Meet Season 2 Hosts and Extracurriculars

Hi, everyone.

Welcome back to admission.

Granted for another
episode with your co-hosts.

I am Kristina.

I'm Brittany and I'm Natalie.

Yes, Natalie.

Welcome.

We are so happy to have you with us.

We're very excited to be working with you.

Um, did you want to tell
everyone about yourself?

Tell everyone about your journey.

Yeah, so, um, my name is Natalie Nunez.

I am a rising second year medical student
here at upstate I'm from New York city.

And I guess I'm, what's considered
to be a non-traditional student.

Okay.

Yeah, we'll have to talk on that a
little bit later, but, um, do you want

to first talk about like undergrad?

Like where did you go and,
you know, what was that like?

Yeah.

Um, so I actually went to a
couple of different schools.

I went to Binghamton university for my
freshman year, straight out of high school

and there, I had not declared a major.

So I took a lot of different
classes, had a lot of things.

Like Christina was also a theater kid.

Um, so I did theater in high school.

That is why we're friends, Natalie.

Exactly.

And, um, I was interested in art,
philosophy chemistry, but I hadn't really

zeroed in on what I wanted to major on.

So, uh, or major in rather.

So I, you know, did my first year and
decided to take some time off after

that, to discover what I wanted to do.

Oh, Um, and what did you do after?

Yeah, yeah.

Um, I moved back to the city.

I started working as a restaurant,
as a server, um, in restaurants

and I moved out of home.

I became independent, um, worked in a
couple of different artistic projects,

um, and, you know, dabbled in a couple
different things that I felt, um, you

know, that was curious about that.

Helps me develop as a person.

I worked on a short film.

Um, I actually produced a short film.

That was awesome.

I have to send it to you guys.

It's actually, really?

Yeah.

Um, so I did that.

I got to travel and meet a lot of
different people and just working in the

restaurants really helped me discover
that I love working with people.

I love working as part of a team.

Um, I love talking to people
and I love being of service.

Yeah, that's really cool.

Um, I infer that we will definitely deep
dive into a lot of what you said, um,

later in the episode, but one thing that
I do want to address kind of piggybacking

from the last episode, and I love that
we've gotten so much good feedback, um,

Particular part of the episode, Brittany.

Um, from last time we did dive into the
idea of imposter syndrome and what that's

like as, particularly as a woman in stem.

And for me, it comes from a different
lens also because I am a first-generation

college student and the first person
in my family to go into medicine.

Um, so I don't know how many
of those things that I just

said are applicable to you.

But if you maybe want to talk about
your experience with imposter syndrome,

if you've ever had that happen
to you and, um, kind of just your

take on that or things that you've
learned to cope with that at all.

Yeah, no, I think it's something
that's really important to talk

about because I do think that
it's like a universal feeling.

Um, and I think that I definitely
came into this program into medical

school a lot more confident, um, And I
was definitely quickly humbled by how

difficult, how difficult this all is.

And, you know, I'm just like so
impressed by my classmates and

everyone else and my professors.

Um, so yeah, imposter syndrome is real.

And like you said, last episode,
Kristina, it's, it's part of like

intrusive thoughts and I think that's
something that's like the most limiting

part of it is that they're not real,
you know, and I think it's important.

Stay grounded and stay present
and find school I'm sorry, skills

and tools to be able to do so.

Um, and as a woman in stem, I think
that it's a beautiful thing that

more women are joining medicine and
science in general, um, like us.

And I think it's just really beneficial
to everyone, you know, to have diversity.

And I feel like.

In general society is
starting to realize yeah.

For question for both of you, just
to kind of keep piggybacking on

this idea, because I think this is a
really important conversation to have.

Um, has there been anything that
you've learned or any skill that

you've learned, or maybe it's a thing
that you do that helps you to cope

with imposter syndrome or kind of
keep those intrusive thoughts at bay?

Excuse me.

Um, Yeah.

So how I cope with imposter syndrome?

I think I touched on this a little
bit, um, but I can definitely re

talk about my experience because
everyone has this experience.

So, um, yeah, imposter syndrome
definitely creeps in a lot.

I would say my first two years of graduate
school, I definitely struggled a bit.

Um, and now I seem to be like coming into
my own, you know, like as a researcher.

So it only comes once in a while, but
the way I cope is, you know, I talked

to my friends, you know, like today
I just, I don't feel like I belong.

I feel like I know nothing and talking
to my friends and realizing that they

feel the same, you know, I feel like
it definitely helps me understand that.

And it also helps that like my lab
mates, um, there's one of my lab

mates, Mike, he goes, we know nothing.

