Disability Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentoring (DREAM) Conference: 3 Key Takeaways

Recently, I had the chance to attend the Disability Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentoring (DREAM) Conference at UAB. The conference was entirely virtual; although students gathered together in certain rooms on campus, we signed in to an online seminar series that was being broadcast simultaneously at multiple universities across the U.S. To my knowledge, this… Read More Disability Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentoring (DREAM) Conference: 3 Key Takeaways

November 5, 2018 UAB MSTPLeave a comment

You know you’re an early medical student when…

At some point, you have called Pathoma, Sketchy, First Aid, Boards and Beyond, Anki, Costanzo, or another study resource, “my best friend.” Any video content played at normal, 1x speed sounds like the slowest thing you’ve ever heard because you’ve adjusted to watching lectures with at least 1.5x speed. You know that PERRLA is not… Read More You know you’re an early medical student when…

October 10, 2018 UAB MSTPLeave a comment

MSTP Life Lessons: Forward Progress Isn’t Always Linear

As the fall dawns upon us, I find myself entering the third year of the MSTP. It has been a whirlwind, and it is tough to sum up some of what has happened, especially over the last year. If nothing else, I have learned that this whole journey is not the smooth process I had… Read More MSTP Life Lessons: Forward Progress Isn’t Always Linear

September 17, 2018September 17, 2018 UAB MSTPLeave a comment

Feedback Loops: Lessons from my mentors shape my own career goals

As I progress through the MSTP, I have realized that this journey (and this career path as a whole) is one full of ups and downs. Many things went differently than I had hoped in my second year of the program, but there has been one undeniable positive: I have been surrounded by some of… Read More Feedback Loops: Lessons from my mentors shape my own career goals

August 7, 2018August 7, 2018 UAB MSTPLeave a comment

Advice: Navigating the Post-USMLE Step 1 Period and Score Disappointment

So, you got your Step I score back, and it’s not what you were hoping for… What’s there to do next? As an MD/PhD student, there are few experiences as difficult as completing your USMLE Step I exam, waiting the excruciatingly long wait period for your score, opening your results, and finding a number… Read More Advice: Navigating the Post-USMLE Step 1 Period and Score Disappointment

July 20, 2018July 20, 2018 UAB MSTPLeave a comment

Waitlists and Expressing Interest in Programs

Congratulations!! If you’re reading this post, you may have applied to some MD/PhD programs and been placed on the waitlist. This is a position in which a school simply requests more time to make a decision about your application – you are not accepted or rejected, but the school is interested enough to continue deliberating… Read More Waitlists and Expressing Interest in Programs

June 8, 2018 UAB MSTPLeave a comment

Letters of Recommendation

In addition to your AMCAS and secondary applications, one of the major components of MD and MD/PhD admissions are letters of recommendation. This can often be a confusing topic, as each college might have different formats for letters (individual, committee, packet, etc) and then each medical program might have different expectations as well. Thus, we… Read More Letters of Recommendation

June 30, 2017 UAB MSTPLeave a comment

UnABridged

another day in the life of a UAB MSTP student