November/December 2018 by PreMedLife Magazine

The Magazine for Pre-Medical Students

November/December 2018

KNOW HOW PROVE YOUR DOUBTERS WRONG

Also NEWS: School announces new MD/MBA program for entrepreneurial medical students PAGE 14

PREMEDLIFE.COM

HOW TO

ELEVATE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND USE A BUDDY TO SUCCEED MAKE CURIOSITY WORK FOR YOU CONQUER IMPOSTOR SYNDROME

premedlife November/December 2018

17 HOW TO ELEVATE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND AS A PREMED STUDENT IF YOU DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T DEFINE A PERSONAL BRAND FOR YOURSELF, OTHERS WILL DO IT FOR YOU, INCLUDING MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSION COMMITTEES

USING AN ACCOUNTABILITY BUDDY TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND CRUSH YOUR GOALS

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS DISTORTING YOUR VIEW OF PRE-MED LIFE

FOR ANY PREMED WHO WANTS TO SUCCEED, ACCOUNTABILITY IS OFTEN OVERLOOK BUT KEY TO REACHING GOALS.

STUDENTS ARE UPLOADING PHOTOS OF THEMSELVES ENJOYING A SOCIAL LIFE DOMINEERED BY ADVENTURE. MANY TIMES, THIS PORTRAYAL IS INACCURATE.

November/December 2018 | PreMedLife Magazine |3

contents

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

If you’re becoming a doctor for the right reasons, go ahead finish what you started.

Medical School News

Medical school continues wellness curriculum to address medical student burnout, new program for pre-med students supports shadowing opportunities, new academy to provide educational program for disadvantaged high school students, and more.

How to Conquer Impostor Syndrome as a Premed

Many pre-meds and medical students hold inside of them an uncomfortable feeling that can at any time come to light and for a less positive light on everything they’ve accomplished. If you let it take over, this unwelcome feeling can put your emotions and mental state in a tailspin, making your journey a bumpy one.

WHAT’S INSIDE...

How to Prove Your Doubters Wrong

So, you are really on a mission to get into medical school and become a doctor. However, there are people around you that either directly or indirectly doubt that you will ever achieve this goal and think that you will fall short of your goal. But when it comes down to it – you really want to achieve this dream.

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Perpetual Curiosity Can Lead to Getting into Medical School

Curiosity is a super important train for pre-medical students. However, studies have shown that curiosity is actually suppressed in medical students and physicians. Here’s why it’s important for you to stay curious throughout your journey to medical school.

Digital

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

Is Emotional Intelligence the Key to Reducing Burnout

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As the rate of burnout among physicians increases, many research groups have turned their focus towards finding a solution.

What’s on Premedlife.com For Some, These Mentor Qualities Matter Most

VIDEO: A Crash Course in Organic Chemistry

Successful Pharmacists Have These Traits

For underrepresented students in STEM , matching mentor and protégés based on shared perspectives and values may be more important than matching based on demographics alone, according to new research.

Jakob Magolan is here to change your perception of organic chemistry. In this talk, he teaches us the basics while breaking the stereotype that organic chemistry is something to be afraid of.

Successful pharmacist say critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and work-life balance help them thrive, according to a paper published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

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S:8”

S:10.5”

FOR SOME ELITE SOLDIERS, THIS IS A PATH TO VICTORY. As a surgeon and ofﬁcer on the U.S. Army health care team, you’ll work in cutting-edge facilities boasting the latest in surgical technology, like the da Vinci robotic surgical system, which allows doctors to perform less invasive laparoscopic surgery. Thanks to our Health Professions Scholarship Program, you may also be eligible to receive full tuition assistance, plus a monthly stipend of more than $2,200. But more importantly, you’ll be protecting the Army’s greatest assets: Soldiers and their families. To see the beneﬁts of being at the forefront of Army medicine call 800-431-6717 or visit healthcare.goarmy.com/mc35

From the

Publisher

YOU ARE IN CONTROL. “At the end of the day, you are solely responsible for your success and your failure. And the sooner you realize that, you accept that, and integrate that into your work ethic, you will start being successful. As long as you blame others for the reason you aren’t where you want to be, you will always be a failure” - Erin Cummings As the year comes to a close, most people think about the time that has passed and the months ahead. These

moments of reflection many happen naturally or they are prompted by people or events around you. It is important that you take this time to reflect on the things that you’ve accomplished, the things that you are grateful for, the things you are looking forward to, the things you want to work on, the ways you will celebrate yourself, and much more. As a pre-medical student, this is a critical time for you to hit the refresh or even reset button on your thinking. Your thinking about the goals you have set out to accomplish and the steps needed to get you where you’re going. During this process, seriously think about writing your plan out. The power of putting your plan and thoughts in writing can be quite powerful and plans a very important step in fulfilling goals in general. We here at PreMedLife look forward to taking this journey with you and can’t wait to see what you have in store for the New Year! Tasheema Prince Publisher @PrinceSheem tprince@premedlife.com

