General Questions Flashcards
Favorite MLLI courses?
MLL 230 World Language Communities - learned about how language spreads, the difference between a language and a dialect, what language ideology is, development of language in different regions around the world and bilingual/multi-lingual states
SPAN 421 Dark Humor in Spanish Cinema: Analyzed popular dark comedy films in Spain, learned about how satire in the movie conveys the current political, economic, and social issues of the country
-How to analyze movies based on camera angles and shots
-La Chispa de la Vida displays the economic crisis of Spain
Why did you choose your undergraduate major?
Biology was one of my favorite classes which I took in high school and it was specifically the anatomy and physiology courses that I took during my nursing assistant program that piqued my interest in the nervous system. I majored in biology, so that I could build on my understanding of the human body and take more advanced courses within this major such as neurobiology. Alongside biology, my love for languages stayed and I decided to switch my Spanish minor into a major as I took more courses at my institution. I really enjoyed taking courses such as the Dark humor in Spanish Cinema and feminisms of Latin America which wouldn’t have been possible had I not continued with my second major.
How have you tried to achieve breadth in your undergraduate curriculum?
Yes. I have always been interested in both the humanities and science since high school. Although I enjoy learning about biology and have always been good at math, I have always been fascinated by languages. My dad worked as a linguist for several years which inspired me to learn a third language. I believe that learning a new language is amazing, but learning about the people who speak that language allows you fully understand the rich history behind the language. Throughout undergrad, I have taken many history, writing, and linguistics courses that have allowed me to see the beauty of the world and communicate with people that I wouldn’t have been able to communicate with before.
If you could be granted three wishes for making the world/society/ your community a better place, what would they be and why (or, If you were given a million dollars to achieve three goals, what would you work on and why)?
- From working in the Esperanza Center, I have seen the need for more healthcare resources for undocumented individuals in the U.S. Unfortunately there isn’t adequate funding to be able to hire enough staff that can keep up with the demand of the growing population of immigrants. I would invest some of that money into opening up a clinic in my community that provides care for undocumented and uninsured pts at least 3 days out of the week. It is important for the clinic to still gain revenue to be able to keep functioning, but I would like to provide primary care for individuals who need it the most and are ineligible to get it in many places. I would use some of the money to invest in something that could generate passive revenue and feed it back into the clinic as well as pay the staff at the clinic.
- Having a comprehensive health literacy program that offers classes and virtual seminars for people in the community at no cost. Health literacy can mean the difference between a progressive metabolic disease such as diabetes or staying in the pre-diabetic range with adherence to diet, medication, and exercise. That is why it is crucial especially in a community like Baltimore that has people from all around the world who have vary degrees of health literacy.
- Establishing a perinatal support help-line that has workers speaking multiple different languages (Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Pashto, etc). This is important to me because it would be a readily accessible resource for moms and moms-to-be who might not have the means and opportunity to leave the house. However, it would allow for them to have someone to talk to and if they don’t speak English well they can speak with someone in their own language.
What is “success” in your opinion? After 20 years as a physician, what kind of “success” would you hope to have achieved? Please explain.
I think success has two parts: internal success and external one. In essence, success is being happy with what you have achieved and being satisfied with the impact that you have had on others. After 20 years, I would want to have been able to take care of underserved populations and particularly help immigrant families through volunteer work. I hope to have achieved some success in public health advocacy specifically for more behavioral health services for refugees and undocumented immigrants. My definition of success would be to have as many individuals and families as I can with navigating the healthcare system, empowering them to take care of their health, promoting patient’s health literacy, and connecting patients with resources that will improve their health and make a positive impact on their life. I would also have wanted to mentor several young physicians or aspiring physicians who come from disadvantaged background – immigrants, low-income, etc.
Do you have any family members or role models who are physicians?
What family members, friends, or other individuals have been influential in your decision to pursue a medical career?
My grandmother and my great aunt are physicians back home in my country Azerbaijan. During my childhood, my grandmother told me many stories about her patient encounters and cases as a NICU physician. A particular story about a young mom who just gave birth stood out to me. The mom was scared after labor because she had her baby out of wedlock and my grandmother had a long conversation with her after. She comforted her at the most difficult time of her life and assured her that everything would work out in the end, even if she didn’t see it that way now. This interaction showed me that as a physician you don’t only have a physical impact on your patient, but also an emotional one by providing support and genuine care for their well-being.
If all of the medical schools closed tomorrow, what would you do?
If medical school was not a possible option, I would consider two possible career paths. If I take the shorter route, I would get my master’s in Speech-Language Pathology, where I will still get the opportunity to work with patients in a clinical setting. The downside is I won’t be able to prescribe medications and specialize in my fields of interest such as psychiatry and neurology which I can do as a physician. However, I can still work with children and individuals with speech and cognitive disorders. My second option is to get a PhD in neurolinguistics. I would like to study how bilingualism and multilingualism affect the brain both in the development and long-term aging of the brain. I did my undergraduate honors thesis on Bilingualism and the Onset of Alzheimer’s Disease, where I conducted an extensive literature review with many behavioral, clinical, and neuroimaging studies. What I found was that bilingualism delayed the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms by 3-5 years across several studies and this was supported by the cognitive reserve hypothesis. I would perhaps build a project around the cognitive reserve hypothesis and bilingualism.
What are my strengths? (Part 1)
- One of my key strengths is my ability to connect with patients through kindness and compassion. Throughout my experiences as a Medical Assistant and as a volunteer on a Behavioral Health unit, I’ve consistently received feedback from patients expressing appreciation for my empathetic approach. I genuinely enjoy meeting diverse individuals and engaging in meaningful conversations. Whether it’s discussing their day or simply being a listening ear, I strive to enhance their experience and make them feel valued.
