FGLIMed Virtual Conference Recap

I recently attended the First Generation Low Income in Medicine (FGLIMed) Virtual Conference. This year’s theme was Becoming Invisible: Celebrating Community and Identity. This three-day conference featured many exciting speakers and provided lots of great information and resources for first-generation students interested in careers in medicine. While this conference was specifically for students interested in medicine, many of the stories, resources, and information were relevant for students interested in other careers in healthcare as well.

On the first day of the conference, Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, the Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at Columbia University, talked about her experiences in getting her MD as a first generation student. She spent a lot of time talking about owning your identity as a FGLI student and using that to propel your motivation and your career. She talked about education being the bridge out of poverty, saying that once you get knowledge into your head, no one can take it away from you. She discussed the difficulties of navigating her journey as a healthcare professional and how she learned to use her struggles to help others rather than letting them hold her back. You can check her out her great presentation video by going here: https://www.fglimed.org/june-9-highlights

After doctor Hutcherson spoke with us, we were broken into smaller groups so that we could meet other attendees of the conference. The faculty and staff were put together in a breakout room and we talked a little bit about who we were before chatting about how we support FGLI students. We only had about 20 minutes, which was not nearly enough time, so we decided to all meet again on our own on Friday after the conference to continue the conversation. After we returned to the larger group of conference attendees, we debriefed from our breakout conversations and had a larger discussion in a town hall format. (Watch the video by going here: https://www.fglimed.org/june-9-highlights) The major take-away from the session were that FGLI students should be proud of their background, embrace it, and remember that it is your superpower! Other take-aways were to learn to ask for help, to remember that you belong and deserve to be where you are, and to not be discouraged by the assumed knowledge about the structure of medicine that you were never taught by family/friends. There was some discussion on being proud of yourself even when you fall short of perfection. It reminded me of one of my favorite Ze Frank quotes, “Perfectionism may look good in his shiny shoes, but he's a little bit of an @$$**** and nobody invites him to their pool parties.” There was also some discussion about empathy and compassion as well as standing up to colleagues who make disparaging remarks about patients. The last major take-away from the discussion was remembering that being categorized as FGLI isn’t just one, specific background. There is a diversity of individual stories that fall under FGLI and all of our stories should be celebrated!

The next day at the conference, there were two different discussion panels that were hosted at the same time. As your pre health advisor, I thought it would be best for me to attend the Applying to Medical School panel over the Applying to Residency panel, so I did. (You can find both by going here: https://www.fglimed.org/june-10) During the Applying to Medical School panel, the speakers wanted all FGLI students to know that their backgrounds are strengths not weaknesses in medical school applications. FGLI students should be proud of their backgrounds and should embrace the strengths of their stories for showcasing things like resiliency and grit. The panelists shared various resources to help students navigate the often-murky waters of the application process and talked about things such as fee assistance programs, MCAT accommodations, and finding a pre-health advisor if your school doesn’t already have one. They also talked about what a disadvantage statement is and when it should be used. The goal of these statements, should you choose to submit one, is to provide context for helping the admissions committees to better understand the obstacles that you have faced. These obstacles are not your identity, but rather your circumstances, such as your economic situation, your medical conditions, or your learning disabilities that have impacted your journey as a pre-health student. The panelists emphasized that these statements should be filled with facts and should provide context, but should not speculate about what you could have achieved had you not had to face those obstacles.

The panelists stressed the importance of identifying your strengths and then both celebrating and playing to those strengths throughout your pre health journey and beyond. They encouraged students to be self-reflective and to develop a growth mindset. They talked about how healthcare is a team sport and how one of the best things you can do as an applicant is showcase how you've been both a leader and a good team player in the past. They discussed learning to construct healthy boundaries, a discussion that featured on of my favorite new quotes, “We don't have to light ourselves on fire to keep others warm.”

Other things that were discussed included the importance of reaching out and asking for help from people like pre-health advisors, diversity offices, or even the schools where you are applying. If you have economic struggles, you can reach out to specific programs or to the diversity offices within specific universities to ask for assistance in funding your interviews or other program specific expenses. For example, some programs will waive secondary application fees if you have financial hardships, but you might not know that if you never ask.