Like he says this all the time.

And like, I feel like it
really helps me realize

like when I do know nothing,
there are other people that

also feel like we know nothing.

That it's not true.

Right.

Me exactly.

Sorry.

Yeah.

Let's clarify that.

That's not true.

I do know something giving
credit where credit is due.

Yeah.

So what about you, Natalie?

How do you cope with imposter syndrome?

Yeah.

Um, it's,

like I said, I like to just try
to stay grounded, just, you know,

do things, just remember that.

There so many people that have come
before us that have blazed the trail.

Yeah.

So like upstate actually is
like home to the first female

physician in the United States.

Um, and the fourth, uh, black female
physician in the United States and

we're in good company, you know, I
just try to remember that, like, we

have progressed so much in society.

We have a long way to go, definitely.

But, um, I think the world is changing
for the better, in that sense.

And, um, You know, I just try to
remind myself that this is normal.

This is a normal feeling.

And also this, if we reframe it, it can
actually be a sign of a good thing, right.

It could be like, you know, this is
we're in these positions, we're in

these places, in these rooms with these
people that we can learn so much from.

And if we, if we feel like we know
everything, if, you know, if we think

we know everything or we, if you
think we're the smartest person in

the room that really limits us, like
we're not going to learn as much.

Um, so I think it, it can be.

Viewed as something that like will push
us and motivate us to become better.

I think so, too.

And I just want to add on, like,
this is going to sound silly,

but it really helps me a lot.

Um, one thing that's helped me this
year is every afternoon, uh, I will

go on a walk and I will listen to like
really like, like confident music and

I'll just like, get like strut down the
street and I'll have like my confident

music on and it just makes me feel good.

Like it, it relaxes my mind.

It makes me feel grounded.

Maybe I'll like call my mom
and I could be, you know, I

could be just doing whatever.

And my mom would still tell me that.

The greatest, like she's my mom is my hype
woman, whether that's true or not, like,

she will always tell me that, like, I'm
doing a good job, which is so awesome.

Um, so yeah, I think finding what works
for you, finding your routine and, um,

trying to take it that, yeah, I agree.

Music is, is very healing.

This is the theme.

This is turning in the musical episode.

I know, right?

Funny that all of us have
like dabbled in music.

Like I was a theater kid in high school.

I tried to dabble in theater in
undergrad, but it just wasn't my niche.

Um, but like, you know, like you saying,
and like you're a theater, like you made

your own film, like we're so mentally
science and art comes hand in hand.

For sure.

Med school podcast is like, is like
the, or the theater kids grow up

and become doctors and scientists.

And now we're on a podcast.

Yeah.

I love it.

Just out of curiosity.

Do you think like that part of your mind
kind of, kind of transitioning to the

extracurriculars, um, topic that we, I
know we had planned on talking today, do

you think that that part of your brain.

Helps you, um, as a medical student, like
the things that you learned artistically

in your life and in your background,
like how do you think that that has

informed your learning now, if it has at
all, and it was a very loaded question.

No, it's a great question.

And I think that, um, it's definitely like
helped me learn, see things differently.

Um, I, um, I love learning
in different ways.

I'm a visual learner, but I'm also
like, you know, I like to listen to

podcasts and just find different ways to.

Really soak in the information.

And I feel like that is part
of the creative process.

You know, I'm just finding different
perspectives for things, um, even like

drawing things out, you know, as I'm sure
you can relate, Kristina anatomy was,

you know, something completely new to
me, I've never taken an anatomy course.

So like I found myself, you know,
drawing things out, the brachial

plexus and things like that.

And it really helped.

Um, and also just like my experience.

Working in hospitality.

Um, you know, I've worked with a lot
of creative people and, and I feel

like you do have to like think on
your feet a lot in that industry.

And I'm sure there's a lot
of other industries that.

You know, prepare you with skills that
you can easily translate to medicine.

So, um, you know, I
love talking to people.

I love hearing stories.

I love storytelling.

That's a huge part of medicine as well.

That's so interesting that you say that
especially about like, that is one of.

The hardest parts.

I think so far in medical
school for me was really finding

the way that I learn best.

And I'm right there with you.

I think though, like, so I'm very musical.

Like I, like I was saying, I like to sing.

I like music.

I like all that stuff.

So for me, I'm an auditory learner
and I know that the way that

I learned best is by my ear.

So if I'm in the anatomy lab and someone
tells me like the progression of a

bunch of different vessels, if I hear.

And I'm able to say it back to someone.

That's how I learn best.

