My first medical school interview

So I've been to SF a few times, and you know how you take the 5 to the 152? Well, this time I was going to Sacramento, and all you have to do is just take the 5...all...the...way. So when we past the 152, I said to David, "Whoa, I've never been past the 152 before." And that's when I realized that I was getting closer and closer to Sacramento...closer and closer to my first medical school interview. Boy, was I nervous. My heart was pounding so hard that I could hear it in my ears and feel it in my head. And this was just while driving on the 5. To calm my nerves I thought about that VIP I mentioned a few posts ago. He told me to believe in myself. Words that we hear all the time, but they have so much more meaning coming from him. And I also thought about my mom, and how I need to become a doctor for her. Then Jason Mraz's "Make It Mine" came on to remind me that everything I want is mine to take.

Listen to your voice
The one that tells you
To taste past the tip of your tongue
Leap in; the net will appear

I'm gonna make it mine
Yes I'll make it all mine

My heart didn't pound so loudly again. Luckily both my interviewers were really nice, which put me at ease. My faculty interviewer is a pediatrician. I thought, "Score, we both relate to working with children and their patients." And I think it helped. He was able to draw a conclusion about me that I want to influence policy as a physician. Then he warned me that my priorities might change as time passes, as in my patients will become my priority. That is why there are so few politically active physicians. At the end of the interview he added, "I just want to let you know that conservatives do care." I'm afraid that implies he is a conservative, but he found my opinions interesting nonetheless.

The student interview was a breeze. He was a progressive Latino, and I told him I'm all about social consciousness and diversity.

UC Davis seems like a great medical school. The whole school is all about supporting each other and social responsibility. And the school itself is next to the medical center, unlike UCI. If I don't feel the same sense of camaraderie and pride at the UCI interview, then I'll seriously weigh the convenience of UCI to the greatness of UC Davis. I haven't been invited for an interview at UCI yet...but I likely will. It would be so convenient if I get to stay in Irvine with David, but we'll see.