2021 Grad
MD, University of Queensland Ochsner Clinical School
Academic Track: Academic Enhancer
Undergraduate School: University of California, Santa Barbara
Where did you get your undergraduate degree?
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
Why did you choose to attend the SFSU Post-Bac Program?
Collaborative environment; strong advising team; boost GPA
Which SFSU Post-Bac class was your favorite and why?
Hands-down Dr. Nina Hosmane’s Endocrinology class. She was such a dynamic and clear teacher, and she structured her basic science lectures and exams into clinical case reports and investigations. Not only was this format an invaluable preview of clinical work, but also a powerful synthesizer of all the moving parts involved in a provisional or differential diagnosis. Amazing, amazing professor, constantly gathering feedback from her physician colleagues and always seeking to improve her already progressive teaching!
What is/was your favorite thing to do in SF?
Drive up 101N into the city. The bay water is at eye-level, and nighttime lends amazing city lights (example: King Street or Bryant Street (280) exit ramps.)
Tell us something you learned as an SFSU Post-Bac that is important to you.
Not only is the Post-Bac Program a collaborative environment, but it is a strong and connected community. I’m grateful for the lasting sweet connections, well beyond graduation and professional training.
What advice would you give to incoming post-bac students?
Keep your head up. Work more efficiently. Give yourself time and space (yes, away from studies) to reflect. If you can’t do all the things you love right now, remember them and return to them. Build a relationship with a mental health professional (shout out to Lightfoot!), and see them consistently. Move your body. Sleep is the key to everything—not an exaggeration.
What resources have you used while a post-bac to help you reach your goals?
I stuck with just the material provided in class (because the lectures and problem sets are so high-quality and translate to the exams!). A strategy I employed was to reorganize and condense my notes 2-3x to help the material stick, answer any questions I had noted and review the content. The electronic PDFs of books are super helpful versions to reference using the control-Find option!
Did you make meaningful friendships in the program? If so, tell us about them.
Absolutely! Four years later, and I’m still staying connected with students and professors alike! Chiru Rwigi stands out in my mind as someone who was patient and willing enough to conflict resolve and trust in me that I had our best interests at heart. That is invaluable; not everyone gives you these chances. I appreciate you to this day! We’ve supported each other—and she me like none other I’ve known before—through all our classes, apps and the stress that all entails. To tackling this profession together!
If you are currently attending your health profession school, which program are you attending and what is your year in school?
Yes! University of Queensland—Ochsner Clinical School’s Doctor of Medicine. Rising MD2 (2027 graduate).