Student Voices

Life in New York while on Rotations

Christopher Buelvas, College of Medicine February 03, 2012

It’s when we get to put our basic science knowledge to work. It’s crazy to see how much more information there is still to learn. After Step 1 I felt like I was really prepared and ready for the wards. I feel like I’m able to apply the knowledge now and organize it better. Learning the criteria for diagnosis and proper assessment and plan techniques really makes things stick. It gets easier to remember the large amount of information for me at...

When I knew I was prepared

Christopher Buelvas, College of Medicine January 30, 2012

A few friends from college were living here so we met by the World Trade Center for lunch and sightseeing. We were turning the corner to take a look at the front of St. Paul’s Chapel and saw a small crowd and 2 police officers on the side walk. As we got closer we saw a woman collapsed on the floor gasping for air with her head resting on her husband’s lap. Her daughter, who was about my age, was crying and begging for help. I had already left my friend...

Atlanta!

Melanie Chan, College of Medicine December 27, 2011

I have spent the last two weeks at Atlanta Medical Center shadowing Dr. Jean Philippe at his Internal Medicine clinic. The experience really made me realize just what a day in the life of an internal medicine doctor is like. I really liked the laid-back environment of the clinic. The slow-paced and relatively stress- free days are definitely an upside of the field. It was great to have such close one-on-one interactions with the patients. Dr. Philippe encourages us to do many of the...

An Experience Less Ordinary

Elena Zamora, College of Medicine December 12, 2011

Upon my arrival to Antigua, my father and I headed straight to visit the location where I would be spending my days in classes and anatomy lab, better known as West Campus. With only a few classrooms and a few benches around, I remember thinking, this place was strictly business. Luggage in hand, my father and I spoke to the security guard and I learned the correct pronunciation for Antigua according to the locals. Following my first lesson in Antigua, we searched out a hotel to spend the...

The Mayo Clinic Experience

Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, College of Medicine October 19, 2011

Four months into residency, I am still alive. I survived the Emergency Department, Inpatient Oncology, Outpatient Primary Care, Inpatient Cardiology, several overnight shifts, and I am definitely getting used to this doctor thing. It still feels weird introducing myself as “Doctor Marcelin”, but every day I am more confident doing so. I’m still learning the computer systems, but getting faster. I dislike dictation, but a little less, every time I do it. I’m more...

Being a TA

Melanie Chan, College of Medicine September 17, 2011

Having been a teaching assistant in both med and premed, I would highly recommend other students give it a shot. It really helps you consolidate the information you learn in class. It is also one of the only ways to make money in Antigua as a student. Teaching makes you think about the things you learned in class in a different way and to pick apart the information more thoroughly. Something about saying the words out loud helps you remember the information in the long run. I taught...

Studying for STEP 1

Melanie Chan, College of Medicine September 16, 2011

Classes for the fifth semester review program are coming to an end. That means that our six weeks of self-study are approaching and I will have to start some intensive studying. The thought of studying for STEP 1 is so ominous that it makes it difficult to figure out whether the resources I am using are the “right” ones. I spent a lot of time yesterday on valuemd.com looking at other students’ experiences studying for the STEP and their resultant scores. There is a lot of...

Fifth Semester Review Program

Melanie Chan, College of Medicine September 16, 2011

I am one month into the review course of fifth semester, also known as Falcon. The professors are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. It is great to learn these subjects from a different perspective than we had during our basic sciences. The downside, however, is that the days are quite long and I find it difficult to pay attention to one subject for such an extended amount of time. We are in class everyday with about one day a week off. After class, I listen to Doctors In...