On the final day of the conference, Dr. David Acosta, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer of the AAMC, shared his story and perspectives on FGLI in medicine. He spoke about the importance of embracing our own intersectionality and using the power of our different identities to help us be more creative, more innovative, and better at making decisions. He emphasized that students should always be bringing their full selves to the table. He talked about the realities of imposter syndrome, quoting a former student who said, “One of the hardest obstacles have to overcome in medical school/residency is the one inside your head.” He also talked about the value of mentorship and the changing dynamics of mentor-mentee relationships over time. He said mentors and mentees should set clear expectations of what they plan to get out of their relationship and that it is okay (and even healthy) for mentors/mentees to grow away from each other as they move forward in their careers. You can watch Dr. Acosta’s closing keynote by going here: https://www.fglimed.org/june-11

The conference concluded with the discussion about ongoing projects, scholarship opportunities, and ways to get involved in the FGL I'm Ed community. There was discussion about using existing tools so that you aren’t reinventing the wheel and documenting your efforts to promote sustainability. Much of the discussion centered on finding, growing, and maintaining your FGLI community, both on your campus and among peers at other institutions. Some of the panelists talked about the importance of establishing traditions first to build your community and then assessing what your community’s needs are for moving forward. They also mentioned that it is important to recognize that your FGLI community is complex and diverse and includes other students, faculty, and non-faculty staff.

All in all, the virtual conference was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about using your first generation experiences as the backdrop for your applications into medical programs. The conference was empowering and exciting and totally worth your time to catch on the replay, which you can do by going here: https://www.fglimed.org/2020webinar It also provided lots of great resources and tools for first generation students as well as growing and strengthening the FGLIMed community. To learn more about this community or to join so that you, too, have access to all of these wonderful tools and can start building your professional network of people with similar experiences, check out their website by going here: https://www.fglimed.org/

Advice from an Alumnus: Meet Alyssa Krautbauer!

SD Mines has a reputation for excellence that reverberates through our students long after they leave campus with their degrees in hand. Today, we are featuring on of our alumni, Alyssa Krautbauer, who earned her degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2017. She has just been accepted into the Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glendale, Arizona, where she will soon be starting her training to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. We caught up with Alyssa to ask her about her time at SD Mines and how it helped to prepare her for a career in healthcare.

Hey, Alyssa! How are you using your degree from SD Mines in your current career path?

Currently, I don’t believe that I am fully utilizing my engineering degree in my career path. However, there are some valuable skills I learned in engineering that will apply in the short term to medical school, such as problem solving. In the future, there will be more opportunities to take advantage of my background to potentially assist in medical instrument design/or help tackle very complex diagnoses. To be perfectly honest, I don’t know what the future holds, but I am eager to utilize my mechanical engineering background to help people in any way that I can.

How did your time at SD Mines prepare you for going to medical school?

In my opinion, there are three main areas in which SD Mines did a great job in preparing me for medical school (Note: I was not involved in any SD Mines pre-med programs at the time). First, I would say the mechanical engineering curriculum forced me to greatly improve my studying discipline. Secondly, the small class sizes allowed me to get to know my professors who not only could answer my questions on course material, but also were eager to help and support me in applying to medical school. Finally, there were many opportunities in each class to work as a team solving problems or collaborating on a project. Medicine is a team sport, so I found this experience invaluable.

What kind of shadowing did you do to get a better feel for careers in healthcare while you were a student?

I primarily shadowed and interned in ophthalmology clinics during the summers because of a personal interest in the field. I also shadowed in general surgery, dermatology, family medicine, and ENT.

What kinds of healthcare experiences did you do as a student to prepare for medical school?

I interned at ophthalmology clinics during two summers of undergrad. Not only did I get to be involved in patient care, I developed greater insight into the field of medicine.

What kinds of volunteering did you do during your undergraduate?

My volunteering during undergrad consisted of assistant coaching an elementary school girls basketball team, Caring Hands at Rapid City Regional Hospital, Mines Buddies, and also volunteering at my church.

Did you do any undergraduate research at SD Mines? 

I did not participate in any undergraduate research at SD Mines. However, during my semester abroad, I participated in some research on hands-free image manipulation for the operating room as well as some research in ophthalmology during a summer internship. Looking back, I wish I would have participated in a longer research project at SD Mines, because the research process is very important to learn and medical schools are looking for that experience.

