Where Can I Go for Advice?
Written by Sawyer Bawek
Medical school is a long and hard journey, and you will most likely experience roadblocks along the way. Meeting with other medical students, residents, and attending physicians can help through difficult times.
One of the biggest pieces of advice when meeting with people for advice is to ask a question. Many times, the individual remembers what it was like being in your shoes and is more than willing to provide some helpful advice. Also, it is key to get advice from multiple people. People will have different perspectives, and this is advantageous as you will be able to gather the information and determine which pieces will be most beneficial for you. Also, connecting with one individual can open the door to others who they are connected with. Surround yourself with supportive people who encourage you to reach your dreams.
1. Older Medical Students at Your School: Many medical schools have a formal big brother/big sister program that partners a second-year medical student with an incoming 1st-year medical student. If your school doesn’t have a formal program, go to one of the interest group meetings at your school and ask one of the second-year medical students for advice.
2. Current Residents: Medical schools may also have a list of current residents from your school and what program they matched in for residency. It can be advantageous to connect with current residents who are in your specialty of interest. Establishing relationships through clinical rotations and away rotations is another great way to meet residents.
3. Attending Physicians: Reaching out to school advisors can help you get established by connecting you with attending physicians who are affiliated with your school or who practice in the area. Attending conferences and joining clubs that host guest speakers is another way to get advice. It can also be beneficial to do some shadowing during summer break to get a feel for a specialty of interest and network with some attending physicians.
4. #MedTwitter: Creating a medical Twitter profile is a great way to join a community with a lot of opportunities to learn from others, learn about research in the field you are interested in, and meet people. Once you create an account, you can introduce yourself with a professional photo and what career interests and hobbies you have. You can use the hashtag #MedTwitter or the hashtag of your specialty in your post. For more tips on #MedTwitter and social media, check out this Inside The Match blog post by Andrew Woods Social Media Tips.
Please do not pay for advice in medical school. There are many individuals out there that are more than willing to help for free. You can also always reach out to me on #MedTwitter (@Sawyer_Bawek).
I also encourage you to pay it forward and help others later in your medical school career, residency, and at the attending physician level.
