Background

Hometown: New York, New York
Undergraduate: Wesleyan University, BA in Neuroscience & Behavior; Psychology
Graduate: Wesleyan University, MA in Neuroscience & Behavior
MD Program: Drexel University College of Medicine, Class of 2021

Q&A

Can you tell me a little about yourself before coming to Drexel?

I was kind of all over the place growing up. I was born in New York City, but when I was around six months old my family moved to Paris. We lived there for four years, and then we moved back to New York for nine years. After that we moved to Jakarta, Indonesia for one year, and then to Mumbai, India for three years. Then I went to college in the United States.

What was all that moving around like for you?

In retrospect it was great. It was probably the best educational experience I could have had, and I think it helped me in many ways prepare for college and for medical school in terms of knowing how to adapt to new places. At the time I didn't feel that way. I wasn't so psyched about leaving my friends all the time and being the new kid in school, but overall I am grateful for having been able to live in different parts of the world and experiencing different cultures.

You came to college in the United States. Where did you go?

I went to Wesleyan University in Connecticut. I double majored in neuroscience and psychology, and then I got my masters in neuroscience there too.

What made you interested in coming to Drexel?

I applied to a lot of medical schools as most applicants do. The thing about Drexel that stood out to me was the curriculum. I love the location in Philadelphia. When I came here for my interview, I got a good feeling from the student body. It was very collaborative, not competitive. At other schools, they either told me directly or in not so many words that it was competitive among classmates. In addition, I like that everything here is a team-based exercise, and the lectures are given to you online, which gives you time to do other things, like shadowing or research.

What do you like about living in Philadelphia?

It's a metropolitan city. I grew up in New York City, and after going to college in a small town, I wanted to come back to living in a big city. There's so much to do here. I don't have to have a car because everything is convenient and close by. The hospital is great—it sees a lot of patients, and I like the diversity of the patient population. And there's good food too!

With your background in neuroscience, I'm assuming that's what you're planning to pursue.

It's definitely something I am interested in, but I can be swayed. There are so many things I wasn't exposed to before that I am learning about now, so I am keeping my options open.

How has your first year been going so far?

It's been great so far. There are definitely some preconceived notions coming into medical school that either live up to expectations or are dispelled. I love the student body here. It's a really great group of people. If you ask me a week before a test, "How's med school going?" I'd be like, "I don't like it. It's so much work." That's the stress talking. But at the end of the day I am really happy to be here and really happy to be studying this stuff. The best part is interacting with patients and applying what you've learned. It's very fulfilling.

Are you involved with activities outside of the classroom?

I'm part of the Drexel Med soccer team, and we won the league this year against the other grad schools in Philadelphia. I played soccer in college too, so I'm happy I get to continue that and use it as a stress reliever and an opportunity to meet people. In addition to soccer, I take part in the Health Outreach Project clinics. I shadow every now and then, and I'll be doing research over the summer. I'm also enrolled in a Medical Spanish course here at Drexel Med.

What advice do you have for someone who is considering coming to Drexel for medical school?

I think the best advice is to come see it for yourself. There's only so much I can say. If someone were to come here, take a tour and get to know some of the students, I think that would be the best reflection of what it's like. If you're the kind of person who likes to work with other people, then definitely come here. But if you're more individualistic or more competitive and cut-throat, maybe don't come here because we're not like that.