Tasheema Prince

PREMEDLIFE the lifestyle magazine for premedical students www.premedlife.com

Founder & Publisher | Tasheema Prince Chief of Staff | Monique Terc Contributing Editor | Njeri McKenzie Online Marketing Consultant | Portia Chu Find us on Twitter @premedlife Find us on Facebook.com/premedlife Here’s How to Reach Us: Kisho Media, LLC P.O. Box 10572 Rockville, MD 20849 Main (646) 571-8035 Have a Story Idea? Email us at editor@premedlife.com Want to Subscribe? Visit www.premedlife.com and sign-up to our mailing list to receive an email when the latest issue is available online Want to Join Forces? (a.k.a. Partner With Us) Email us at info@premedlife.com Advertising Inquiries? Email advertise@premedlife.com PreMedLife magazine is published six times per year by Kisho Media, LLC. and copies are provided to select colleges and universities free of charge. The information in PreMedLife magazine is believed to be accurate, but in some instances, may represent opinion or judgment. Consult your pre-medical/pre-health advisor with any questions you may have about the medical school admissions process and related topics. Unless otherwise noted, all articles, photographs, artwork, and images may not be duplicated or reprinted without express written permission from Kisho Media, LLC. PreMedLife magazine and Kisho Media, LLC. are not liable for typographical or production errors or the accuracy of information provided by advertisers. PreMedLife magazine reserves the right to refuse any advertising. All inquires may be sent to: Kisho Media, LLC. P.O. Box 10572 Rockville, MD 20849 To reach us by phone call (646) 571-8035 or email us at info@premedlife.com.

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A CHART DOESNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T EMPATHIZE.

I DO.

Before reading a chart or lab report, a DO sees a human being. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine practice their distinct philosophy in every medical specialty. A DO first considers the person within the patient.

Learn more at DoctorsThatDO.org

MEDICAL SCHOOL NEWS

Premed Academy >>>

WELLNESS

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The Keck School of Medicine of USC continues wellness curriculum to address burnout among medical students. The program, launched in Fall 2016, is designed to decrease the anxiety and stress around being in medical school. As part of the program, the school provides Keck Checks, which are mental health check-ins for the schools entire first year class.

istockphoto/ SIphotography

Combating Burnout

PREMEDS

Physician Shadowing Northwestern University rolls out new program for pre-med students to shadow physicians. The program, which piloted in October 2018 with 40 pre-med students, offers a five-week physician-shadowing experience to gain a better understanding of a physician’s life. “It’s for the students to ask, ‘Does this inspire me to spend the next 50 years working really hard or is this a good time to change course?’” said Dr. Micah Eimer, cardiology and medical director of the Glenview Outpatient Center.

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Emory School of Medicine announced that it has received over $3M to develop an academy to provide educational opportunities for disadvantaged high school students interested in pursing careers in health. The initiative, called the National Health Careers Opportunity Program, is an expansion of a existing program and will increase the number of disadvantage students able to participate, and will now include non-traditional students, including veterans, and already-admitted undergrad students. “Activities through the National HCOP Academy at Emory will heighten access to educational opportunities for disadvantaged students by providing mentors, college readiness education, health profession exposure and scholarships,” said Yolanda Hood, PhD, program co-administrator and director of Emory School of Medicine’s Multicultural Medical Student Affairs. “Programs like this enhance access to educational opportunities for students. This effort also provides a valuable means for Emory students, faculty and staff to contribute to the Atlanta community.” “These awards will play a key role in addressing health care disparities and increasing the diversity of the health professions,” says Wakefield. “They will give students from disadvantaged backgrounds the support they need to enter the health professions, and help ensure the make-up of the health workforce better reflects our diverse population.” In addition to providing core academic courses, study skills workshops and parental and near-peer support, the grant will also deliver innovative learning techniques, such as simulated clinical experiences and primary care exposure for all participants. “This enhanced model will build on Emory’s distinctive qualities, including its emphasis on research training as well as a noted focus on care of the underserved,” says Hood. To get more information about the HCOP Academy at Emory, email epicprogram@emory.edu

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MEDICAL SCHOOL NEWS

RESEARCH

Mechanics of Research

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Oakland University School of Medicine has a new six-week program designed to introduce students to the mechanics of medical research. The program, called the Summer Research Opportunity Program, will allow high school or recently-graduated students work in labs alongside scientists working on medical research.

UConn Offers One-of-a-Kind Course The University of Connecticut will offer a cannabis course, one of the first courses of its kind in the country. The course, called Horticulture of Cannabis: From Seed to Harvest” will be taught by Gerald “Gerry” Berkowitz, professor of plant science, and several experts working in the cannabis industry today, including former graduate student Matt DeBacco. According to the press release announcing the new course, Northern Michigan University recently developed a four-year degree program in medicinal plant chemistry with the goal of preparing entrepreneurial students for careers in this emerging industry. Niagara College in Ontario, Canada offers a graduate certificate in Commercial Cannabis Production in response to what the college characterizes as an overwhelming need for trained professionals in the booming cannabis market. Several other U.S. universities, including the University of Vermont and the University of Colorado in Boulder, offer undergraduate classes focused on the business aspects or legality of cannabis.

