An Interview with Jeannie Nguyen
How were you affiliated with AED?
Freshman: Became a member
Sophomore: Diversity Health Committee
Junior: Associate President
Senior: Vice President
UWSOM MS-1: AED Alum
What have you learned and got out of being involved with AED?
What is the importance of active membership vs. passiveness when involved with student organizations?
Becoming a member of AED is great and opens many doors to pre-med opportunities, learn more about the pre-medical pathway, get access to MCAT-prep materials, connect with other pre-medical students for support, network with medical students and physicians, and give to the community in a health-related manner. This is what I would consider being a passive member. An active member will hold office or volunteer and assist in the group’s activities. This allows the building of leadership skills and gets your foot in the door. During medical school interviews, you will be asked not so much what you did, but what it meant to you and how you contributed to some activity to make it better. Active membership allows you all the passive membership benefits as well as the building of important life skills and helping fellow pre-medical students.
If you could go back and do everything over what would you change?
I loved my experiences leading up until my matriculation into medical school. I did everything I wanted to in college: community service, held leadership positions, studied abroad, and explored non-health-related courses that interested me. The 100 people in my class have such amazing life experiences, I am so proud of having the opportunity to learn from them and go through medical school with them. Explore whatever you want that makes you unique. You should explore everything in college, especially activities that relate to medicine (checking out the hospital atmosphere, shadowing physicians, talking with doctors). Pre-med –> Medical school –> Residency –> clinical practice/academic medicine-for-the-rest-of-your-life is a serious life commitment and takes much time and energy. It is thus critical that you are sure that pursuing a medical career is the best fit for you and your life goals.
What are a few differences between medical school and the undergraduate curriculum?
Medical school is not necessarily intellectually more difficult than an undergraduate pre-medical science curriculum but takes more time. I’m in class sometimes 8 hours a day versus 3 hours in undergraduate. I still have tons of studying to do when classes end. Everything also comes at you at a faster pace. “Big picture” studying and its connections to the continuous building of your clinical knowledge base are important. Memorizing of minute details is less important. Important concepts and facts will be reiterated in other classes if they’re important. I love every class in medical school because everything is clinically relevant. However you studied in undergrad will work for medical school. If you’re accepted, you’ve successfully figured out how you best study. The classes you take in medical school will be all about medicine – take those non-science, non-health classes that you are interested in during undergrad while you can.
What about your first year as a medical student has been memorable for you?
Clinical training begins right away first year. After hours of intensive studying, I always look forward to seeing patients. After hearing patients’ stories I am always reminded of why I chose medicine and I am more motivated to study in order to help these patients in the very near future. It’s a long journey – but well worth it!
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