In what other ways did you prepare for a career in healthcare? 

I have worked at a medical instrument company during my time until I start medical school. While working, I have had the opportunity to learn medical marketing skills and attend annual conferences where I can sit in on lectures and meet physicians. Since graduating, I have also volunteered at a local hospital in the Phoenix area helping in the nephrology department as well as in patient transport.

How did you prepare for the MCAT?

I used the Kaplan books to review/learn the material that would be on the test. I purchased all of the practice tests from the AAMC as well as each section question pack they offered. I went through each practice test and question bank, and for each question I answered incorrectly (or guessed correctly), I learned the reasoning behind it. I also looked up everything I needed to have memorized on test day (e.g. amino acids) and made sure to do that.

Additionally, I discovered UWorld two weeks before I took the MCAT, and I believe this resource brought my Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS) section up dramatically on test day. They have a huge bank of questions, and the real benefit of UWorld was the thorough explanation of the answers to each of the questions. I wish I had learned about UWorld earlier.

How did you balance studying, attending classes, other student commitments, and doing all of these extracurriculars to prepare for medical school with your personal life?

If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t manage it well at the time. Perhaps I’m the wrong person to answer this question. I put way too much pressure on myself to earn a 4.0 GPA, and in doing so, that took a lot away from my college experience. I think it is important to do well, but looking back I would have studied less and been more involved in research and getting more experience in the medical field, with the caveat of only doing them if I was genuinely interested. It is so much easier to talk during an interview or write a personal statement about experiences you are passionate about.

What techniques do you use to manage your time and stress levels?

For time management, I’ve learned to take a deep, introspective look at my Google calendar before making any commitment. I have the tendency to take on too much at one time and then I become unable to maintain my commitments with a sound mind.

For stress levels, I’m learning to mend the root of the issue in addition to finding an enjoyable way to cope with the stress. If I’m stressed about a work issue, I talk with colleague(s) and work through it until it is resolved or at least better than it was.

Cooking happens to be random stressor for me because it takes up so much time and I don’t particularly enjoy it, so what I’ve ended up doing is improving my meal prep skills at the beginning of the week as well as cooking easier, quicker recipes.

What were some of the major challenges you faced at SD Mines and how did you overcome those challenges?

Test anxiety has historically been an issue for me. A good thing about SD Mines is that it forces you to confront this issue by providing ample practice opportunities to test out different coping techniques. Going for a run the morning before the test, reminding myself that I did my best, and framing the test as a “challenge” rather than a “threat” all seemed to help me manage my test anxiety. By the end of my time at SD Mines I found myself significantly less anxious going into an exam.

What advice do you have for pre-health students at SD Mines?

1.  My advice to pre-health students would be to study hard and excel in your classes, but try and avoid perfectionism - it takes the joy out of studying. Give yourself grace to enjoy your courses and the people you are studying with.

2.   Get to know your professors and the pre-med department. SDSM&T has so many wonderful professors, and I have experienced great support from them in the medical school application process. I literally could not have gotten into medical school without them.

3. Take it with a grain of salt when people say how incredibly difficult something is. I think it is human nature to overemphasize difficulty level; things usually aren’t as hard as people say they are, including O-Chem, Biochemistry, the MCAT, or even getting into medical school. Sure these are all challenging, but I found that peoples’ horror stories scared me out of doing what I wanted to do.

4. Involve yourself in activities that you both genuinely enjoy, and that help give you insight into the medical field. Research is a valuable asset for a career in medicine, but if there aren’t any research opportunities on campus that genuinely interest you, ask a professor if they would help you start your own.

5. Get involved in different groups both on and off campus. You get to meet a lot of different people with differing backgrounds, and by doing so I believe that you would be more effective at treating the myriad patients you will encounter in medicine. Not only that, networking very often opens doors to new opportunities.

6. Try to study abroad! The cultural competence you gain from studying abroad will serve you well in understanding people better in medicine. If possible, center your study abroad experience around something related to medicine. I worked on an engineering project relating to medicine in Oslo, Norway, and many of my interviewers asked to hear about this experience. There was a significant scholarship at SDSM&T back when I was considering studying abroad, so if money is a concern there may be help. There are also more affordable exchange opportunities where you just pay for your tuition as usual and living expenses.