Brittany, do you have anything in your
background or any extracurriculars

that you've done that you think
inform your learning at all?

Or like what, what, tell us
about your background in terms

of, um, well, I did take some
extracurriculars in, um, undergrad.

Um, like I was involved in clubs,
you know, like biology club,

like bio biochemistry club.

Like those were just simple, more like
communication skills that I developed.

So like talking to
professors and students.

Um, but I think the one thing that like
really helped me, um, transitioning

from like undergrad to research and
like even nowadays is that I was

a resident assistant in undergrad.

And I think that really helped.

One, like break out of the box that I
kind of put myself in, in high school.

Um, like I, I was raised
outside of Syracuse.

Um, I didn't get a lot of
experiences like culturally wise.

Um, I wasn't really like sure
of, um, like other types of

individuals that I would meet.

Um, so as an RA, I really kind
of broke myself out of that.

Um, got to experience all
sorts of different cultures

and, uh, personality types.

And that really did help me, um, I think
build my communication skills and sort

of think outside of the box when coming
to problems and finding solutions.

Um, yeah, that's really cool.

Being an RA.

I was never one, but I know it's
a big responsibility and I think

it definitely helps you grow a
lot from, from what I've heard.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

That's really cool that you did
that and got to like meet different

people and like it's kind of like
you had to manage to I'm sure.

Manage different personalities and yeah.

Yeah.

There was a lot of, a lot of coping skills
that I definitely developed, um, that I

definitely use now as, um, you know, as
a researcher, as a PhD student, um, sort

of, you know, taking a step back and like
looking at, um, how to solve an issue, how

to solve a problem that I have in the lab.

Um, yeah.

Thanks.

Um, Natalie, so you only talked our,
you briefly talked about the hospitality

work and the restaurant industry.

Um, I was just wondering if you could talk
more about your transition from undergrad

at university of Binghamton to medical
school and, um, more along the lines of

like, why did you want to pursue medicine?

And if there was anything, um,
during that transition that helped

you pursue a career in medicine.

Yeah, I'd be happy to
talk more about that.

Um, so like I said, I, I went
to Binghamton for a year.

I took a lot of time off to
discover what I wanted to do.

And, um, I kind of faced a fork in
the road at one point in my restaurant

career and I, you know, it was all.

Like offered a position to, um, be a
manager and maybe pursue other avenues,

um, in that industry of growth.

And I didn't really see
myself fulfilled ultimately.

So I spoke to my mom and she recommended
that I work as a paraprofessional,

which is a teacher's assistant.

Oh, that's cool.

Yeah.

So I did that for a few years and I
worked with children with special needs

and, um, of all ages and I was just so.

I loved it.

I loved it so much and it really kind
of respect my interest in biology and

just like the human body in general.

I, my students have faced a lot
of different, um, obstacles.

Some of them had, uh,
behavioral disorders.

Some of them had diabetes
and everything in between.

So.

To be, do my best job.

I researched what they, you
know, what conditions they faced

and the pathology behind it.

And I just felt like the
world expanding around me.

And I just realized that I can, you
know, do a lot more if I had a degree.

So I decided to go back
to school and at school.

I know my, my undergraduate college
Lehman college, um, actually has

every year an internship fair.

So, yeah, so I went, I
had my, my resume printed.

Um, I wanted to seek some opportunities.

So through that, I got an
internship at Columbia university.

Oh, wow.

What was the internship?

And if you don't mind me, absolutely.

It was, um, in public health research.

So we worked with a, you know, very
specific demographic, young adults

that were in alternative to sentencing
programs and it is basically.

A trial on ways to improve health and
reduce risks involving sex and drug use.

Oh, wow.

Something I feel like you know,
definitely today, we definitely

need to break into that box, you
know, break into that youth group.

Totally, totally.

And I learned so much.

Um, so I volunteered for a year,
um, just like in the field doing

interviews, gathering data,
um, in the form of surveys.

So we asked very in-depth questions,
which I think I'm sure you

can, you can agree at Kristina.

This is like very similar
to taking a history.

You know, like we, we asked about
sexual, um, sexual histories,

drug use trauma, you know, basic
information on like family, um, living

situations and things like that.

And it helped me really appreciate like
the human condition and just like have a

deeper reverence for it because we are so
resilient, you know, like it's amazing.

And just also after this
pandemic, we're incredibly strong.

Some of the things that I think
I've realized my first year is

just how resilient people are.

I mean, you know, being in the hospital,
even for a short time in my clinicals.

And whenever I shadow, like
I just shadowed this morning,

it's, it's incredible.

