My name is Laura Clayton and I’m currently halfway through my first year of medical school at the Frank H. Netter SOM at Quinnipiac University. I could talk forever about med school, but here are my succinct insights into what it was like to apply and what it looks like to actually train to become a physician…
I was so nervous while applying to medical school. I spent at least six weeks on secondaries. I really leaned on the pre-med counselors to read my essays and would highly recommend others do the same! The scariest part for me was when my friends received interview invites and then acceptances before I heard back from schools at all. I would just implore anyone in a similar situation to remain patient, because even though I didn’t receive an invite until the end of October, I was invited to nine interviews. I really enjoyed travelling the country and learning from each program! I was accepted to some DO and some MD schools, and after agonizing over the decision for a while, I committed to Netter. I really loved the idea of osteopathic manual manipulation and very nearly went to Rocky Vista, so if anyone has questions about choosing between DO and MD please reach out to me.
Medical school is definitely hard, but it’s doable. Cal Poly was quick paced and prepared me well for what was to come. At Netter we have six week blocks that are actually pretty similar to the A&P concentration at Poly. I’m in my neuroscience block right now. Class time involves lectures that are quite a bit more dense than in undergrad, group work sessions, and anatomy lab. We also take a course throughout the year where we learn to perform a history and physical exam on ‘standardized patients’, who are actors pretending to be patients. That is super fun, and potentially cringe worthy when you watch the videos later. We have one other course that is essentially teaching us biostats and other miscellaneous info. Lastly, we go to a family medicine site one afternoon a week to practice our clinical skills. I love getting to practice interviewing patients every week. This all adds up to about 30 hours a week of just class time. And then you have to study it all. When you add research, volunteering, and other involvement, you start to realize that your time is precious. Somehow, though, everything gets done. I go rock climbing a few times a week and I go out with my friends on the weekend. There is definitely still time for other things!
Before I started school, I had been warned to watch out for cut throat students. I don’t know if the times have changed or if the culture is different at different schools, but I can honestly say that my peers and professors are the most amazing and inspiring people I’ve ever met. This training is so much work, but the material is exciting, the people are wonderful, and getting to interact with patients is always the best part of my week. I think my classmates would agree. If you get that (after the initial overwhelmed feeling) when you’re learning about the kidney or shadowing a doctor, you’ll love it. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. If anyone has questions about Netter, moving to the east coast, MD vs DO, or other details please reach out to me!
Laura.clayton@quinnipiac.edu
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