiling.
My last workshop, "The Road to Residency," was incredibly helpful and something I needed. Talking about the actual step-by-step layout and steps of medical school... boards... the scholarly research project... and also what comes after (residency, fellowship, etc) was both exciting and overwhelming.I kept thinking... This is happening. I am going to be a doctor... WOW! This is too crazy... After all of the blood sweat and tears to get here...the horrible nights of stressing out over the MCAT... I did it... this is REAL LIFE now! And this is only the beginning.
Sooooo ready to get that white coat August 14th! ;)
I hope this helps any current pre-meds! Message me if you need any advice or help. I am happy to share anything I can.
What a day. Although I am set on attending Pitt Med this Fall, not all pre-medical students that were accepted have made their decision between Pitt and other schools. This past Friday was my first encounter with most of my future classmates and potential classmates who wanted to give Pitt a second look and explore their new city.
What an incredible group of people.
I felt like this was my first day at a new middle school... or at least I would imagine. I have never moved schools as a child or had to adapt to a new group of large people in that way... and here I am in a group of 100+ people that will soon be my tight-knit small group of classmates for the next four years. I was overwhelmed and felt like the new kid... but we're all new kids here right? Still having trouble remembering the kids name I just talked to 5 minutes ago.. I met people from all over the world... Orlando, Michigan, California, India, and Australia... with lots of H2P love to go around too! I wasn't alone in the Pittsburgh connections. I would actually say MOST people I talked to had some connection to the 'burgh no matter how far they had traveled.
So many things at once. I learned of the INCREDIBLE overload of support I will get while in school... I honestly had no idea of the amazing resources available... a Dean appointed to me as an advisor, a psychiatrist dedicated solely to med students to help with stress, countless special interest group meetings to help me decide a specialty... doctors, faculty, and staff all a part of the groups. Dean Levine also has a weekly lunch with different med students to talk about student support and current needs.
There's no hiding in med school! This isn't undergrad anymore. Support is constantly around you to ensure you do not fail... starting to make sense that people say the hardest part of the medical journey is getting in.
I couldn't help but be continually reminded of the shadowing program I worked on for POMS in undergrad... It was my baby for years. I put tons of work into it starting it up... helping 2-3 students shadow per week... and I learned how hard it was to reach out (let's be honest...practically begging) to get a busy docs attention to help a group of pre-meds (LITERALLY put curly ribbon on envelopes to just maybe get them to read our mail!). It was VERY difficult to say the least. Every pre-med knows the process of the dozens of introductory emails for research or shadowing waiting for a single bite...
And now... the doctors are there for me! They are everywhere and know I WILL be a doctor. It's no longer wishful thinking or a dream of a doctor-wannabe. They see that we have passed the true test of getting in and are now worth their time to not only teach us but to learn from us too. Med school is shadowing and mentoring heaven. Your med school ID is the golden ticket to the factory.
Pitt Med is an academic institution. The doctors are there to help us and push us to be better and work harder. They are on our team and we are their newest project. It was beautiful the way Dr. Mahoney discussed how the students even one year ahead of us are paving the way for us. We all must work TOGETHER. It's not a competition. When they are great... Pitt Med gets a great rep... great for me when I am looking for residency... great for the students after me. It's a beautiful snowball effect.
Mahoney also talked about how honored he was to see his daughters future doctors 4 years BEFORE they become doctors... how amazing it is for him to be a part of that process. He asked, "How many people get to pick out their doctor when they are young?" He professed how the interviewers that have accepted us TRULY believe in us and would trust us with their children and grandchildren... How amazing is this? My cheeks actually hurt from smiling.
For one workshop, I got to play around with an ultrasound machine on first year medical students... I couldn't help but thinking wow... this is real. I am finally DOING things I will do for my career. Obviously, there is so much more to learn, but I am learning some hands on details and skills I need to be a doctor. Super awesome. Couldn't stop smiling.
My last workshop, "The Road to Residency," was incredibly helpful and something I needed. Talking about the actual step-by-step layout and steps of medical school... boards... the scholarly research project... and also what comes after (residency, fellowship, etc) was both exciting and overwhelming.I kept thinking... This is happening. I am going to be a doctor... WOW! This is too crazy... After all of the blood sweat and tears to get here...the horrible nights of stressing out over the MCAT... I did it... this is REAL LIFE now! And this is only the beginning.
Sooooo ready to get that white coat August 14th! ;)
I hope this helps any current pre-meds! Message me if you need any advice or help. I am happy to share anything I can.