Like I have a respect for humanity in
the sense that you just, I don't know.

It, the, the body is capable of so
many incredible things and it just

makes me want to take care of myself
all the more because of the, just.

Crazy amazing newness.

That's happening every second.

Sorry.

I'm nerding out right now, but so true.

Yeah.

I'm like, that's why I feel like,
um, this is, this career is very

rewarding and Brittany, like, what
you do is so incredibly important too.

You know what I mean?

Like you're like hearing diseases
and figuring things out and it's

just, it's really cool to be part
of, um, yeah, we're definitely three

peas in a pod here, you know, kind
of working hand in hand to help the

um, public health system, you know,
and I think that the biggest takeaway

from our discussion today so far for
everyone who's listening is, you know,

we all come from different backgrounds.

You got to hear from myself and Brittany
last time talking about our backgrounds

and where we come from and our path.

I mean, myself, I didn't
take any gap years in between

undergrad and medical school.

Brittany, I don't believe you did either.

No, I did not.

Right.

So we all come from different
places and yet we're all trying to

achieve very, very similar goals.

Right?

So I think that the point is,
is that, you know, there's no

normal quote unquote, right.

And I know you can't see my
hand right now, but I'm doing,

I'm doing quotation marks.

There's no normal.

Like everyone comes to this
place from a different place.

And that is so cool because now everyone
has a different perspective on the kinds

of problems that we're trying to solve.

And I think that's a beautiful thing.

You know, one of my extracurricular
activities that I did in college

was I was a pre health peer adviser.

So basically what that meant is I would
go and meet with students every week.

Students would sign up to,
to, um, hold office hours.

I would hold office hours and they
would ask me questions and everybody.

Not everybody.

I shouldn't say that, but a lot of
students are very, very concerned

because you know, the medical school
application process is competitive and

it's not easy to get into medical school.

It's very, it's difficult to, it's
an arduous process as we all know.

But I think that the biggest takeaway
is like, you don't have to be everybody

to get into medical school.

You're not going to have
a perfect application.

You're not going to that's impossible.

So I think my best advice to people
based on this conversation that we've

had right now is do what makes you happy
when you're in college, like invest

your time in activities that make you
happy, that make you the best version of

yourself that you can possibly be for you.

Because at the end of the day, Everyone
comes into medical school from a different

place and on a different journey.

So my best advice is stay
true to your journey.

If your journey is not sports, if
your journey is not research, if your

journey is not, what, what have you, you
know, like just stay true to yourself

and yes, of course, try to build your
resume as much as you're able, but.

Stay true to yourself in that manner
as well, because you don't need

to be everybody just be yourself.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Actually let's touch on that,
um, gap year in medical school.

So Kristina, you didn't take a gap.

Um, but Natalie, you did.

So what does that medical like your
first year group does, is it seem 50

50 split that like some of, some of the
students have taken a few years as a gap

year or most of the students actually go
straight from undergrad to medical school.

That's a great question.

I wish that I looked up the statistics
before coming here, but I didn't,

um, I would say from what I can tell
and I mean, I don't, I mean, I know

people, but I don't know everyone
in our class, so I, it was hard to

say, but it's like a couple hundred.

Yeah, it's over a hundred.

Oh, somewhere around 270.

Oh my gosh.

I was 14 in my class.

FYI 14.

Yeah.

Well that actually stuck
it out to like second year.

Yeah.

Oh, we were very small.

Wow.

Now when people say I go to a small
school, I'm going to say, well,

my friend was just one 14 people.

Um, but I would say, I would say
it's probably, I would say ballpark.

What like 60- 70% ish of people
that I know have taken gap years.

Yeah.

It's, it's, it's more than, I think
more than not people do take up yeah.

More often than not, from what I can
tell this is completely anecdotal.

Right.

But yeah.

And then there's other students,
um, who also have had like entire

careers like myself, but like,
you know, like we have a physical

therapist in our school, in our class.

We have I'm a former PA yeah, just a
lot of different, um, perspectives.

And I think that we can all really
learn from each other, which

is like the best part of it.

And I think that's like, kind of what
you were seeing earlier, Kristina.

You know, if you think you don't fit
the mold of what a traditional med

student or graduate student or nursing
student is like, that should not deter

you at all, you know, and definitely
do things that make you happy.

Um, for me, um, I didn't do any
like traditional lab research,

but I did public health research
and I feel like that prepared me.

You know, in an incredible way.

And I was also able to do something
that I felt more comfortable doing.

I'm definitely interested in doing lab
research, but for that, that time I, um,

felt like it was more true to myself.

