Hello and welcome to the first Pre-Health Oxford FAQ post! My name is Janet Guo, a current Pre-Health Advising Peer Mentor at Emory University. I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with some of my peers and role models to compile a list of pre-health related questions for those who are interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare field (e.g. medicine, dental, P.A., genetic counseling, and more!) at the Oxford College of Emory University.
Many of the Oxford Pre-Health Advising Peer Mentors from 2018-2020 (Sydney Chung, Janet Guo, Pranay Manda, Mathew Padanilam, Abhi Raju, and Eric Zeng) have helped to answer any common questions or concerns students may have. These students are either juniors or seniors at Emory University or current medical students who graduated from Emory University. The photos in this post feature all of the authors during their time at Oxford involved in many different activities. You can find more details about the authors here: http://prehealth.emory.edu/connect/peer-mentors.html. This is the first in a series of posts, and the completed FAQ will be available after the entire series has been published.
1. How has going to Oxford affected your “pre-health” experience?
Oxford was a great environment for my pre-health development because of the camaraderie you develop among peers and faculty, the collaborative learning environment, and the small class sizes. There is a sense of teamwork as we all strive towards the same goal. I knew that at any point if I needed help, my classmates and professors were supporting me and just next door. Because of the small, tight-knit community, I was able to develop close relationships with my professors through the smaller class sizes and with peers in my pre-medical science classes. There were only around 20 people in my general chemistry and biology courses. I got to know my classmates really well and ask the professors questions in and out of the classroom at my leisure.
Being pre-health at Oxford has made me appreciate the value of collaborative learning instead of getting caught up in stress despite the difficulty of the material. It was amazing to have such resources easily approachable and available for assistance and to study effectively to understand concepts covered in class.
2. Is there any sort of advantage or disadvantage to being on a pre-health track at Oxford vs. at Emory?
There are no specific advantages or disadvantages regarding the PHA services to Oxford or Emory college students. All pre-health students, whether from Oxford or Emory College, have the same access to the resources in the PHA Office. Having science lectures of ~30 people and the lab section taught by the same professor is an incredible benefit. The small class sizes really emphasized a team-based attitude towards learning and, at least for me, resulted in much more confident command of the material.
3. To current medical students (or in another health-related professional school) or students in the application process, how do you think Oxford impacted your choices during the application process?
Going to Oxford has impacted my medical school application process and school selection process. Firstly, it definitely impacted my competency as a candidate. The advantage with Oxford is that it’s a tight-knit community and you’re forced to create a set of interpersonal skills whether its interacting with professors or peers. In all my interviews, I feel there was something I could bring up Oxford-related that I know I wouldn’t have been able to had I not gone to Oxford.
Secondly, Oxford made me realize the importance of studying in a collaborative, supportive community. College is tough and medical school is even more so. We should be supporting each other and working together through this amazing journey and challenge. Going to Oxford showed me how beneficial a supportive environment can be, and I sought a similar atmosphere for my medical education.
4. What advice do you have for me, a pre-health student at Oxford?
Pieces of advice that I would recommend for the Oxford pre-health student include:
- Reach out — actively seek opportunities and ask questions, whether that may be for clinical experiences or meeting with your advisor
- Build relationships with your professors — capitalize on the small and intimate class size
- Explore — try different clubs and experiences to find your passion.
- Take advantage of the resources that Oxford offers — super strong connections to faculty and staff, small class sizes, and a tight circle of peers
- Take one thing at a time and try not to get overwhelmed — be sure to take time for yourself and do the things you love so you don’t burn yourself out studying.
- Never be afraid to seek help — there are so many amazing resources such as supplemental instructors, and of course, your professors
- Plan ahead — you don’t have to have your schedule planned out for the rest of college but it’s a good idea to have a rough timeline of when you will take your prerequisites so that you aren’t scrambling at the last minute
- For those that are not planning on taking a gap year on the pre-medical track, try to finish your four semesters of chemistry and two semesters of biology before coming to Atlanta.
5. Where should I go if I have more questions?
Definitely reach out to PHA Peer Mentors in person or through phone or email! We are always available during walk-in hours over the phone as well for our Oxford students. Additionally, students are able to schedule appointments with PHA advisors!
