Pub. 4 2020 Issue 1

Student Spotlight | Continued from page 19 What are the best aspects of medical school? The most challenging? As you may be able to tell already, I have really enjoyed my medical school experience thus far. The work is difficult, but it has been extremely rewarding to push through the challenges and to do so in the company of good friends. You become extremely close to your classmates, all of whom are in the same boat. Additionally, I have very much enjoyed the chance to interact with the faculty and practice my clinical skills. Several members of the faculty have become role models for me, so the opportunity to learn from them is extremely exciting. However, the dedication required throughout medical school can be draining. There have been several occasions where I have really struggled to adjust to the constant grind. As someone who studies best alone, it can begin to feel isolating. The stress and isolation together can become a heavy burden to bear. That is when those relationships men - tioned above with other members of the RVU community have become especially valuable. I have had several peers and professors who took the time to help me through those rough moments, and I am immensely grateful for them. How has it been adjusting to do- ing classes online due to social distancing? A large portion of our curriculum has always been available online, so the classwork itself has not changed much. How - ever, I miss interacting with my peers, my professors, and the rest of the staff at RVU-SU. As an osteopathic student, specifically, going without labs has been difficult. But on the bright side, all of this time at home has allowed me to pick up new skills. I am currently working on learning to juggle. I may need a few more months of social isolation to achieve this goal, but I’m closer than I was two months ago. You’ve taken on a leadership role in family medicine in your pro- gram at RVU. Tell us a little bit about that experience. What are the aspects about family medi- cine that interest you the most? I became involved with the Student Association of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) early in my medical career, acting as OMS-I Representative my first year and Chapter President my second year. I chose to do this for a couple of reasons. I knew I was interested in future leadership within the field, and so I felt it necessary to gain experience early. In that regard, my skills have grown immensely. I’ve learned how to delegate, organize a group behind a cause, and effectively and efficiently run meetings and events. Membership in our chapter of the ACOFP led to additional leadership opportunities at the national level, as well as scholarships/awards for myself and our chapter. I chose the ACOFP, specifically, because family medicine/ primary care excites me! I had the same family physician for roughly 18 years. He cared for not only me but also my brother and my parents. I loved the idea of getting to know a patient, as well as their family and their overall background. Over the years, I grew to trust him, confide in him, and take di - rection from him (even throughout my teenage years). Health is an extremely personal matter, and I think a trusting rela - tionship between a provider and a patient forms the founda - tion of effective primary care and strengthens the ability of a provider to impact a patient’s well-being. As I grew older and talked to other people, I realized that not everyone had that The work is difficult, but it has been extremely rewarding to push through the challenges and to do so in the company of good friends. You become extremely close to your classmates, all of whom are in the same boat. Additionally, I have very much enjoyed the chance to interact with the faculty and practice my clinical skills. Several members of the faculty have become role models for me, so the opportunity to learn from them is extremely exciting. www.UtahAFP.org | 20