Um, and you know, I learned so much.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I feel like, um, in research like the,
in my PhD cohort, um, it definitely

was, I wouldn't say it wasn't.

Medical school where you said like
what, like 70% of your class is most

likely taking, took a gap year, right?

Is that correct?

Yeah.

Um, so in my cohort, at least my year,
um, I would say there was only like, so

let's say there was 14, actually, it was
probably a little higher as, probably

more like 17, um, people in my class.

And I think maybe like five or
six of them actually took a gap.

Um, but I know it is
becoming way more popular.

Um, I have met people who are now
in grad school that I've taken a gap

year and were a technician in a lab.

Um, in academic, like in
an academic university.

I also know people who
did a year in industry.

Um, I actually know someone who's a mom,
you know, trying to get into grad school.

Um, so I feel like.

Most typically people go straight
from undergrad to graduate

school, at least getting a PhD.

Um, not so much taking a gap year, but I
would say to past Brittany, um, that, from

what I've learned from people who have
taken a gap year before going to, uh, get

their PhD, is that a gap year really is

helps build your fundamental research
skills, like how to, um, communicate in

a lab, how to, um, develop certain lab
skills and techniques, um, that I didn't

really have coming into grad school.

So going back, I kind of wish like
Brittany probably should have taken

a year just to like, make sure that
this is what you wanted to do and

that you actually enjoyed this.

Um, but yeah, I feel like in, um,
people who did decide to get a PhD.

Becoming more popular to take a gap year,
even though at least from my experience,

most of my cohort went directly from
undergrad to grad graduate school.

Why do you think for the question
for both of you, but for everyone?

Um, why do you think that is?

Why do you think more and more people
are seeking to take a gap year?

Like from your perspective,
Natalie, what about a gap year?

Do you think was super.

Um, like what was the draw for you?

I mean, I know that you weren't set on
medicine before your gap year, but as

someone who's taking gap years, like,
what do you think about it is helpful?

Um, yeah, that's a great question.

I think it's really helpful
to firstly, take a break.

Um, I really admire anyone
who goes straight through.

I think that's incredibly tough, um,
but really to take a break and to, um,

have some fun, do things for yourself.

Um, some people take gap years, um, not
knowing they want to pursue medicine

and then they'll, you know, do like a
post-bacc and do all their pre-recs and

get ready for the MCAT and take the MCAT.

And I think that's really cool too,
because you get a chance to discover, to

really affirm to yourself that you want to
do medicine because it is a long road, and

you definitely have to be prepared for it.

And, um, yeah, I think, I think gap
years just help you kind of reset and

maybe discover, you know, what, what
it is that you really want to do.

At least for me, it did all
those gap years between my

first year and my second year.

Um, also, you know, in my gap.

It was during COVID and I, right.

Yeah.

So I really wanted to.

Pursue more research and maybe do a little
more shadowing and things like that.

But obviously that wasn't possible.

And one thing I do have to say, I
feel like all the schools that I

applied to all the medical schools
were really understanding of that.

Um, oh, that's awesome.

Yeah.

I think they really do look at
each person as an individual and

they do like the holistic, um,
perspective, um, on their own.

So I think that's really
good to remember too.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

I know like the benefits of me going
right from undergrad to graduate

school is that like, everything
was still really fresh for me.

Um, and I still had that mindset
of like, let's take a test or

let's sit down and write an essay.

Um, so that really.

Um, and also the reason why the
number one reason why I went straight

from undergrad to graduate school
was because I knew it would take

me five or six years to get my PhD.

And I was stuck on this idea
that like, I didn't want to be

graduating by the time I'm like 30
and then like start to settle down.

Um, and so that was really the reason why
I like went straight in was because I was

like, you know what, let's try it out.

Let's see if this sticks.

And you know, by the time
I get out home, 27, 28.

You know, I also have time.

Um, but yeah, like I said earlier,
the cons of going like right into grad

school was, yeah, I was still naive.

You know, I didn't have enough life
experience, which like I had to

gain while at graduate school, um,
you know, making a minimum stipend,

which we'll get into, into another
episode of like financials, but.

Um.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, just just to piggyback, I
guess, off of what you will say,

I really liked this discussion

cause I feel like students, when I was
an advisor in college, students would ask

me these kinds of questions all the time.

But now we can have everyone's perspective
as people who are different, who have

all experienced different things.

That's really cool.

But, um, yeah, so I would say for
me, you know, I was set on medicine

from a very young age, like from
when I was in high school, I

knew I wanted to become a doctor.

So I went into college with that mindset.

I also went to Binghamton.

