An Interview with Andrea Christopher
Left to Right:
Michelle Christopher, UW Neurobiology / AED Member
Dr. Andrea Christopher, MD UWSoM Graduate and Internal Medicine Resident at UWMC
Peter Nguyen, 2008 - 2009 AED President
Muyiwa Awoniyii, UWSoM 3rd Yr MD/PhD Student
Can you provide us with some background on yourself and how you were involved with AED?
My name is Andrea Christopher and I am currently a fourth year medical student (5 days from graduation!) at the University of Washington School of Medicine. I first became involved with AED when I was an undergraduate at the UW, first as a student member and then serving as the treasurer for the organization.
Just so everyone can get a sense of who you are, what is your favorite quote and why?
“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed to an unchartered land or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.” - Helen Keller
I believe it is essential to maintain an optimistic view to keep yourself grounded and motivated to achieve all of your goals in life.
What is the importance of shadowing and why do admissions committee value the experience so much?
The decision to become a physician is a significant commitment as medical education and training is long and rigorous. Therefore, prior to starting medical school, the admissions committee wants to make sure that candidates have a good understanding of what it means to be a physician- both the challenges and the rewards.
How were you able to secure your shadowing opportunites and are any available on campus for undergraduates now?
In high school, I asked at a local family practice clinic whether I could volunteer at their office. Eventually they offered me a job as a receptionist which I continued through college. When I got to know physicians in the clinic, they let me shadow with them. In order to gain more experience in a different healthcare setting, I began volunteering at a hospital. Most hospitals have a volunteer coordinator that you can contact to find out about volunteering opportunities.
Through the UW campus, there are several organizations that provide opportunities to get more shadowing and clinical experience- for example Healthcare Alternative Spring Break and the Al Shifa Health Resource Center.
How has your view of medicine been changed now as an UWMC 1st year Internal Medicine Resident Doctor compared with your Senior year as an undergraduate?
I think I will have to come back to this question since I have not yet started residency ;)
What is life like in the 3rd/4th years of clinical rotations?
The third and fourth year of medical school introduces students to working in the hospital and clinic. Students learn how to take care of patients, but also learn about the lifestyle of being a physician and resident. This is a difficult transition as the first two years of medical school take place in the classroom, much like undergraduate education. Therefore students must adopt new learning styles to apply the information they learned during the pre-clinical years to the new challenge of caring for patients.
Two years of traveling to various hospitals, you have seen new babies take their first breaths of life and young and old members of our species taking their last. What kind of feelings and emotions does these experience invoke and what lessons do they teach you?
Too much to write in a paragraph! The journey through medical school is incredibly rich with the opportunities to experience life through the eyes of your patients- and this has the potential to make you a better doctor and person. I think it is most important to take time for reflection on all of your emotions to help with job satisfaction and personal fulfillment.
With 44 different medical specialties recognized by the NRMP in 2009, what factors lead to you choosing internal medicine?
Selecting a specialty was a very difficult decision for me. I am interested in a career in primary care and internal medicine type issues, and that is what ultimately made the decision for me. I also considered family medicine, general surgery and ob/gyn. Other factors that I took into consideration was whether the specialty would fit into my career goals, lifestyle, and what field would be intellectually stimulating.
In the 2009 NRMP there were 21,340 medical students matched to a residency with 34% of those in family medicine and internal medicine. Why do we keep hearing there is a personnel shortage of doctors helping rural/underserved populations?
Given the rates of retiring primary care physicians, as well as the fact that a significant number of internal medicine residents go on to complete fellowship to become specialists, there is a shortage of physicians going into primary care. With respect to the shortage of physicians in rural and underserved populations, it has a lot to do with the lifestyle choices of living and working in a rural or underserved community and probably also has to do with compensation as well.
What are two “pearls of wisdom” you would share with a student pursuing medical school?
Prior to applying to medical school, make sure you know the true role of a physician by shadowing many different physicians and volunteering in different healthcare settings. Also take time to explore your other potential career interests.
Prepare your application for medical school early by asking for letters of recommendations from professors when you complete their class. The career center in Mary Gates Hall will keep your recommendation letters safe and confidential until it is time for you to submit your application.
You will learn everything you need to know about caring for patients in medical school. Therefore, use your undergraduate education to make yourself a well-rounded person. Major in a non-science subject or take plenty of non-science classes, take time to volunteer or work, and pursue your hobbies.
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