West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Student Interview

This interview is the latest in an Accepted.com blog series featuring  interviews with medical school applicants and students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at  top medical schools and the med school application process. And now, introducing our anonymous blogger, Student Dr. Diva†¦ Accepted: Wed like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? Can you share two interesting facts about yourself? Student Dr. Diva: I’m from a small town in WV of about 2,000 residents. I was a biology major and psychology minor at a small Division II school in WV. Two interesting facts about me: I own a Great Dane and I’m the oldest of 5 girls. Accepted: Where are you in med school? What year? Student Dr. Diva: I’m a first year at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Accepted: So, youre a med student and a diva how do these two things come together? Will you be a very dramatic doctor? Student Dr. Diva: Honestly I’m just a girly medical student who is obsessed with the color pink and glitter. I guess you could say I’m somewhat dramatic. Don’t be confused though, I’ve completed a Tough Mudder, ran track all 4 years of undergrad, and played volleyball and basketball as well as gymnastics from the time I was 3 years old until college. So, I’m kind of a tomboy too. Accepted: Why did you choose an osteopathic program? How is your med school the best fit for you? Student Dr. Diva: I chose an osteopathic program because of the osteopaths that I shadowed. Not only could they prescribe medications, give treatments, etc., but some could heal with their hands! A patient came in with complications from a hip replacement. She saw multiple M.D.s and all they did was give her pain medications that she did not want. She finally saw a DO, and he did manipulations on her and she was healed just like that! I knew then that I wanted to impact and influence patients in such a way and more so than just writing prescriptions. OMT has interested me from the beginning. I had no idea how a physician could impact a patient in so many ways just by manipulating the human body and how it’s all connected! This medical school is the perfect fit for me because it is in my home state only three hours from home. It has state-of-the-art facilities, a top-notch anatomy lab with ventilation systems and over 50 cadavers, one of the best OPP labs in the country, and has a class size of about 214. I’m extremely happy with my decision to go here. I’ve met lifelong friends here, gotten to truly know myself here, and am about a quarter of the way to my final goal of becoming a physician! Accepted: If you could change one thing about your program, what would it be? Student Dr. Diva: I would change our curriculum to PASS/FAIL instead of the letter grades we get now. It’s extremely frustrating and annoying still getting letter grades when most medical schools are pass/fail because honestly in the end, that’s all that matters anyway. You’re not gonna remember that 90.15 you got in a course. It adds so much stress and if you ever get a C on an exam or what have you, it’s still passing, but you feel like a failure and sometimes it can be disheartening if you let it get to you. Accepted: How many med schools had you applied to? Can you offer our readers some advice on how to choose the best programs to apply to, and then how to choose the best program to accept? Student Dr. Diva: I only applied to 3, all in-state. I think they should all tour and get a feel for the school, student life, talk to the students that go there. If they’re unhappy and wish they had gone elsewhere – that’s a red flag! The students will be honest about the curriculum, life, etc., while the admissions can sometimes only offer the positives. You should choose where you can see yourself excelling – whether it’s in your home state or 5,000 miles away. Also, what programs do you want to go into? Do those schools have a great expectancy and do well in the match in those specialties? What is their percentage of students that pass the boards the first time? That’s a great thing to keep in mind – you don’t want to go to a school in which less than 70% of students pass Step 1: another red flag. Don’t let anyone pressure you in your decision of choosing or the program choosing you; not even your friends, family, boyfriend, etc. They can influence you, yes, but in the end, it will be you attending, sitting in lectures, studying in the library, putting in all of the hours†¦not them. Accepted: Do you have any other med school admissions tips? Student Dr. Diva: You don’t have to major in biology or chemistry, get a 4.0, score a 40 on the MCAT, go on mission trips, or save the world to get into medical school. Sure, it’s difficult to get in – everyone will agree with that or else everyone would try to do it! I get so many questions of students giving me their stats saying they’re not good enough when they are actually fine! DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY. PERIOD. If you want to major in English, so be it! If you don’t want to volunteer, and want to instruct people on kayak trips, do it! If you want to have adventures, go! BE UNIQUE, BE DIFFERENT! Medical schools are getting harder to get into and they do not want the typical pre-med anymore as it seems. They want standouts that they can remember when they sift through thousands of applications, but it is on you as to how you will stand out! Accepted: Can you tell us about your blog and Twitter? Who is your target audience? What have you gained from the blogging/tweeting experience? Student Dr. Diva: I started my Twitter around three years ago as a pre-med. I used to be Pre-med Princess. I loved twitter, loved being a pre-med, and as you can tell, I was girly. I never saw medical students with bedazzled school supplies, sequin backpacks, cheetah blouses, the works – so I thought I’d be the first!  I even wear my cheetah blouse with my black dress pants to clinic currently! I tweeted medical jokes, typical pre-med problems, and thoughts and advice I had throughout my entire pre-med experience. I followed a lot of med students and doctors that would shout me out also. I got accepted to med school and changed my name to Med School Queen. Now I tweet about my medical student problems, solutions, tips and advice on being a medical student, etc. I started the blog recently, probably about 2 years ago. I only have a few blog posts, I don’t blog that often but when I do I make sure they’re worth it. I love the fact that so many people around the world view it! I’m also now on Instagram: StudentDrDiva – I had this a while ago as medschoolqueen but deleted it and made a new one. Speaking of that, I got sick of my old name as medschoolqueen, I actually recently changed it over Christmas break. I just wanted something new! I didn’t really like medschoolqueen anyway, I’m no queen of anything haha! I love getting called student doctor in the clinic and I’m just a diva at heart with my pink stethoscope so I just decided to change it to Student Dr. Diva. My target audience for social media are pre-meds, medical students, residents, fellows, doctors, nurses, pre-vet, pre-dental, pre-PA, pre-pharm, basically all science students in general. A lot of random people follow me though I’m not sure why! I’ve gained SO much from the social media experience. I’ve met wonderful people, made awesome connections, got to have so many opportunities and be a part of activities I’d never get to participate in without my account. I am truly honored and blessed to have so many people follow me and believe in me, and my whole purpose is to influence others in a positive light on achieving their dreams and let them know that it’s all possible and to never give up! I don’t think my life in medical school would be the same without those accounts and all the great people I’ve met and have helped me get to where I am today! For one-on-one guidance on your med school applications, please see our catalog of med school admissions services. You can follow Student Dr. Diva’s med school adventure by checking out her blog, Student Dr. Diva, or by following her on Twitter (@StudentDrDiva). Thank you Student Dr. Diva sharing your story with us! Do you want to be featured in Accepted.coms blog, Accepted Admissions Blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at bloggers@accepted.com. Related Resources: †¢ 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Med School Essays †¢Ã‚  Where Should I Apply to Medical School †¢ Medical School Admissions: MD vs. Do Programs