While I may not be writing to you as the new class representative, I am writing to you as the Region 5 Vice Chair of the Health Policy and Legislative Action Committee of the Student National Medical Association and one of two Future Leadership Project Fellows for the region! I can barely contain my excitement! The SNMA is an organization for medical students that supports students from underserved backgrounds, serves the underserved communities, and works to create more physicians that are “cultural competent” and “clinically excellent”. I was very active during undergrad as the President of the Multicultural Association of Pre-Medical Students at my University for two years. I revitalized the organization and participated in the national components as well as the SNMA at my university’s medical school. To have a regional position is truly an honor. This means furthering my ability to balance my time! I have been doing a pretty good job, I think, thus far. Working to help plan the regional conference is a start!
I have found that it is possible to make it through medical school and have a life! I like to think of my studying as such: Team Based Learning studying is like studying for an exam (once or twice a week) and Exam studying is like studying for finals (once every two weeks). Knowing this, you can balance your activities around your schoolwork and you will be fine! From under the assistance of Pre-Matric, I am finding that the material requires a little more explanation that before. I find myself meeting with fellow students more often and more careful in lab than before. My first TBL went well so we shall see in the coming weeks. Grasping study techniques is one hurdle that I believe that I have successfully crossed, on to using them!
