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

JAMP has offered countless ways to help me during this long journey into medicine. Besides providing an extensive MCAT course, JAMP has been there every step of the way in terms of support from like-minded peers. For example, being able to, at anytime, ask a friend to explain how they got a certain full length question correct, or to ask for study tips, etc proved to be valuable to me while studying. I'm also grateful for the stipends we are provided with, as well as the two Summer internships we attend.

I'd like to specifically comment on the cadaver lab we were allowed to partake in during Summer I. I was just so impressed with the intricacy and beauty of the human body, and am very grateful for the opportunity we were given by JAMP, and by the person who so kindly donated his body to us to learn from. That amazing cadaver lab experience made me even more sure that medicine is 100% the path I want to take. Lastly, the guaranteed admission we are offered allowed me to not be afraid of pursuing non-academic activities. There is a large amount of pressure lifted off of us, as pre-medical students seeing how insanely difficult it can be for our non-JAMP classmates and peers to receive just one interview, when we are given the chance to interview at all participating Texas medical schools. JAMP is essentially THE golden ticket, provided that we students are disciplined, work hard, and use all of the resources JAMP so generously provides us.

 

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

I want to tell all JAMP students to take advantage of everything that JAMP does for us. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity - one which you are privileged to have. Do not be lazy or procrastinate, and never ever miss a deadline. Learn the skill of delayed gratification, because it will pay off very soon! Right now is a critical period in your life - please don't throw it away. Take the MCAT seriously and aim for a 528! Also, I feel that not comparing yourself to others is important. We all have our own abilities and stories, and comparing ourselves to others yields nothing productive. In the same vein, be careful not to stress excessively, as it will only hurt you. It is important to learn how to maintain a balance, which will be essential in medical school - JAMP provides us a safety net to practice this skill. Just know that all of the effort you're putting in today will be worth it. I promise!

In terms of work experience, I cannot recommend scribing enough. I can definitely tell, even this early on, that I will be ahead of many non-scribes in medical school due to the insane amount of knowledge you gain from it. You actually get to see (in-depth) and learn how to think like a physician, and working with so many different doctors grants you the benefit of seeing how each one thinks and sees patients. You can also recognize different personalities and how they apply to patient care. Scribing is an experience that even 200 hours of shadowing will not provide. I highly advise you all to look into it!

 

What aspect of JAMP has been most beneficial to you?

As somebody who loves her family very much and has chosen to live with them during college, I think the summer internships were not only a wonderful way to immerse myself into medicine and awesome experiences with like-minded peers, but they also served to help me transition into living on my own. This includes time management, doing household chores, and speaking to my family once a day. I know that in medical school I will experience a very large lifestyle change, and these internships were able to give me a taste of medical school in the context we will soon be in. The internships are also useful because we are allowed a peek into the environment and curriculum of two different medical schools, which will help guide us when we rank our schools. It's impossible to choose just one aspect of JAMP because the program has invested such an extreme amount of resources into our success. I am simply grateful for everything this program has done for us!