1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hello premed world! My name is Josh
Qian. I’m currently an MS2 at Emory University SOM. Before med school, my
undergraduate was at Georgia Tech with a major in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
and a minor in Health and Medical Sciences. I also completed a few internships
over the course of college in the fields of chemical and pharmaceutical
manufacturing. I am a “traditional” med student, in the sense that I went
straight from undergrad to medical school - although, the vast majority of my
classmates have completed one or more gap years. I have lived in a few places
including Ohio, Michigan, Shanghai, and now Georgia. In my freetime (yes,
medical students get a little bit of that. Crazy, I know.), I enjoy making
music, rock climbing, and playing video/board games with friends.
2. How are you enjoying medical school?
What is your favorite part about attending the Emory School of Medicine?
Medical school is definitely hard, but
it has also been the best time of my life. The people you meet here are one of
a kind. I am constantly surrounded by positive influences and hard working
classmates who have the common goal of wanting to help people. Classwork can
feel overwhelming at times with the incredibly large amount of knowledge we are
expected to learn in a short amount of time (have you heard of the phrase -
“drinking from a fire hydrant?” It’s very accurate!), but the people you will
be around and the experiences you will have in the clinics will make it all
worthwhile. At Emory, I was starting rounds at Grady Hospital within the first
three months of med school. This is 100% my favorite part about Emory. Although
I was still learning the ropes as a first year student, attending clinics early
on allowed me to practice getting a comprehensive HPI (History of Present
Illness), taking a thorough medical/family/social history, and performing the
physical exam. Beyond the ability to expand my skills as a future medical
professional, being in the clinic allows me to see the classroom teachings in
real life patients. The coolest experience is coming into the clinic every
other week and finding myself knowing a little more. I have progressively been
able to participate more in discussions with the attending physician and
practice coming up with a differential diagnosis for the patients I see.
Whatever medical school you choose in your future, I would highly highly
recommend asking them about their clinical opportunities in the first and
second year.
Oh, also pass/fail systems. That has
been really great too :P
3. Throughout your undergraduate career,
what helped guide you towards a career in medicine?
In undergrad, I was torn between the
two worlds of engineering and medicine. I knew I enjoyed engineering and felt
confident with my skills. However, I also desired to have a lifelong career
where I am able to use my STEM knowledge to help others. As I gained insight
into a future in engineering, I saw that the destination for an engineer’s
career path was to end up in the business and management side of things. Most
of the senior engineers at the companies I interned at no longer worked in the
manufacturing plant. Instead, they spent a majority of their days in meetings
with others and communicating needs/wants with their respective sites. On the
other hand, I knew that by going to medical school, more doors would be open in
my future and I would have a career that would allow me to spend the rest of my
life working closely with patients to improve their lives. Finally, I had
several teaching jobs while I was in undergrad and I found that education would
be an important part of my future career. Because medicine is an ever-changing
field, physicians are constantly learning and teaching others new things. Medical
education is definitely something I will be pursuing when I am a more
knowledgeable physician.
4. Is there something you wish you knew 5
years ago? What advice would you give another student who is pursuing the same
track as you?
Undergrad and pre-medical-school are
stressful and confusing times. There are 3 things I would want the younger-me
and any students earlier on this path to know. The number one advice is to (1)
try your best to not become overwhelmed with the vast uncertainty that comes
with the process. Enjoy the journey you are on and be in the moment. If you
truly have a passion for medicine and you have worked hard, you will
become a doctor and you will find a way to overcome any obstacles that
may come in your way. (2) Find good mentors in your pre-med office and with
current medical students/doctors. Ask them lots of questions and check-in with
them frequently on your journey to see if you are on the right track. Seek
plenty of shadowing opportunities to build your knowledge of the medical career
path. Finally, (3) explore other opportunities outside of medicine and give
them the benefit of the doubt, especially if you find yourself on the fence
like I was. If you go through those experiences and still find yourself wanting
to do medicine, that will only make you more certain you made the correct
decision. Alternatively, if you experience another career and find it to be a
better fit, do not be afraid to pursue that instead. There are many ways to
help others outside of being a doctor. Physician burnout is a real problem in
medicine. One way you can help combat that is to have experienced other career
options and being able to say with confidence that medicine is your destined
path. Whether it is through gap years or through internships, make a strong
effort to seek out these outside opportunities!
5. Where do you see yourself in the next
five to ten years?
On a beach in Hawaii with a piña
colada :D
Career-wise, I foresee myself going
into internal medicine residency with later fellowships to subspecialize in
pulmonology, allergy/immunology, or endocrinology. Somewhere on that path, I’ll
be a chief resident and later an attending physician who will be able to teach
other medical students and residents while on the wards.
If not internal medicine, I also have
interest in surgery. I am currently doing pediatric cardiothoracic surgery
research and I find that to be really interesting.
Or maybe even anesthesiology is in my
future.
(As you can tell, I have no idea what
I want to be because I like everything... Stay tuned!)
6.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
The future can be scary, but remember that many many people have
gone through the same experiences you are feeling. Don’t be afraid to seek help
and ask others for tips. Stay positive and keep working hard. You can do it!