Uh, I went all four years though,
but, um, I went into college with that

mindset of like medical school, medical
school, medical school, like what do

I need to get into medical school?

Cause that was my dream.

And that's what I wanted to do.

But I understand that not
everybody has that mindset.

In fact, I don't think
most people have that much.

So I would say for anyone who's unsure.

One thing that I would think about,
um, even though my non-gap year

definitely worked for me, I would
not have done it any differently.

I knew exactly what I wanted to
do, and I luckily was able to do it

with the help of a lot of support.

I have a great support system by me.

Um, but if you're unsure and you don't
really know, one thing that I would

recommend is, you know, one of the biggest
challenges for me having not taken a gap.

Was that I needed to take the
MCAT my junior year of college.

And it also happened to be
the first COVID year in 2020.

So that was unfortunate.

That was not a great, not a great road,
uh, that I was on there for awhile.

It was really, really tough
managing school and the pandemic

and the MCAT all at the same
time and adjusting to everything.

Yeah, it was, that was bananas.

Uh, we can get into that and if you
represent I'm sure, but that was a wild.

wild few months, but anyway, um, so I
would say like, if you're considering

a gap year, maybe consider taking
your MCAT on that gap year, because

it really is a tough study processes.

It can last up to six months,
the study process for the MCAT.

So it is a big time commitment.

And again, I'm not trying to
scare anyone here, you know, when

you're studying for the MCAT.

You have know, there's lots of people
to learn from and lots of resources at

your disposal that we can talk about in
future episodes, but definitely consider

maybe taking the AMCAP on your gap year.

And also I think the biggest
resource for me, and for anyone

is like talk to people, right?

Talk, talk to people, you know, I
think word of mouth and hearing from

people about their stories, whether
it's on this podcast or with someone

that, you know, who's been through.

Also really, really helps.

So try to get as many
opinions as you possibly can.

I use that rule of thumb in like
every big decision in my life is try

to get everyone's opinion on, on the
decision and just know that whatever

you choose, it's going to be okay.

You're going to find your way.

And you know, it might seem
like a scary journey, but it

is worth it a hundred percent.

So at least I think so.

Totally.

I can agree.

So what else we want to touch on today?

I know we talked about extracurriculars.

We talked about gap year.

Oh yeah.

I did have a one question about
gap years and like medical school.

So like, I know the podcasts mostly
focuses on, um, not only the ins

and outs of grad school, but also
like applying to medical school.

So I know we talked about like, how
many, like the percentage of your

class took a gap year, but I was
just wondering if you feel that.

Um, I guess, Natalie, if you
feel that medical school looks at

applicants favorably, if they take
a gap year in a, um, like public

health field, does that make sense?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think I know what you're asking and
I, um, I think that as long as, you

know, whatever it is that you're doing
is like aligned with your beliefs and

related to what you want to do and
can translate in some way or another.

I think that if for as far as in
my, I'm sorry, in my experience, I

think medical schools really value
just each person's journey and

what that can bring to the table.

You know, what they can share from their
experience with their other classmates,

um, how they can translate these things
into clinical skills and things like that.

Gotcha.

Yeah.

Cause I know from my experience, when
I talk to like, um, people from my

class or even people who are in like
in the incoming classes that, um, PhD

programs tend to, in my opinion, um,
tend to favor applicants who do take a

gap year is if the gap year is in some
sort of research field, you know, it

sort of strengthens your application
if like your grades aren't too great.

And you decide to take a gap year and
you'd go into a lab, do some research

or be a technician or go in industry.

I feel like it really strengthens
your application, um, for PHD that

like, this is, this is driving for
you and this is what you want to do.

And you're ready to dedicate, you know,
the next five, six years to PhD school.

That makes sense.

Yeah.

I think just like piggyback on
what you guys just both said.

I mean, I've never sat on an
admissions committee and I don't, I

mean, I don't know what I can tell.

Like, one thing that I realized
this year, Like every person on

the face of the earth, we all have
the same amount of hours in a day.

Right.

Nobody gets more than 24 and
no one gets less than 24.

Sometimes I really do wish.

Yeah.

I wish sometimes like a tack on
an extra three hours in there

to get some paperwork done.

But unfortunately, yeah.

Or like some sleep or something, I don't
know, go to the gym, but, um, no, I think.

Like what, whether you take yap, you're
not like you have to invest your time

wisely, whether you're investing your
time in undergrad to do research and in

undergrad to do clinicals and yada yada
yada, or you're doing it on your gap year,

like you have to invest your time wisely.

