How has JAMP helped you as you strive to achieve your goal of becoming a doctor?
The little tastes of medical school gained from spending five-to-six weeks each at two of the Texas campuses over the course of my undergrad career have taught me to seriously reflect on the art of healing and how to become more worthy of the call in all aspects of my character. Realizing the utter transformation that comes with taking on such a mission taught me to always focus on the "human" element of medicine and to remember to recognize patients as the unique, fascinating, vulnerable, and ridiculously strong people that they are. The J.A.M.P. has unfailingly blessed me with opportunities to see these ideas in action through the examples of diligent doctors in many specialties and types of practices across the grand state of Texas.

What advice would you like to offer current or future JAMP students?
Use each of your summer internships wisely! Spend time getting to know your peer mentors and counselors, medical school coordinators, and instructors to understand if you’d be a good fit for the place. Pick up on the student culture around campus, and ask EVERYONE you meet how the particular medical school aims to best cater to the needs, wants, and expectations of each individual. Learning as much as you can about these things during those five or six weeks will pay off enormously in helping you realize what you are really looking to gain from your medical education and training.

What aspect of JAMP has been most beneficial to you? 
The J.A.M.P. has constantly put me in touch with sincerely-devoted doctors, professors, medical students, and mentors who take the call of being a healer seriously and are humbled by their charge to do no harm. Talking about the ups-and-downs of navigating the intersection between suffering and disease, the pressure of providing quality service in an often less-than-adequate health care industry, and the ability to use art to understand and deal with it all have made each step of this journey easier to handle. No other series of preprofessional experiences could have given me the power to better know the trade and boldly take on whatever challenges came my way.

About Lynda:
Born and raised primarily in West Houston, Lynda is the only daughter of a former NASA software engineer and a Target Stores sales associate both originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has dreamt of pursuing a career in the field of medicine since she was in middle school and has always been interested in exploring the wonders of the scientific world. A personal diagnosis with a chronic illness and witnessed struggles among close relatives to mitigate the symptoms of many ailments and diseases helped her to cement her ultimate choice to become a healer. Further explorations into the philosophy, history, literature, theology, and cultural developments of Western civilization at a small, liberal-arts college also enabled Lynda to better understand the nuances of human suffering more holistically. Current professional interests revolve mostly around the spheres of space medicine, tropical and infectious diseases, and the medical humanities. Hobbies include reading and writing poetry and baking desserts and treats for friends and loved ones.