Dreaming

I had my first medical school interview of the season yesterday.

I loved it.

Had you have talked to me merely 16 hours before, you would have heard doubts floating in my mind of "do I really want to be a doctor?" or "do I really want to go through with this?" But I am about 119% sure that this is where I am supposed to be after yesterday.

I interviewed at an osteopathic medical school (read: I would be Jillian Anderson, DO rather than Jillian Anderson, MD) in Fort Worth, unsure of what to expect. For one, I came out adoring the town of Fort Worth, including areas like 7th Street and the Arts District and so much else. Fort Worth seems like an incredible town to live in, within close proximity to Dallas without feeling like a huge city. I would really love living there!

Secondly, I was pleasantly surprised at how well I liked TCOM. I was unsure about osteopathic medicine entering application season, but the more I researched and especially after touring, the more I understood the atmosphere of the campus and what TCOM was all about. I don't think I expected [wanting] to go to an osteopathic school for medical school after interviewing. But now, I am confident to say that I would be overjoyed to be accepted into this program. The medical students had a genuine community, there was a sense of positivity throughout the school, the faculty genuinely cared for the students, it was catered to the type of physician I want to become.

I think the biggest piece of information I learned yesterday was to choose a medical school that aligns with your goals as a physician. Personally, I care about the patient interaction. I want to be in the trenches with my patients and to focus my energy on that aspect of my job. While I might pick up research along the way, going into medical school, that is not my priority. So maybe a school like UT Southwestern churning out research physicians wouldn't be the best fit for me. A place like Harvard equipping public health physicians to become policy makers isn't the niche I belong to. But a place like TCOM, interested in primary care and patient interaction--- that is a place I can see myself. Of course, each school is not defined by these ideas, nor am I uninterested in these different schools because of what has been their trend in their graduates. (Send my an interview invite, SW!) But I know wherever I end up I will thrive. Thinking these goals through when it comes to choosing a medical school, this is something I will chew on.

So all that being said, I am being a dreamer tonight. Looking up residencies in Texas (as well as Nashville... hello, Vanderbilt!) and dreaming of the time when that might become reality. I am excited to keep you posted on things happening in the medical school world and beyond. I have my next interview September 26 at Texas A&M. This is an allopathic school, so I am excited to dip my toes into this arena next! Pray for more interview invitations to come my way-- actually getting an interview is the biggest obstacle in getting accepted!

 [Of course, I couldn't help stopping by the Aggie Barn on my way home from DFW last night!]