The way that I would think about it is
like, if I was a medical school applicant

or I was a graduate school applicant,
I would proceed as though in the event

that I didn't get into graduate school
at the end, I would still be satisfied

with the way that I use my time.

I still have skills that
would apply to other jobs.

That's the way that I
would think about it.

And like, I mean, I'm not an admission
committee, like, no, I mean, but that,

from what I would, that's, that's the
way that I would proceed is like, Hey,

like I'm going to do everything that
I can to try and live out my dream and

get into the grad school that I want.

But in the event that that's not
in the cards for me, for whatever

reason, or I find another passion
that I like better, or my life takes

a different turn than expected.

I'm going to be satisfied the
way, the way that I spent my time.

And it's going to look out on a resume
and I'm going to feel good about it,

and I'm going to stay true to myself.

That's what I think.

Yeah.

I, I, a hundred percent agree with you.

And I think also, um, in that same
vein, I think it's important to do

things, um, that, that you like to do,
um, that interests you and these things

really show commitment and dedication.

And I think that's something
that admissions committees

really value also for doing, um,
things just to check off a box.

It, it, you know, sometimes.

Noticeable.

And I think that if you do something for a
long period of time, even if you are doing

it to check off a box, you know, if you do
it for long enough and you show commitment

and you show interest and you show growth,
um, and you have something to sh to

like stories to share from it, I think
it can be incredibly valuable for sure.

Yeah.

And you get to learn, you get
to learn something and that's

really valuable and it's in and of
itself beyond the admissions lens.

Yeah.

And it can open different doors
for you, you know, different.

Opportunities.

Like when I was starting my internship,
I went to the orientation and found out

that the hospital affiliated with the
school needed, um, volunteer interpreters.

So I got to do that.

Oh, that's cool.

Yeah.

And I that's actually, what really helped.

Solidify my plan to go to medical school
and pursue this career because I worked

in, um, a neighborhood in New York city,
Washington Heights, which is somewhere

where I actually partially grew up in
it's a Dominican enclave on Manhattan.

And, um, I worked at an inpatient
psychiatric unit, um, volunteering,

um, like I said, as an interpreter
and I really got to see how, like,

doctors not only help individuals,
but like entire communities, like, you

know, from the person to their family.

And just like helping someone heal
is really like helping a lot of

other people because it's, you
know, you're helping their families,

people that they have to care for.

So after doing that, I just decided, you
know, there's no other career for me.

I was like, this is it.

This is what I want to do.

Um, and I'm sure you've both
had experiences like that.

Have you had experiences, Brittany
and Kristina, like, um, that really

affirmed that you wanted to do
this maybe like as a child or.

Yeah, I know.

I briefly talked about
this in the last episode.

Like my dad was a, is a physics teacher
also at West Genesee high school, which

is a local high school in Syracuse.

I realized that I didn't really
talk about what West Genny was

and that people listening to this
podcast wouldn't know where that is.

Um, but yeah, I think just my dad diving
me into, um, We would want, we would

watch the PBS and they would always
have these certain science segments, you

know, and he always had be involved in
science and I just always really liked it.

Um, but Natalie, did we talk, did
you talk about this last episode?

Do you want to touch on it again?

Um, I mean, I mean, I can just briefly
touch, cause I know we're kind of

running short on time here, but
did you want to finish your story?

Sorry.

I don't mean to cut you
off this sort of stuff.

Okay.

So like there's been many
things throughout the years.

I think that have reaffirmed
that this is my truest coolest

passion in life, uh, is medicine.

This morning is a perfect example.

I got to shadow in surgery.

I had a great time.

I, I'm not committed to a specialty
yet, but I'm using this year as

an opportunity to see what's out
there and see what I might like.

Um, and.

I think shadowing too.

I touched on this last time.

I think shadowing is a great way
to reaffirm your passions, but

unfortunately in medical school,
there's not a whole lot of extra

time to devote to extracurriculars.

You do have time, but you
have to use it wisely.

I think that that's a main
theme that I've learned.

So briefly, just to kind of wrap up this
episode, um, do we want to talk a little

bit about what extracurriculars look like
here now that we're in graduate school?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Something that we love to do.

Um, Yeah, I can expand on that.

Um, so I don't really do
any extracurriculars, um,

like focused on upstate.

I did just join.

Um, we have a chapter here.

We're trying to develop a chapter here.

Um, at least with the PhD students,
it's called graduate women in science.

Um, so we're trying to
build that chapter here.

Yeah, I think it's, it'll be really
influential, especially for the upcoming,

um, women who are in our, um, cool
attend graduate school here at upstate.

