The people I’ve met and built relationships with! I’ve found a great group of people that I’ve been able to experience medical school with and it has been so special! From celebrating Friendsgiving, each other’s birthdays, and running a half marathon together —it has been such an honor to be able to create friendships with people who are going through the same thing as I am!

The biggest challenge I initially faced was finding what study strategies worked best for me. Keep in mind that you will most likely study completely differently than the way you did in undergrad. It’s important to be open to trial and error as well as changing up your methods when something isn’t working for you! I was able to tackle this challenge by spending a little more time exploring and utilizing different resources to improve my learning and long-term retention!

I do better managing my time when I fill it with extracurriculars and have deadlines to meet to ensure that I stay on top of all my responsibilities. I am currently involved in an Emergency Medicine Research Project, Global Health Scholars Program, and local volunteering to fill my time and enhance my medical school experience. I also make sure to stay balanced by allowing time for hobbies and wellness, fitness, spending time with family and friends, and making sure I always have at least one thing to look forward to!

I would tell them to get that primary application in as soon as the AMCAS system opens up for submission- this timing is extremely crucial to ensure that your applications are at the top of the “stack” as schools begin to review them. Additionally, make sure to get those secondary applications submitted NO later than two weeks from when you received them- this aspect is another crucial part of the process and your success.