Biography:

Born in the US to Taiwanese parents, I am a first-generation American. Not only that, but I am also a first-generation college student, as well as the first person in my family to pursue the goal of becoming a physician. Prior to coming back to the US and settling in Texas for my high school career, I had lived in China for quite some time as my parents worked and still are in the Christian ministry in Beijing. Through personal experience, while I was living in China, I saw the desperate need in medical care for rural areas, and I would like to think that is where my dream of becoming a physician to make a difference began. Before I started to attend Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, TX, I didn’t know where to even begin with this long journey ahead on the road of medicine. At HSU, I quickly got involved in the many different organizations on campus. One of these was the Pre-Health Club where I first learned about JAMP during my freshman year. And from there the rest is history. 

 

I can’t thank JAMP, the friends that JAMP gave me, my family, and God enough for believing in me, encouraging me, giving me opportunities that I would have never dreamed of. And even more for their willingness to help me in so many ways through this journey. It truly has been a blessing to be a part of this amazing program so far, and it has reassured me that I am indeed heading down the right path. By the grace of God, I will be graduating in May 2020 from Hardin-Simmons with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I can’t wait to see what the future has to hold. I eagerly anticipate starting a brand-new chapter of my life this fall as a first-year medical student in the Class of 2024 at the Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine and become one step closer to my goal of becoming a pediatrician. 

How has JAMP helped you strive to achieve your goal of becoming a doctor? 

Coming from a family where no one has gone to college, much less medical school, and also being economically disadvantaged, JAMP has been a huge blessing in providing support and guidance on my journey to become a physician. Both internships not only allowed me to get a better feel for what I need to expect and what is expected of me when I get to medical school, but they also gave me life-long friends who are going through the same experiences as myself. Because of that, it provided me with a built-in support system where we can encourage and be there for each other in this amazing and rewarding adventure. This especially proved true when I had to take the MCAT a second time and both JAMP and my friends through JAMP provided me with the encouragement, motivation, and support to never give up. I could not be more grateful and blessed to be a part of JAMP. 

 

What advice would you like to offer current or future JAMP students? 

The opportunity that JAMP provides is like no other. They help you by providing you with a huge stepping-stone and a helping hand. However, it is completely up to you whether or not you will take a chance and reach out and accept the guidance being offered. I did, and I could not be more thankful. I would also like to say that having great time management skills is very important (your calendar will become your best friend!), because not only will you be going through the busyness of being in JAMP but you also will be living the life of a full-time college student. Time management becomes a huge role in balancing the two, but also more importantly in balancing the time you set aside for yourself to grow. While it is important to keep up with everything academically, it is also important to take breaks and keep up with rest and stress relief to care for yourself! I’ve learned that the hard way, so I hope I can help make a difference in your life by giving you this advice now! If anything, just remember that to take care of others, you need to be able to take care of yourself first!

 

What aspect of JAMP has been most beneficial to you? 

Wow. This is a hard question because as I said earlier, there are so many things about JAMP that I am thankful for. I think if I did have to pick one aspect, it would probably be the two amazing summer internships that I was blessed to be able to be a part of. My Summer I was at TCOM, and Summer II was at McGovern. Through both of these internships, I was able to gain a much more detailed understanding of not only what medical school would look like, but also what a life in medicine would look like. Between attending medical school style lectures, MCAT prep, making life-long friends, and being able to be a part of preceptorships with physicians from multiple specialties, the internships do provide you with deeper insight. This perspective truly allows you to see if this is the right path for you. Honestly, simply being in JAMP has been truly transformative, and I can only hope that you will feel the same when you become a part of the JAMP family.