To start off, say a little about yourself, your interests, your undergraduate degree and what you are doing now.
My non-academic interests include swimming, painting, drawing, and photography. Photography is probably my biggest passion outside of academics! My undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Science majoring in psychology. After finishing my undergrad in May, I worked as a research assistant at Canada East Spine Centre for the summer and at the end of August 2022 I will be starting my medical degree at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC).
How did you prepare for the interview process?
The interview process at AUC is used more to get to know you, so it is important to be genuinely yourself. In this case, I made sure I had my research, employment history and extracurriculars on the top of my head but other than that, I just made sure that I was myself. AUC takes a holistic approach to accept students, so it is just as important to show that you can form meaningful connections with other people as it is to have competitive academics.
Do you feel like your “real world experiences” will help you succeed in this program?
Yes, I think my “real world experiences,” which include but are not limited to travelling, working as a lifeguard, swimming instructor, tutoring, mentoring, and volunteering experiences are essential to my success in my program. Being able to connect with people is a huge component and very important in medicine.
What would your best advice be to incoming students interested in medical school?
The best advice I could give is, be genuinely yourself and make sure you are going into medicine for the right reasons. It is a long journey to go on to not enjoy your life at the end of the day. Another piece of advice I would give is to participate in extracurriculars and volunteer with associations that you truly enjoy without ulterior motives or solely for academic gain. In the end,it will show that you have done the things you have done because you love what you do.
What are you most excited about in medical school?
I think what I am most excited about is having the opportunity to learn about real human cadavers. Not every medical school has that, and it truly is a privilege. Another aspect that I am really excited to experience is all the possibilities within clinical specialties. I cannot wait to fall in love with a specialty and be able to build a career that I will appreciate for the rest of my life.