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WELLNESS

New Curriculum Debuts Stanford University debuted a new curriculum designed to transform the way medical students learn and prepare for careers in clinical care and scientific investigation. The redesigned curriculum, dubbed the Discovery Curriculum, was designed to create opportunities and flexibility for students’ long-term research, personal growth, exploration and discovery, as well as to improve the quality of coursework and teaching, and close curricular gaps.

PREMED

Milestone Reached

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The Illinois Institute of Technology has reached a record-breaking milestone for the number of undergraduate premed students who were accepted to health professions schools after graduation. During the 2018 admissions cycle, 75% of the schools undergrad students were accepted to health professions schools, a number which exceeds the nation rate of 43%. According to the announcement, This is due in part to the effort put forth by the Premedical Advisory Committee, chaired by Kathryn Spink, director of pre-health professions programs and senior lecturer of biology. The committee strives to provide individualized guidance to all Illinois Tech students in their efforts to pursue a career in the health professions. Premed and pre-health students come from many majors across the entire university.

PREMED

Purdue University will offer high school students the chance to earn college credit in one week through a new program Summer College for High School Students. For students interested in pursuing careers in health and medicine, there is a course called Exploring University Majors: Planning for Medical, Veterinary and Other Professional Schools After College. “Students will gain the opportunity to take classes taught by world-renowned faculty, enrich their academic portfolio by completing courses not offered during high school and meet other students from across the world,” said John Gipson, director of Summer Session at Purdue. “We hope students build community while exploring everything Purdue has to offer.”

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High School Students Earn College Credits

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MEDICAL SCHOOL NEWS

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> Allison Rowell and Ogechi Nwoko received full fellowships that were jointly funded by the Scheller College of Business and Morehouse School of Medicine. They began their MBA work this semester, with an intended graduation of 2020 for both degrees.

New MD-MBA Program Georgia Tech and Morehouse School of Medicine have partnered to offer a joint, five-year MD/MBA degree. Students enroll and complete their first three years as medical students at Morehouse School of Medicine before entering Tech’s Scheller College of Business for a rigorous one-year, three-semester MBA program. The final year, students return to Morehouse to complete their fourth year of medical studies. “Tomorrow’s physician must be business savvy, possess a lot of financial and managerial acumen, and also be entrepreneurial in their mindset,” said Dean Maryam Alavi, Scheller College of Business. “Our curriculum not only develops managerial and financial acumen, but also develops tech savvy and entrepreneurial thinking. This combination of skills enables our MD/MBA students to thrive and excel as physicians.” “I want to leverage MBA training with my unique clinical background to develop solutions to assist health care organizations in achieving greater resource efficiency without sacrificing the quality of care,” said Allison Rowell, who worked as a registered nurse at Grady Health System and at Piedmont Hospital. “As a clinician, I will be able to apply my understanding of medicine in the context of cost-effective, value-based health care delivery systems.” Another student, Ogechi Nwoko, worked briefly as a clinical research coordinator for a contracting company that conducted clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies. “I wanted a career that would not only be a challenge but would allow me to make an impact in my community,” Nwoko said. “I chose to pursue an MBA at Georgia Tech because the more I learned about medicine, the more I realized that I wanted to have an impact that reached beyond my community. Learning — and eventually practicing — medicine is an honor and a privilege.”

POSTBAC

School Announced New Linkage Program Bryn Mawr’s Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program has partnered with New York University School of Medicine so students will have the opportunity to apply to “link” to NYU and if accepted they will be able to begin their medical training immediately following the completion of their postbac year. “I am very excited about this new addition to our linkage school lineup,” says Glenn Cummings, Associate Dean and Director of Health Professions Advising and the Postbac Program. “I imagine there will be significant interest among the postbacs, since NYU fits in well among the medical schools where so many of our postbacs have ended up going after they leave us—schools where opportunities for both innovative research and broad clinical training go hand-in-hand. We’re looking forward to partnering with this exceptional medical school for years to come.”

UCSF Launches New Center of Excellence The University of California, San Francisco has announced the launch of the Latinx Center of Excellence (LCOE), a center aimed at tackling many goals, including increasing the number of students competitive for medical school admissions and enhance UCSF’s matriculation rate to increase the number of Latinx students at UCSF. “The new UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence will enhance our ongoing efforts to increase diversity and heighten awareness of research that can impact the health of underserved populations,” said SOM Dean, Talmadge E. King, Jr. “This project will have far-reaching implications, impacting approximately 1,500 Latino premeds, 625 Latino and non-Latino medical students, and 100 faculty per year.

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Getting In HOW TO ELEVATE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND IF YOU DON’T SOMEONE ELSE WILL DEFINE IT FOR YOU.

istockphoto/ bob_bosewell

When I was growing up, my mother once told me “still waters run deep” and it was her way of telling me that although I was generally a quiet person, I had a lot of thoughts running through my head and a lot to offer. The idea of being the quite, but intelligent person in the room never bothered me. >>>

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If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop thinking about it...

...donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop working for it. www.premedlife.com

Getting In I was never a fan of classmates who seemed to brag or self-promote at school – in fact, I’m pretty sure these individuals triggered many eye roll moments in my head. However, I do recall someone once telling me that if no one actually knows about my great ideas, those ideas wouldn’t ever count for much. It was kind of hard to hear but it made total sense. Up until that point, I was used to proving myself. I figured that if I proved myself, the thoughts and the ideas I had to offer would soon be noticed. However, as I got older I quickly realized the power of personal PR and how it played a big role in my growth. Building a personal brand as a medical school applicant will allow you to standout, and also put you in a position for acceptance to a medical school that best suits you. Creating and putting your personal brand out there for all to see will allow you to establish and consistently message who you are and what you stand for as a future health care professional. The point is: If you don’t define your personal brand, the medical school admissions committees will do it for you. Everything you do, every post you make on social media, every activity listed on your resume, will either strengthen or weaken the personal image you are trying to create and show to medical schools. It is not going to be easy and it will take a lot of time and effort, but building a strong presence and brand is a choice. Here are a few ways to power your personal brand as a pre-medical student. Write about your experience (and be authentic). If you haven’t yet warmed up to the idea of having to build a personal brand as a medical school applicant, it’s time to consider the idea. Looking at the medical school admissions process through a unique lens may help applicants leverage unique qualities in a different way. When done the right way, you will be able to convey to admission committees what you will be able to bring to their institution, create a genuine voice and attract the attention of decision makers through transparency and storytelling. For pre-meds, a blog can serve as a perfect platform for your story. The actual practice of blogging is very much introspective. It can teach you to focus on small successes, value challenges, make tough decisions-all useful habits for physicians in the making. Some pre-med students use blogging to share their stories of their journey to medical school. It is an opportunity for you to not only keep track and document what you’ve been doing over the

course of your pre-med career, but also share what you’ve learned. And while blogging might be the last thing on your mind as a busy pre-med and just thinking about something else to put on you to-do list just makes your nerves jump, when done correctly, it can make a huge difference in not only your pre-med life but in your personal if as well. Writing on a daily basis will force you to sort through your own ideas and even react to things that are going on around you. It will help you develop a mental behavior that makes you more observant and self-award – qualities that medical school look for in successful candidates. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos said, “when you have to write your ideas out in complete sentences, it forces a deeper clarity of thinking.” When ideas and

If you don’t define

your personal brand, the admissions

committees will do it for you.

Everything yo do will either

strengthen or

weaken the personal image you are trying to create and show

to medical schools. thoughts swirl around in your head, the state is fluid and constantly changing as your mind shifts from thought to thought. Writing about them will require you to give a little more thought to these ideas and get a better understanding of things that are going on along your journey. Not only will this help bring clarity to your thinking, but it will also resonate the same sense of clarity to those reading it. It is very difficult to succeed as a pre-med, medical student, or physician for that matter without having a clear vision of the path you are pursuing. Can you image a medical student without an an-

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swer to the question, “why do you want to be a doctor?” It’s that vision that will ultimately guide you toward becoming disciplined with your study plan, finding creative ways to tell your “why medicine” story, attracting the right mentors, and getting medical school admission committee members to believe in you. Starting and writing a blog can be one of the most effective ways to flush out the vision you have for yourself. Most pre-medical students understand the importance of academic performance and relevant experience when it comes to getting into medical school. Building a strong “personal brand” can add tremendous value and can create a significant competitive advantage when it comes to attracting the right attention from medical school admissions committees. So why, then do so many pre-medical students fail to recognize the value in building an equally respected personal brand? And although it may at first seem like it might not be worth much at face value, doing certain things to build yourself up when vying for other professionals is the norm. For pre-meds, personal branding is the key to giving yourself an advantage. Your personal brand will be something that will follow you throughout your undergraduate years and beyond, whether you like it or not. The point of creating a personal brand is that you want to show medical schools who you really are which will ultimately lead to a deeper connection to your passion for practicing medicine. When it comes to standing out from the competition, fitting in is not the way to go. Put on display who you really are and you will be sure to connect with your dream schools, ace your medical school interviews and help you reach your goal of becoming a doctor. And don’t forget to hone in your uniqueness. Maybe you have accomplished something during your undergraduate years that is worth highlighting. Well, that’s unique to you and you should definitely make that a part of your personal brand. But perhaps there are other premeds who have done what you’ve done, and you’ll be competing for the same spot in medical school. Being able to show a point of difference is your key to success in the competitive medical school admissions process. The most straightforward way to be unique is to be the best. There could be many ways to be the best. Figure out which ways play to your strengths. p.

