TEMPLE, Texas — Temple High School students interested in pursuing careers in the medical profession had a unique opportunity to hear directly from doctors and medical school students as THS hosted a Pre-Med Perspectives panel discussion Thursday evening (April 10). Nearly 100 students and family members attended the session, the first such event hosted by Temple High School.
A seven-person panel of doctors and current medical students participated in the nearly two-hour forum to give a first-hand account of what students can expect from the process of applying to medical schools and how best to prepare for the pursuit of a career in the medical profession.
Kiersten Waworuntu is a senior in the International Baccalaureate program at Temple High School and was one of the students who attended the event. She is interested in a career in radiology, pathology, or dermatology and was particularly excited about the opportunity to hear from the Temple High School alums that are currently in medical school.
“It is really exciting to get to hear from people that are in or going into the same field I would like to pursue,” Waworunto said. “With the medical field especially, it is so good to hear other people’s experiences and journeys because it is such a long process. Being able to hear from people who have been successful going through undergraduate and going into med school and know that it is achievable is really inspiring and can be an extra boost of confidence for me.”
The two medical school students on the panel are both Temple High School graduates and the group came together through Temple High School’s partnership with Baylor Scott and White Health and Baylor College of Medicine. Students attending the panel had an opportunity to submit questions in advance for the group to discuss, but Temple High School graduate Dr. Andrejs Avots-Avotins had some words of advice for attendees during his introduction before the panel even started.
“I encourage you to think a little bit differently and get a wide-based education. The science will come in medical school, or nursing school, or nurse practitioner school,” Dr. Avots-Avotins told the crowd. “Become a well-educated and well-rounded person and that will serve you as well as anything else you learn in medical school. Medicine is all about relationships and getting to know the person sitting across from you. They are trusting you with their life, their health, and their well-being, and you have to be able to look them in the eye and relate to them. That is the future of medicine.”
The discussion also touched on topics ranging from advice on how to pay for medical school, how to make a medical school application stand out, misconceptions about being a doctor, finding work-life balance during medical school and as a doctor, and the best ways to study for the MCAT. Other topics addressed focused on preparing for medical school while still in high school, finding research or clinical experience and if it matters what major students choose as an undergraduate. The two current medical students also had a chance to respond to the question of what medical school is really like and how to be successful while there.
“The journey to becoming a doctor is really hard, but it is also very rewarding and lots of fun,” said Katherine Myers, a Temple High School graduate and second-year medical student at Baylor College of Medicine. “It may be hard, but you will be well prepared for it. You are all working hard in high school right now and will go off to college and do great things. I am really excited to see what you all end up doing.”
“Find out what you really enjoy about medicine and what you are passionate about,” added Akash Ramanathan, a Temple HS graduate and fourth-year medical student at Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University. “Medical school is challenging, and it is a difficult road, but we are excited to have the ability to do this every day. You have to find the time to study, stay motivated, and find your drive to succeed.”
After covering all of the other topics, each doctor had the opportunity to close out the session with one final piece of advice for those in the audience.
“Surround yourself with good people, that care about you and want to see you succeed,” said Dr. Jack Myers. “People that build you up and don’t tear you down, those are the people you want to be around. Make friends with those people and study with those people because they will help you succeed.”
“If it is important to you to keep learning and to make the world a better place than you found it, this career would be for you,” advised Dr. Christian Cable. “I think this is one of the best ways to spend your life, but make sure you are doing it for the right reasons and really have a passion for it.”
Kaleigh Verett, Temple High School’s Advanced Academics Coordinator helped organize the panel discussion. She said she would love to see this become an annual event and is so thankful for the partnerships that made the opportunity possible for Temple High School students.
“We hear a lot of questions as teachers, but I don’t have any first-hand experience with medical school and what that entails,” Verett said. “To be able to bring in a panel of experts is a great opportunity for our students. There are very tangible pieces of advice that students can immediately put into action. I am so excited to be able to provide this opportunity and I am thrilled that we had such a great reception.”