Current 4th year medical student at TCU Burnett School of Medicine.
I personally loved the supportive community the program has. The faculty and staff genuinely care about the students well-being and success. A community like this is more difficult to find once you transfer to a larger university.
I would say the research summer internships are helpful in transitioning, both mentally and academically. I participated in a research program at UCSD the summer before transferring there in the fall. This allowed me to find friends, resources, and get use to the campus before I even started in the fall.
For anyone pursing medical school to be a doctor/surgeon.
I would say finding mentorship from medical students before starting would really
help. Many people just want mentorship from established faculty, however having medical
student mentorship can be helpful in other ways.
Take advantage of free resources in your stem classes. Usually there is a lot of free resources and tutoring around that will make a significant difference in your studies.
Also don’t be afraid to seek and ask for opportunities in your field. A lot of the opportunities I received throughout my journey came from just asking people questions.
I would say minimize distractions around you and focus on your work, time flies when you are staying busy and focused. Many of the things you think are important now won’t really matter years moving forward.
I would also say don’t try to overload yourself with extracurriculars/work. Your test scores are the most important thing on your application so prioritize that.
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. My hobbies are weight lifting, golfing, pickleball.