Project 2 Interview Summary

Marya Ali

Mat Wenzel

ENC 2135-63

5 October 2017

Interview Summary:

For my interview for Project 2 on the community I am entering, the Honors Medical Scholars Program, I chose to interview my mentor or “big sister” in this organization. I thought this would be a good choice because I wanted to gain the perspective of a student on how her views of the program holistically match what the program describes. I decide to ask and discuss with her three questions, which are listed below with the answers she provided.

1. How does HMS shape members into truly “prospective physicians”?

Bri’s answer: HMS shapes students into “prospective physicians” because it enables them to practice medicine as more than academia. It enables them to learn truly patient centered humanistic care. It also encourages them to want to treat all patients, especially the underserved, while being realistic about the challenges involved and the work it takes.

Discussion: I definitely found myself agreeing with this answer. Even with only the few weeks since school started that I have been part of HMS, we have had a number of speakers come in during our meetings to give us discussions and information about underserved populations ranging from those who suffer from abuse or even abusive communities to patients suffering from HIV and AIDs and how it is difficult for many of them to receive medication or care. We even had a discussion on how to help others who have suffered greatly or are suffering greatly without getting too invested and harming ourselves in the process. Meetings with discussions like these really help us begin thinking like physicians.

1. How would you describe the identity of HMS?

Bri’s Answer: I would describe the identity of HMS as a group of highly motivated yet personable people. We really try our hardest to be a family and support each other through triumphs and failures. We know that we have something that is really hard to find in other premedical organizations, so we take pride in our status as members and get excited about events and speakers.

Discussion: This is definitely something I have noticed as well. The HMS group is very driven with the attitude of “just do it”, while being very caring and supportive at the same time by always advising each other.

1. How does HMS’s activities reflect the identity/values of our group?

Bri’s answer: Our activities focus on helping underserved populations. We go to places like the Big Bend Homeless Coalition, the Kearney Center, and Riverchase Care Center to not only form bonds with those people but also to learn more about their lives from a personal perspective. Along with service, we also do medical mission trips, of which the sole purpose is to provide medical care to those who otherwise would not be able to access or afford it. The activities we do reflect our identity because our mission, which we share with the FSU College of Medicine, is to serve the underserved. We choose to do service that isn’t glamorous, but makes a difference and gives us valuable experience in learning people’s diverse backgrounds.

Discussion: At the end of this past summer, I joined about 15 other HMS students on a service trip to Immokalee to work with the underserved population of migrant workers there. During this trip, we participated in the Lipman Backpack give away as well as in a college application workshop for STRIDE students there. By doing this, we were able to do service work as well as get to know the students there on a more personal level letting us explore both sides of the service, which are necessary for a physician