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22 | PreMedLife Magazine | November/December 2018

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Feature

PROVE YOUR DOUBTERS WRONG So, you are really on a mission to get into medical school and become a doctor. However, there are people around you that either directly or indirectly doubt that you will ever achieve this goal and think that you will fall short of your goal.

ut when it comes down to it – you really want to achieve this dream. You know deep down inside that this is what you want to do with your life. What do you do? Second guess yourself before you even continue on, blame it on “others” for not believing in you, and let it go? Or, make the decision to handle your business? If you’re doing it for the right reasons and your passion and purpose is fueling your dreams of becoming a doctor – go and finish what you started. But how do you address the doubters (even if it’s your inner negative voice that comes into your thoughts from time to time)? You’ll need a plan, so here’s how you can prove your doubters wrong: First, identify who your doubters are. This is a must when it comes to getting on the right path and pushing beyond any negative energy that may be surrounding you. And odds are, there will be people who do not fully support you in your dreams around you – there is no way to avoid them. They will come in all different varieties and at times it may even take you some time to even realize that someone is more against you than they are for your success. For example, there are those individuals who will all of a sudden know everything about what it takes to get into medical school. This person will tell you about all the people who came before you that might have opted for a different, less

challenging career path, point out how many others decided that medicine wasn’t right for them. This person will also have a thing for reminding you how hard the road to becoming a doctor is and how the odds are not stacked in your favor and that it will be long and arduous road to becoming a doctor. While this person may think they are being helpful, the experience that he or she is sharing with you has absolutely nothing to do with you and your experience. Never let the experiences of others scare you from doing what you’ve set out to do – So, F* those that came before you and chose to take a different path for themselves. Then there’s the person who will constantly ask you how everything is going but only waiting to hear that you’re not doing so well. This person will be a little less direct with their negative jabs as they make sarcastic remarks from time to time. The truth is, this individual will probably be around throughout your entire medical school journey. So, when you encounter this type of individual, be sure to use their comments and attitude to make you work just that much harder. Lastly, the individual who you need to steer clear of the most is the person who always has something negative to say. This person thinks that you’re completely out of your mind for trying to get into medical school and become a doctor. This negative and toxic person truly thinks that your plans for gaining admission into medical school will not work out and that you should have a backup plan, and that there

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Feature

are too many challenges to overcome and you can’t possibly be successful. When you encounter someone like this, remember that nothing they say is valid and they are most likely unhappy with their own current situation. They will continually pummel you with negativity as their defense mechanism to bring you down to their level. These individuals will feel that the Universe is against them, when in fact their dismal state is a product of their lack of drive and motivation. It is best that you have an automatic mental response to these types of individuals. No one will be able to say whether or not you will succeed. Your hard work couple with you passion and motivation are just a few of the factors that will come into play when it really comes down to it. You will have people who will not believe in you 100%, so it is actually helpful if you already know that you will come fact to face with the people because you will be prepared to deal with them and their nonsense. You already know how hard your path to medical school and becoming a doctor is. You don’t need people telling you it’s going to be tough. SECOND, BUILD THICK SKIN. Although it may not be something you want in your space, negativity you receive from doubters will allow you to build thick skin, which you will certainly need as you move along your journey into medical school. In an article published on Stanford University’s medical school blog, one student shared their candid perspective: “We realized the need to grow a thicker skin each time the surgeon berated us in the operating room while still maintaining a slice of humanity to offer to the homeless patient who has been admitted for alcohol abuse.” So, with that said, as you begin to grow thicker skins, you’ll have the ability to let negativity just pass you by when it comes your way, and the earlier you start the better – you may even get to the point where you don’t even notice when negativity comes your way. In short – get used to the doubters. Keep in mind that doubt isn’t an insult, but simply fear, someone being scared of the unknown. And

you don’t have to justify your passion and motivation to anyone. Someone who doubts you ultimately has nothing to do with you so remember not to take it personal, and you should never forget that. You’ll be able to stay focused and continue on your path toward become a doctor and grow into the most successful health care provider you can be. LASTLY, KEEP A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE. If you have read Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich, it is a must ready for all future medical students. One quote in particular comes to mind when it comes to the topic of keeping a positive mental attitude in the face of naysayers – “whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” And yes, you’ll have to put in all of the hard work in addition to thinking and believing that you’ll be successful, but it is important that you never forget that you can achieve anything that you dream up. Each year, thousands of students set out with the goal of becoming a doctor, but it is what each and every one of them is telling themselves along the way that will make the difference between those that succeed and those that fall short. Make sure you have faith in your ability to not only be a medical school, but in your ability to become an awesome doctor. The main two things that will get in your way on your journey to getting into medical school are fear and you doubting yourself, which are essentially ways you unconsciously protect yourself and disguise as excuses. If you truly don’t think that you can get into medical school or that you will have a successful career in medicine or if you are scared of disappointing your parents or loved ones, you will find yourself doubting yourself or beginning to believe the

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doubters around you. It’s easier to say, “yeah, they might be right in thinking that becoming a doctor was too hard for me” than to learn from any mistakes that you make and get back up and try again. When you have a positive outlook about your ability to succeed, get the grades you need, successfully make it through the admissions process, and gain admission to medical school, feelings of fear go out the window and comments from the doubters and naysayers rolls right off your back. It will be hard to stop you on your mission to get into medical school when your passion and plan is backed by motivation, passion, and confidence. So much of the premed journey is about your mental state. If you are easily susceptible to negative thoughts, the smallest defeats will stop you in your tracks and cause you to doubt your ability to be successful. You need to start each day knowing that whatever and whoever you come face to face with is no match for your positive mindset. Not everyone is a premed and not everyone has the inner drive required to pursue a career in medicine, and it’s important that you never let doubters and their opinion of your personal journey deter you from your goals. Dream big, dream strong and never concern yourself with what anyone else thinks. You’re not going to always be able to control the individuals in your presence but you can always think about how you will react in these situations. p.