What are my weaknesses? (Part 1)
- Uncomfortable with public speaking in front of a crowd of people
Decided to teach ESOL class in person → class size was about 8-10 students, taught alongside a co-teacher.
What helped me to address the discomfort was preparing for the lesson ahead of time, as the class progressed I was more comfortable and rather than seeing myself as the center of attention. I saw the classroom as a dynamic interaction between students and the co-teachers which made it more fun and enjoyable.
What are my weaknesses? (Part 2)
- Self-critical - I have always been dedicated to my professional goals since high school and have often times thought that if I don’t reach a certain goal in the time frame I wanted to reach it, it was a reflection of my poor performance. When I became a mother, my life changed. For the first year postpartum I had serious self-doubt of whether I would be able to continue my passion for medicine. I started studying for the MCAT when my son was 8 months. I was critical of myself because I felt that I wasn’t being the perfect mother due to not being with my son throughout the whole day. I also thought that I wasn’t dedicating enough time to MCAT studying and being the student I was before. At a certain point, I realized that my self-criticism wasn’t doing any good and was leading to depressive thoughts. Talking about this with my grandmother and husband helped tremendously, as they provided support and told me they believed in me. It took me a long time to realize and just let go of this idea, that I needed to be the perfect mother or the perfect applicant. What helped me was just talking to myself and really asking myself what I wanted out of my life. I knew that my journey to medicine would be different and I came to terms that it would take longer. I encouraged myself to take as many breaks as I needed from studying which helped me to study more efficiently and not be burnout, especially from the lack of sleep. When I was with my son, my attention was fully on him and when I wasn’t I knew he was in good hands with my family. I hope to continue with this mindset in medical school and embrace this delicate balance while striving to be both an involved parent and a dedicated student.
What are my strengths? (Part 2 & 3)
- I also place a high priority on communication, which I believe is crucial in healthcare. Patients often express gratitude for my efforts to explain each step of their care, from discussing their vital signs to walking them through their EKG procedures. By ensuring that they understand what is happening, I not only alleviate their anxiety but also empower them to be active participants in their care.
- Often times on the unit and in the cardiology office staff will seek out my help when we have patients who don’t speak English well. One of my major strengths is my linguistic ability. I have translated for many Russian-speaking patients at our office facilitating communication between the doctor and patients. On the behavioral health unit, I facilitated communication between the social worker and a Spanish-speaking patient while we waited for translator services. When patients learn that I speak their language or have learned it in school, they instantly smile and I notice a sense of relief in their demeanor.
As a pre-med, what skills have you learned to help manage your time and relieve stress?
As both a pre-med and a mother of a newborn at the time. I learned many skills as I learned how to balance both roles. The most important was setting realistic goals both for my professional career and as a mother. I would allocate a certain amount of time to study for my MCAT and the rest of the time I would spend with my newborn. I also set my goals to be flexible enough and allow for change if needed, for example, I planned my study session to be 9 months instead of 3 months on purpose. I did this, so I could be present as a mother, but still make sure to get through content review and do enough practice questions before my exam. I didn’t want to overwhelm myself and feel rushed. I also truly learned what it meant to have a flexible mindset. Some days my newborn slept worse at night and several times he was sick. Those days were spent with less studying, but I managed to fit ANKI during naps or while eating. To relieve stress I would do something for self-care like go out and see my friend once in a while or get a pedicure.
What travels have you taken and what exposure to other cultures have you had?
-Traveled to Morocco, Spain, Mexico
-I work with Spanish-speaking patients at the Esperanza Center clinic and I teach ESOL to students from various cultures such as (Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Algeria, and Guatemala). I am currently mentoring a student from Guatemala from a Youth Refugee program organized by the IRC.
What qualities do you look for in a physician? Can you provide an example of a physician who embodies any of these ideals? How do they do this?
-Critical thinker, being able to communicate well, attentive, ambitious, willing to sacrifice
-During my time at the Esperanza Center, I shadowed a neurologist, who volunteers there every other week, Dr. Wolf. Dr. Wolf’s interaction with patients have shown me many qualities that I look for in a physician and hope to become one day. Although he doesn’t speak Spanish, which is the primary language of many of our patients, he communicates with them almost flawlessly. He shows a great deal of respect to his patients, greeting them in their language and shaking their hand when appropriate. He also listens to the patient’s concerns extensively and asks them about their family and living conditions. He makes sure to write down these details, so that he can follow-up with the patient in the next appt and make it personable. He takes all factors into account when making a patient diagnosis and doesn’t rush to come to a conclusion making sure to ask extensive questions. He volunteers through other clinics as well and volunteers through a refugee organization that supports families who have recently immigrated to America. I hope to be a physician like him one day and develop meaningful connections with my patients to empower and educate them in taking care of their health and I also hope to follow in his altruistic nature.
Which one of these qualities that you listed, do you think you lack in?
The aspect of communication will always be a quality that I feel I can improve in throughout medical school and training. While shadowing a psychiatrist on an inpatient unit, I observed as she interacted with a patient who was in the active phase of schizophrenia. The patient was explaining to the doctor about several of her delusions and I observed as the doctor effectively spoke with her, not completely dismissing the delusions, but also not encouraging them. The physician was trying to convince the pt to take a higher dose of medication since she still had severe positive symptoms of schizophrenia, but the patient was convinced that she was trying to keep her on the unit and fixated on the physician keeping her “locked up” in her words. In this situation, it is very difficult to communicate with a patient and you have to know when is the right time to keep the conversation going and push back vs when to let it go and come back another time. I also noticed how careful the physician was with her word choice. Psychiatry is a field of interest to me and I know that communication will be a big aspect that I will need to work on as I interact with patients with different diagnoses, degrees of severity, and presentation.