But other than that, I, I just kind of
hang out with, you know, my lab and my

peers and, um, you know, we go, go get
food, go get drinks, just chit chat.

I mean, I guess my social
life is my extracurricular.

Um, because you know, it's,
that work-life balance.

Yes.

Um, and you know, you, you, like you
said, you don't get a lot of extra time.

I feel like it's the same.

Um, graduate school is you don't,
you don't get a lot of extra time.

And that extra time I like to put into
my friends and especially my family.

What about you, Natalie?

What are, what do you do?

Yeah, I think I agree with you.

I think that's so important
to take time off, take breaks.

Cause burnout is real.

So, yeah, I like to do that.

Um, I'm doing this podcast,
which I am already loving.

Um, also I, I try to find time
here and there to volunteer.

I like gardening.

I like working with my hands.

So, um, I've done, um,
a little bit of that.

Um, there's so many opportunities
available, like everywhere in

the community and the hospital.

And, you know, I do look forward to.

To doing that next year.

And now that I, you know, have a
better study schedule and kind of

know how I learn and things like that.

Um, I do plan on doing that, but
yeah, there's, there was like

a garbage pickup for earth day.

I got to participate in.

There's just a lot of
cool things on campus.

Um, but I do think that like taking
time to like make yourself a meal

and to like try new restaurants
on Fridays with Kristina.

Britney, you're always invited.

Very important, very important.

Yeah, I totally agree with
everything everyone said.

Um, I'm also the, uh, events
coordinator for the environmental

justice and sustainability club.

Um, follow us on Instagram.

Uh, we have lots of exciting events
coming up, uh, especially this

summer and next, uh, next semester.

Um, I also sing at a church,
uh, in downtown Syracuse.

I love music.

I've always loved music.

I did choir and I, um, took
private voice lessons in college.

So it's a huge stress relief for me.

And I think, I don't know, some days
this is probably bad to say, but some

days, like a few days, a semester, I
will make it a point to just not do any

work for a day and just watch Netflix
or watch something and hang out with

my cat and not think about work because
I think everyone needs a reprieve.

And that's really, really important
for everyone listening to this.

If you're an undergrad or whatever stage
of your career that you are in, it is

very, very important to get in the habit
of not making excuses to not relax.

Does that make sense?

I don't know if what I
just said makes sense.

It makes sense.

If you like, you have
to take time to relax.

Don't get in the habit of
saying, well, I have to do this.

I have to do this.

Well, I have to do this.

And then just not ever
taking time to relax.

I think that that is a dangerous cycle.

And it creeps up on you or it does
it really creeps up on you because

there's always more work to do,
especially when you're in medicine.

You know, a new thing to learn, and
there's always a new opportunity to

invest your time in something important.

And that's great.

That's all fine.

And while I think that that's part of
what makes medicine in science, so cool

is that there is always something to learn
and something to do in someone to help.

But, there needs to come a point at
which you say, you know what, I'm going

to go and get my hair cut, or I'm going
to go clean my room, or I'm going to

go spend time with my best friend.

I think that those things
are important as well.

And I'm sure we're going to get
into that in future episodes too.

Yeah.

Yes, we definitely should.

I did want to say that, you know, like
what we talked about, our extracurriculars

associated with upstate, that really
is just like a drop in a lake.

Like there are so many
things you can do it ups.

There are sports programs.

Um, I know one of my friends,
volunteers is an EMT.

Like there's all sorts of clubs,
especially with medical school.

I feel like I'm getting
emails all the time.

Like, Hey, come join my club.

You know?

So I feel like there's just so much,
um, to do as a medical student or as a

graduate student that you can get involved
in if, you know, if you want to, for sure.

I totally agree.

Absolutely.

And it's such a.

I don't know.

There's just so many, like you said,
so many different things, so many

opportunities, and you do have to manage
your time wisely, but it can be really

rewarding to do these things outside
of school and just to like, hang out,

well, you don't need to do everything.

I think it's, it's a, it's a
quality over quantity type of thing.

Right.

We only have so many hours
in a day, so we have to pick.

The best way to invest those hours.

And sometimes the best way to
invest those hours is joining

a club and leading an event.

And sometimes the best way to invest
those hours is having a burger

and having fun and not worrying.

I know I'm trying to be extra wise right
now, but anyway, if there's, is there

anything else we'd like to address today?

Anything else we like to share?

No, I'm, I'm, I'm really happy
with, with what we've shared.

And I think that, um,
our message came across.

Yeah, you too.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

Well until next time, everyone, um, tune
in and we're happy to have you here.

I'll see you next time.

See you next time.