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Advice

How to conquer your impostor syndrome When it comes to confidence, I am the perfect example of a medical student who feels wholly unprepared to do my job. There are some people who know me very well, family members and friends, who think that I’m just being humble. But trust me, there are plenty of time when the feeling of being an impostor has completely threw me off my game at school. Believe it or not, many premeds and medical students hold inside of them an uncomfortable feeling that can at any time come to light and for a less positive light on everything they’ve accomplished. If you let it take over, this unwelcome feeling can put your emotions and mental state in a tailspin, making your journey a bumpy one. You’ve probably been hearing the term a lot lately – impostor syndrome. This mental phenomenon, which was first introduced in 1978, reflects the belief of individuals who believe they are phonies and doubt their intelligence or competency, despite hold a role or position that indicates the opposite. When you start believing that you are “faking it” what comes next could possibly have some negative outcomes. Perhaps your drive to get into medical school and become a doctor start to lessen. Or, maybe your performance on exams and quality of your work starts to decline because you are falling victim to insecurities that you’ve begun telling yourself that your thoughts are consuming your mind. Impostor syndrome can happen to anyone. Here are some interesting findings:

another study showed that among medical, dental, nursing, and pharmacy studies, 30% scored as impostors.

1 in 3 medical students considers themselves impostors. One study found that despite the fact that family medicine residents feel they received the training necessary to succeed in their careers, one third of them exhibited impostorism. Similarity,

1. Break the silence. Accepting that you may be suffer from impostor syndrome is a very important step. As you begin to work through the myriad of emotions you’re feeling, begin to talk about the thoughts that have being going on in

Impostor syndrome is associated with burnout. Burnout is most commonly defined as a triad of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished feelings of personal accomplishment,” the authors of one study noted. “The typical picture of burnout mimics depression and is all too familiar in medicine: fatigue, inability to concentrate, insomnia, irritability, and feeling as if one is “just going through the motions” Students with impostor syndrome exhibit signs of depression. Students with impostor syndrome have significantly increased levels of exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and depersonalization. Furthermore, among practicing physicians, 46-80% reported moderate to high levels of emotional exhaustion, 22-93% reported moderate to high levels of depersonalization, and 1679% reported low to moderate levels of personal achievement. Are you ready to steer clear of (or shake off) impostor syndrome? Well, Dr. Adam Persky, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has written about intellectual self-doubt and how tot get out of it – here are four ways he suggests for getting through these difficult thoughts:

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your head. The act of speaking on your situation alone will be helpful. Find a family member, mentor, or trusted friend you can confide in. They will most likely be able to remind you that everything you’ve accomplished is well deserved. You may even find that others have had similar feelings and can share their experiences and advice to help you get through it. 2. Accentuate the Positive. Dr. Persky recommends that you do a great job when it matters the most and forgive yourself when mistakes happen – they will happen. During your pre-medical years, you may find it difficult to take the good with the bad, and this can be a mindset you’ll need to develop over the years but it will be a quality that will be necessary for success. It is important that you learn to let go and focus on what went right and what can be improved for next time. 3. Develop a new response to failure (and mistake making). As you embark on your journey to medical school, you will encounter many ups and downs. Some experts on mindfulness and brain training say that the best way to overcome a problem is to simply embrace it. When you begin to doubt yourself and obsess over the reasons why you don’t belong or deserve what you’ve accomplished, let yourself feel those feelings – and then move on. Or let it hit the floor, don’t put it in your shopping chart, as my father would say. The truth is, if you’ve been putting in the work, spending hours studying, and doing all of the other things pre-meds do, there’s no way that you can be faking it. When you care so much about becoming a doctor, you are not an impostor. 4. Visualize success. One of the most powerful tools to motivate yourself and retrain your brain to think positively is through visualization. Most successfully people know how important it is to picture themselves achieving success before it actually happens. When you’re stuck in impostor mode, you probably begin thinking about all the things that could go wrong or come between you and your dream of becoming a doctor – this is when you let impostorism win. Don’t let this be you. Rather than thinking about all the things that could go wrong, picture yourself receiving that admissions letter to our top medical school choice. Envision yourself attending the White Coat Ceremony. Visualize yourself seeing patients in your medical office. Go ahead – get as detailed as possible when envisioning your future. Even feel how amazing the moment will be when you do finally reach your goals. This will become a ga-

