Episode 5: Brennon Barajas and Angela Guerra- Medical Students (MSIII and MSII)

Career Closeup

Thinking about a career in medicine? Are you working towards the daunting path of premed courses and MCAT review? This is the podcast for you. On this episode, we had the opportunity to sit down with Brennon Barajas (MSIII) and Angela Guerra (MSII) for a breakdown into the world of applying, getting in and surviving medical school. Both Brennon and Angela will be the first physicians in their family and describe their hard work and efforts that paid off with acceptance to medical school. Brennon is a third year student at UT Health San Antonio and Angela is a second year student at Paul L. Foster SOM at Texas Tech Health Science Center, El Paso. Angela and Brennon discuss their undergrad days and strategies that help them succeed then and now with the course load and stress of a continuum of standardized test, clinical rotations and the balance of keeping both feet on the ground. From their days working as scribes, an invaluable experience for anyone interested in medicine, to their latest stage of preparing to apply for residency, Angela and Brennon share a down to earth approach to "drinking from a fire hydrant." What makes you a great candidtate for medical school? Thinking about residency, do the challenges ever end? Whether you are in High School or undergraduate school, Angela and Brennon offer their advice of how to approach the process, taking the MCAT, programs and opportunities and the steps to take to streamline your process. You will come away with a great Closeup about the different personalities, the different degrees and the actual fun one can have traversing your four years in medical school. That is right - medical school can be fun!

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Introduction 03:51 Adjustments from undergraduate school to medical school 07:18 Traditional vs. non-Traditional students and differing backgrounds of applicants 11:04 Other Requirements in medical school, Volunteer work, Community Service 13:49 Teaming up medical students, student wellness 17:21 Medical school, curriculum and USMLE 23:11 Medicine as a career, preparing for medical school, recommendations for someone who wants to go to medical school 27:52 PreMed, Early Acceptance and Double T program 31:43 The MCAT, studying for the MCAT and the best time to take it. 35:22 What Makes you stand out as an applicant for Medical School? 37:54 Scribing and what is a Medical scribe 47:13 Deciding on a specialty 50:08 Applying for residency 51:45 Research in medical school 55:53 How do you deal with stress? 57:47 Residency, what are competitive fields? What makes you competitive? What is the actual process for applying? 1:00:45 Downtime? Other interests? Time for family and relationships? 1:02:12 Do you have time to work in medical school? Family and relationships? 1:03:57 Summarize biggest challenges in going to medical school, anything you would dodifferently? 1:06:55 Angela and Brennon discuss their plans to apply for Emergency Medicine and why? 1:09:29 What advice do you have for someone who has taken the MCAT and maybe didn’t do as well or didn’t get an interview? Post Baccalaureate Programs 1:12:11 Summary