Caption: Medical students in a class Photo by SDI Productions
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Going to a high school in a small, foreign environment, I never thought I’d be able to accomplish as much as I did at the University of South Florida (USF). As the child of two immigrant parents hailing from the country of Nigeria, I had to navigate college life very differently from the average college student. My mom was not very familiar with the American college system, leaving me to rely on my brothers for help in applying to colleges and seeking scholarships. Often times, I felt as if all odds were against me, especially being a black female student studying in the STEM field.
My name is Brina Akinola, and I can now say that I am a Summa Cum Laude graduate from the University of South Florida holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences. My Alma Mater has provided me with many invaluable experiences that I will carry on with me for the rest of my life. Today, I am here to share with you all 5 tips/resources geared towards pre-med students that I highly recommend taking use of. These tips stem from things I wish I knew sooner, as well as things that helped me to be successful at USF.
1. Get involved
Now this may seem obvious to many, but this is something that I truly emphasize because I believe getting involved really shaped my college experience. COVID-19 hit my second semester in college, and due to me obtaining my A.A. degree, I graduated a year early. Because of these circumstances, I didn’t have the opportunity to involve myself in the number of organizations that I wanted to.
If there is any club that interests you even in the slightest, go for it! You will not regret it. Not only this, but if you are applying to medical school, these experiences are great to talk about on your application and during your interviews.
Getting involved in various non-academic organizations also allows you to have something to look forward to outside of your classes. Being a part of the African Students Association and Student Government at my school helped me cope with the rigorous course work I had to deal with being a Biomedical Sciences student. It also gave me a sense of purpose and fulfillment, as I was able to impact the lives of many students on campus through these organizations.
2. Obtain a license (if you can)
As a pre-med student, you will need clinical hours in order to be considered a competitive applicant for medical school. Through experience, it can be very hard to find clinical opportunities without some type of license or certification. This is not saying that it is impossible, but I believe it will make your search much easier if you have some type of license related to the health/medical field.
A Medical Assistant (MA) license or a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) license are two that I highly recommend. There are many jobs on the market that are looking for MA’s and CNA’s, and these type of jobs are perfect entry level positions that will allow you to get your foot in the door when it comes to gaining clinical experience.
Other licenses such as an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) license, Phlebotomy license, or even just getting CPR certified are great options. Some jobs may hire you and cross train you for a position they have, even if you are not certified for that particular job. For example, I currently work as a Unit Coordinator at a Pediatric Urgent Care, but I will soon cross train to become an MA (the position I originally applied for) because I do not currently have my MA license.
Contact your pre-health advisor and see if there are any opportunities at your school to obtain one of these licenses. I got my EMR license as well as my CPR/BLS certificate through USF for a great price.
3. Find shadowing and research opportunities early on
One thing I wish I could have done was look for shadowing and research opportunities early on in my collegiate career. Unforeseen circumstances such as COVID-19 occurring my second semester of college truly deterred my chances at obtaining shadowing and research opportunities.
I highly recommend emailing many doctors in your area regarding shadowing opportunities, as you will also need some experience applying to medical school. I have found that doctors who work at smaller practices might be a little easier to get in touch with instead of doctors at large hospitals.
Although research is not required, it can look very good on your application, especially if you are applying to a medical school that is heavily research-oriented. Again, email all research professors on your campus and see if they are willing to take you on. Getting shadowing and research out of the way during your freshmen/sophomore year will allow you to focus on the more rigorous course work you will have later on, and will also allow you to focus on studying for your MCAT.
4. Utilize the tutoring hub
I never really studied for tests in high school, so coming to college and having to study for long hours every day definitely was a big shock to me. I learned my lesson when I had to take my first General Chemistry 1 test. I had spent so much time prioritizing my Pre-Calculus test that I only took maybe 2 days to study for my chemistry one. I ended up not getting a grade that I was satisfied with, and knew I had to change my studying habits immediately if I wanted to succeed.
My freshman year, I swallowed my pride and started attending the tutoring hub. Unfortunately, on my campus, I felt that there was a huge stigma on tutoring, causing me to be adamant about attending. Please know that there is no shame in utilizing such a resource. I often compared myself to other friends because topics came to them so naturally. I quickly learned that everyone learns at their own pace and deals with their own internal struggles.
The tutors are there for a reason and can give you invaluable tips and tricks that even your professor has never shared with you. After utilizing the tutoring hub at my school, my scores increased dramatically and with each test, there was an increase in confidence.
5. Take things as slow as you need to
Some of the tips I mentioned earlier may leave you feeling like you need to accomplish everything all at once, but the most important goal to remember is to take things slowly and just breathe.
Being a pre-med student is already difficult as it is. Medical school is a long, hard journey, and there is nothing wrong with taking a gap year, or even a few. As a senior, I felt as if I needed to apply to medical school immediately after graduating, even if my application wasn’t up to par. It’s important to learn that quality should be above all else. I am now in the middle of my gap year, taking time to study for my MCAT and build my application with experience. I am so glad that I took a gap year, because I now have time to breathe and really reflect on why I want to immerse myself in this field.
Remember that you will need to stumble a few times to get where you need to be. That white coat already has your name written on it; put in as much hard work as you can during undergrad so you can reap the benefits later on!
And as always, Go Bulls!