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CRUSH YOUR GOALS WITH AN ACCOUNTABILITY BUDDY 28 | PreMedLife Magazine | November/December 2018

Premeds, when left to their own devices, often become overwhelmed with the live and responsibility of being premed. Many have done it. They often burn themselves out even before their junior year, spend too much time just trying to make everything work and even lose sight of why they want to practice medicine in the first place. However, even with many challenging factors all in play, it is possible to increase their chance for success. According to the American Society of Training and Development, people are 65 percent likely to meet goal after committing to another person and these chances increase even further when they meet with their accountability partners to check in on how they’re progressing. For any premed who wants to succeed, accountability is often overlook but key to reaching goals. The key to success is to find a partner who compliments how you work and your personality. PEER-TO-PEER GROUPS. When there is an opportunity to have a fellow student as your accountability partner, it allows premeds a chance to learn from each other and share their own lived experiences. When these groups of people come together, it’s a meeting of like-minded people and individuals who are generally pursing the same goals. They can often help each other out by offering tools and resources that each of them have found useful. One example is the Pre-Med Peer Mentoring program at Northwestern University that is designed to bridge the gap and provide a simple way for pre-med freshman and sophomores to connect with upperclassmen mentors. It promotes unity and collaboration within the pre-med community by creating a formal program to match upperclassmen that have successfully completed their pre-med

“FOR ANY PREMED WHO WANTS TO SUCCEED, ACCOUNTABILITY IS OFTEN OVERLOOK BUT KEY TO REACHING GOALS.” coursework with underclassmen that are hoping to do the same. Upperclassmen mentors share their personal insights in succeeding in premed classes, along with many other personal experiences as a pre-med student. MENTORS. Some premeds would rather be held accountable on a one-to one, personal level with a person who is experienced and has been successful along their journey to getting into medical school or practicing medicine. Many medical students say that mentoring was helpful to their success. The most important part of an accountability partnership with a mentor is finding the right one. A mentor could be an upperclassman premed, current medical student or a practicing physician. These are all people who are in a great position to take on the role as a mentor, and many will be honored that you’ve asked them. APPS. There are some premeds who may benefit from accountability apps. When you run out of willpower, there are great tools and resources that will provide you with the accountability factor that an individual or peers might otherwise offer.

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Getting In

How Social Media Is Distorting Your View of Pre-Med Life by Abaan Merchant

The advent of social media has formed a powerful community of users who can share information in mere seconds. Two of the most popular social media platforms are Instagram and Snapchat. For those who are unfamiliar, both platforms are picture based. On Instagram, you maintain a profile that consists of pictures you upload. People can comment, like, and share pictures with one another. You can edit your own pictures by adding filters, borders, and other aesthetics and essentially trying to tally up the most likes and followers. Snapchat is a mobile application that allows you to share pictures you take, often focusing on more amusing or absurd scenes. You can edit the pictures by adding filters, captions, and your own drawings to add some panache. Rather than sharing it publicly and permanently, you have the choice to send it to select friends for 1-10 seconds, or onto your personal story for 24 hours. When the end of the time limit is reached, the “snap” disappears and can no longer be viewed.

Most college-aged peers manage an account on either or both the platforms due to their popularity. On Instagram, many pictures are related to food and location. For example, someone might upload a photogenic picture of themselves along a picturesque backdrop. This would be accompanied by a caption emphasizing the person’s tranquility or happiness. On Snapchat, someone might post some videos of a concert they attended. In either case, students are uploading themselves enjoying a social life domineered by adventure and experience. The issue with this stems from the notion that the account is accurately portraying a person’s life. In reality, we all deal with different workloads, stressors, and other inconveniences. However, the account fails to include “inconvenient” topics because they don’t garner the attention

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that a fun post would. Essentially, the stress of everyday life disappears, leaving viewers wondering what they might be doing “wrong.” Given the workload that premeds are expected to accomplish, it’s difficult to maintain a lifestyle of near-constant fun and relaxation. When any student is reminded of how much fun everyone is having, they feel that they should follow suit. For premeds, this could translate to sacrificing study time for the sake of appearance. Essentially, it becomes a distraction for students, harming their potential in the long-run. By no means is the path to medical school an easy one, and when a student stops asserting the proper amount of effort, their chances dissipate. Thus, students feel they are trapped between a rock and a hard place. Either they can choose to conform to what seems to be popular amongst their peers, or they sacrifice the supposed “essence” of their social life. p.

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The dangers of social media are well recorded, from the suspicious chat rooms of the 90s to today’s hacker wars. Unfortunately, Instagram and Snapchat are not exempt from having an ugly side. Both platforms have been cited as contributors to the rising number of body image issues. It comes as no surprise that premeds and other students have also fallen victim. While unrealistic views and false information are the domineering issues at hand, premeds in particular find themselves with a distorted view of studying.

If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop thinking about it, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop working for it.

