Humans of Pre-Health Emory: Jana Ebong

Jana Ebong is a senior majoring in Psychology. She is on the pre-optometry track.

We had a chance to sit down with Jana and ask her a few questions about her pre-health journey.

What have been impactful events that have led you to this pre-health track?

I would say opportunities where I got to interact with my community in the medical aspect were the most impactful. Volunteering with local clinics and shadowing really showed me that I was really interested in that type of patient-caretaker interaction. And just the experiences I had with my own optometrist that I really enjoyed and could really see myself in that role. There are also experiences I had with my club on campus where we are focusing on kidney health. We provide health screenings to communities that are either underinsured or have limited medical access.

What was the most difficult part of your pre-health career?

Well for me, the most difficult part of my pre-health career was finding what health profession was the best fit for me. There were many health careers that interested me but didn’t fit the lifestyle I wanted and vice versa. The way I overcame this was by immersing myself in a variety of experiences and asking questions. Also, surrounding myself with knowledgeable people who could provide insight into the health careers that I was interested in was a huge help.

How did you reach out to people in careers that you were unfamiliar with?

So I attended a couple of the Emory pre-health networking events that were put on. There I was able to talk more with a lot of different health professionals like optometrists, physical therapists, and other specialists. I would say these events were the biggest opportunity I had to come in contact and network with people that were in professions I was unfamiliar with.

What about optometry stuck out to you?

At one of the pre-health profession events we had a chance to speak and ask questions to an optometrist. The type of lifestyle she explained and her day-to-day roles really resonated with me. At that point I had been pre-PA but I loved how niche and specific the optometry field was. The optometrist that I spoke with explained how some people really enjoyed the variety that working in a hospital offered while others thrived in the specificity that optometry offered. Hearing this, I definitely related more to wanting one particular focus.

What helped guide you to where you are now?

Exploring! I feel like there are always a large number of students who come in wanting to be a medical doctor but through one way or another, find something else they feel more passionate about. I definitely fell into this group and it was only through exploring different fields and health care options that I was able to pinpoint what I wanted to do.