Dear MS1s,
We are so excited to welcome you to PSOM this fall! As you prepare to start your first year of medical school, I’m sure you have also been thinking about all that it took to get here: countless hours spent studying for the MCAT, long interview days, and of course, what seemed like hundreds of essays. During the application process, we all had to write an essay about why we wanted to come to Penn. Why did you want to come to Penn? Were you interested in the many opportunities for dual degrees or research? Did you want to volunteer at one of Penn’s free clinics or join some of the many student interest groups? Did Penn’s ultrasound curriculum or learning team structure interest you?
If you’re like me, you were probably drawn to Penn for a combination of these factors. This summer, it has been wonderful to reflect on my first year at Penn. While I am immensely grateful for having had the opportunity to engage with much of what I wrote about in my “Why Penn” essay, I realize that more than any one of these aspects of Penn, it’s the people I have met here that have made this year so special.
When you arrive, you will meet your learning team, the group of six or seven people who you will spend at least two hours with almost every weekday. You will work through clinical problems with them, and at the very least, they will become your colleagues at school. You’ll learn with them, but you’ll also learn from them. It has been interesting to see that everyone has different learning styles and ways of conceptualizing. From sharing a new mnemonic they came up with to drawing out a complicated neurological pathway, my learning team has taught me so much, and I definitely developed a much deeper understanding of several topics because of them. And, if you’re lucky, your learning team will become so much more than just colleagues. They’re the ones who will make small group sessions fun (even at 8 a.m.!), bring you up to speed if you get behind, and make you laugh on a stressful day. They will become your family at Penn. Getting to know my learning team has been one of my favorite parts of my first year, and I encourage you to get to know yours.
Beyond your own year, the students in other classes at Penn are an amazing resource. The GroupMes for anonymous questions have been an essential resource for our class. From pointing out the best Anki decks and study guides in the Google Drive folder to recommending the best spots in Philly, the MS2s, MS3s, and MS4s answered all our questions thoroughly, transparently, and quickly. Talking to students in other classes, who have navigated the same classes and curriculum, can also be very helpful. When you bump into an MS2 in the hallway or have the opportunity to talk to an MS4 during a Doctoring class or Interest Group meeting, ask about their experiences so far. They will no doubt have valuable advice on how to fine-tune your study methods, find research opportunities and mentors, and explore different specialties.
As you get into the swing of things, you will likely have the time to start exploring some of the different medical specialties. There are amazing faculty, staff, and residents at Penn who are deeply passionate about teaching and happy to discuss their specialties and paths in medicine. Many interest groups help to facilitate some of these shadowing or mentoring relationships, but cold emailing and approaching faculty or small group preceptors after class can be equally as effective. Ask about their journey in selecting their specialty, what their day-to-day looks like now, and their advice for you as a new medical student. Importantly, go to meetings with potential mentors prepared, having read about their work and specialty beforehand, and respect their time. If the situation arises, don’t be afraid to ask if you can shadow them in clinic or help with a research project.
Finally, while you are at Penn, take the time to engage with others in the Philadelphia community. Curriculum elements like LEAPP, the Doctoring course, and patient panels, offer many opportunities to meet patients and their families, and learn about their experiences with the healthcare system. There are also many opportunities to work with patients outside the formal curriculum. For example, many of us MS2s began working with Penn’s free clinics during the fall of our first year. Through this experience, it has been a privilege to build relationships with patients, celebrate their successes with them, and join them in their journey as they navigate challenges in accessing healthcare.
Regardless of why you wanted to come to Penn, I hope you too get to develop your own reasons for why Penn will become your home. While you should definitely engage with all the opportunities Penn has to offer, don’t miss the opportunity to meet and learn from the people around you. In my experience, these interactions can be incredibly meaningful. They add to our “why” for pursuing medicine and continuously deepen our understanding of what it means to be a compassionate physician.
Wishing you all the best as you start your medical school journey!
Best regards,
Shanelle
Shanelle Mendes is an MS2 at the Perelman School of Medicine.