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Premedlife

THE GOODS

100 Books Scratch Off Poster

From the Hundred Acre Wood to the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, this poster invites you to read your way through 100 iconic books. As you do, use a coin to scratch off each title and reveal surprise, literary artwork underneath. The collection covers classics like Animal Farm and Wuthering Heights, as well as works in the contemporary canon like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and influential nonfiction like Freakonomics. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an interactive way for any bookworm to enjoy essential reading.

Homesick Candles

These hand-poured, soy wax candles were formulated with input from locals in individual states for thoughtfully authentic aromas. Whether you pine for the big bouquet of Texas or the botanical grandeur of California, they offer a remedy for homesick senses.

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My Life Story - So Far

A hardcover journal to show your work, binder clips with scientific symbols, sciencey file folders, a memo cube for jotting down quick notes, and a black ink gel pen.

Inspirational Pencil Set

Hustle hard and be awesome today—these playful pencils provide phrases to inspire your work, whether it’s writing the great American novel or jotting a quick todo list. Featuring phrases full of get-‘er-done motivation, the set makes a fun gift for pencil pushers of all ages.

Drink More Water Bottle

If you’re not already keenly aware that you should stay well hydrated, you might be a camel. But as card-carrying procrastinators everywhere know, awareness and action are two different things. This water bottle is marked with motivational messages (Keep Going! Getting Close!) to remind you to sip your way through two full bottles of H2O per day. The clear markings and clever graphics on a sturdy glass and stainless steel bottle make this design a friendly hydration helper.

u Mindfulness Card Set

Inside the colorful box are over 50 prompts and exercises divided into four sections: rest and balance, curiosity and joy, insight and awareness, and kindness. The cards help you learn to appreciate little things like the ground beneath your feet and tree above your head. But they also introduce you to deeper, long-term practices like cultivating a sense of self-care and acceptance.

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Premedlife

LAST WORDS

Why Curious Premeds Make Better Doctors

range of topics. In an article about his lived experiences, Dr. Fitzgerald wrote: “Medical education itself suppresses the expression of curiosity, emphasizing examinable facts rather than more ineffable thought processes in order to provide reproducible experiences for students.”

CURIOSITY IS A SUPER IMPORTANT TRAIT FOR A PRE-MED STUDENT.

If you ask Dr. Faith T. Fitzgerald, former dean of students as the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, what the most important characteristic a medical student should have, the answer would simply be – curiosity. However, curiosity is suppressed in medical students and physicians. Some experts say that the most important characteristic a medical student should have is curiosity, however, the urge to investigator and discover new things is suppressed in medical students and physicians. Dr. Faith T. Fitzgerald, former dean of students at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, discovered that students who seem totally without curiosity or culture, were in their private worlds, avid poets, artists, musicians, and craftspersons of exquisite skills, vitally interested in a wide

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Curiosity helps build problem-solving skills. In a commentary addressing something called the Curiosity Quotient’ Harold White, the University of Deleware, wrote the following: “The idea of a curiosity quotient captures a dimension of student performance that, if not teachable and rarely tested, needs to be cultivated and exercised. There is far more content to learn than can be taught or assimilated in the classroom. For a student to learn all the disciplinary content that they will need to know requires that they learn much of it on their own and continue to learn after their formal education is complete. To do that, they have to have learned how to learn. But, who teaches that? I like to think that learning how to learn is a significant outcome of problem‐based learning (PBL) done well. If students can develop effective personal strategies for learning, they will gratify and reinforce natural curiosity.”

istockphoto / Chalabala

Curiosity helps drives motivation. If you want to become a doctor, then it is important they you remain motivated, but as a pre-med, it’s easy to lose motivation. You must remember to keep your eyes on the prize and coming up with ways to keep moving forward. In a study published in Perspectives on Medical Education, researchers investigated what motivated first-year medical students to pursue research and found that curiosity played a huge role. “In medical education, students are stimulated to ask questions in order to enhance learning (i. e. interest curiosity),” the authors wrote. “Additionally, students have to solve problems when they encounter difficulties and unknown areas (i. e. deprivation curiosity).” A student’s desire to gain new knowledge can have great benefit on their success not only during medical school, but as they begin practicing medicine. “It could be that curiosity reflects some kind of eagerness or ambition that underlies motivation, regardless of whether the nature of motivation is intrinsic or extrinsic,” the authors noted. -Curiosity helps avoid burnout. Being motivated to study hard and become a doctor is one thing, but successfully completing the rigorous academics of the medical school curriculum is another thing. For clinicians, curiosity makes the difference between tiresome ‘automatic pilot’ practice and keenly expecting to meet a new challenge, a new learning opportunity and a new person on each encounter,” wrote Ami Schattner of the University of Oxford. “To feel and be able to impart this element of renewal and enthusiasm is perhaps the greatest achievement of medical educators, and curiosity is the sine qua non of this and of any meaningful research.”

MACHINES DO NOT LISTEN.

I DO.

Before you talk to a doctor, choose one trained to listen. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine practice their distinct philosophy in every medical specialty. A DO is trained to first consider the person within the patient.

Learn more at DoctorsThatDO.org

November/December 2018

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