The Medical Tag

Hi there! Things have been busy recently with exams and paper deadlines, but now I’m back! I have been tagged by Mavis from @doctorinspe to do a Medical Tag. I hope that through this tag, the medical community on WordPress will grow. If you are tagged, I wish that you will join this tag and build this community! If you are interested in the medical profession and have encountered this post, I hope that you will too join!

Who are you and where do you study?
I am a first generation Vietnamese American college student. I am an eighteen year old freshman studying biochemistry/pre-med. I am currently studying in a large four-year public state university in the U.S.

When did you start studying medicine or premed courses?
I entered college with a declared major in biochemistry/pre-med, but I have already started my pre-med courses in high school. At my high school, I was able to take Advanced Placement courses, such as AP Chemistry and AP Biology, that gave me college credit. This has helped me stay ahead with my plan on graduating on time and making room for other exciting classes (Genetics, Anatomy, Physiology, etc!)

What made you choose the medical field?
I first decided to pursue pharmacy in 9th grade under the influence of my older sister. However, I did not seriously considered medical school until 11th grade. I was involved in a medical club in high school that exposed me to a great variety of medical professionals. One speaker stuck out to me. She was a procedural dermatologist that owned her own clinic. Her speech inspired me to become diligent and persistent in pursuing a career that I would love to wake up to each day. Through her speech I also realized my love for skincare.

How did you come up with your blog name/username?
Initially, I wanted to create a blog to share my love for my obsession with dramas, but also my long journey in achieving my dream career.

How would you describe your blog?
One word that would best describe my blog is spontaneous. I don’t have a set schedule of what subjects I plan to share. Whatever interests me at the moment, I will eagerly write a blog post about.

What’s your favorite quote?
Keep Smiling. Life is too short to drown yourself with negativity.

Best memory in medical school?
Since I have not entered medical school yet, I shall share my favorite memory this year. My favorite memory is being able to spend time with my friends during breaks. In high school, my group of friends and I were literally stuck together like superglue. Almost all of us had the same exact schedule; we were together practically the whole day. Now that each of us are attending different universities, each moment together is precious.

What’s one course you struggled with?
One course I have extremely struggled with was AP Physics. STORY TIME.  My high school teacher is known to be the craziest physics teacher (or simply just a teacher) in the district. Her classroom was filled with giant plants (Some even reached the ceiling! I don’t understand how she got the school agreed with this. The AP environmental science and AP Biology classes didn’t even have plants in the room, just my crazy AP physics teacher), and in one event, she bit off a piece of chalk to aid her stomach ache (chalk is made up of substances that aid in stomach aches, but biting off chalk completely surprised me). She taught college level Physics 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 IN TWO SEMESTERS. I (and perhaps every single student) was frightened to enter her class each day. You never knew what problem or agenda she had that day and whether or not you will have to work physics problems on the board in front of 30+ other terrified students. Physics still terrifies me today. Nonetheless, I believe that she is one of the best teachers I ever had. Although she terrified me, she prompted me to learn. She always made time during lunch(sometimes she never even gets to eat!), before school and after school to help students understand the material. I don’t think I’ll ever meet any teacher as dedicated to her students as my AP Physics teacher.

What’s your favorite book?
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. This book was assigned to me the summer before sophomore year for AP United States History.  History is by far my most detested school subject, although I have a passion for historical dramas. However, this book spoke out to me. A fisherman dies at sea while a man is accused of murder. There’s more than to the story than the mystery of a murder. There’s a journey; and it’s melodramatic. This book centers around Japanese-American history and the discrimination Japanese Americans faced post World War II. Sadly, I have not been able to catch up with reading for entertainment lately.

What do you do in your free time?
During my free time, I love to catch up with dramas, work on art & crafts projects, and write up blog posts! When I’m back at home from Uni, I love to spend all my time available with my friends and fam.

What do you want to major or specialize in?
I hope to pursue dermatology! As of late I have also grown interest in OB/GYN and psychiatry.

Who do you look up to?
I look up to people who have successfully pursued their dreams and are happy with their lives.

How do you study (productively)?
I have a bullet journal, which acts like a planner. I plan my entire week, dedicating a schedule to complete my assignments. My favorite place to study is in my room. I feel the most comfortable in my own room where I could study in my PJs, go to the bathroom as often as I need to, and save time (transportation).

How do you stay motivated in medical school?
One motivation is seeing the hard work and success of other people, not necessarily medical professionals or students. Seeing driven people who work diligently in pursuing their goals and happiness makes me want to work even harder to pursue mine.

What are your best tips for future medical students?
Stay motivated and never give up! It’s so easy to give up but it be worth it in the long run! Medicine is a life long career that is worth waking up to every morning. Your hands and mind could help and save so many lives.

Thanks for tagging me doctorinpe! Here, I’m tagging 5 of these following blogs. Check these bloggers out!

@mileq.d., @omgmdtobe, @medstudentsaga, @loveandscrubs, @flowers&stethoscopes