Mikayla Howie is a first-year medical student at the University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine.
In the following blog post, she reflects on her own positive experience pursuing an interest in medical research.
“I challenge you to refrain from spending extraneous hours on multiple projects you feel little excitement over—all for the sake of a resume buffer. Be authentic and poignant in the opportunities that you choose to pursue.”
Standing Out
From personal experience, when eager pre-meds are applying to medical school, one can easily fall into the trap of wanting to check off every box possible — volunteering, research, extracurriculars, leadership. A desire to stand out in the candidate pool can become hardwired into an applicant’s subconscious, potentially at the expense of losing sight of the unique reasons each of us want to become physicians in the first place. Going into my application cycle, I knew it was not possible to check every box an admissions committee could look for in a “perfect” candidate, as each school’s version of their quintessential applicant varies based on university and cohort. In response, know yourself and know your worth. Pinpoint a way to highlight your strengths, while finding humility in acknowledging your weaknesses and how you have grown from these setbacks.
Below I will reflect upon my own positive experience pursuing an interest in medical research. However, if you do not share a similar inspiration, I challenge you to refrain from spending extraneous hours on multiple projects you feel little excitement over — all for the sake of a resume buffer. Be authentic and poignant in the opportunities that you choose to pursue.
One Brave Idea
Before applying to medical school, I was intent on exploring the bench-work side of medicine and finding my own niche in a lab that would also allow me to gain more patient facing experience. At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, I was trained as a research assistant at One Brave Idea, a hospital-based lab with a start-up mentality. During my two years in this cardiology lab led by Dr. Calum MacRae, we focused on building a roadmap of coronary artery disease through experimentation on whole blood derived from on-site patient samples. Our team explored the changes in cellular distribution and morphology after exposure to chemical perturbations using flow cytometry and a hematological cell analyzer. Daily activities included bench-work experimentation (DNA extraction, RNA extraction, phenotypic stack experimentation, and genotypic (GWAS) micro-plate preparation), and an overview of data using FlowJo and Prism software. This experience painted a real-world picture of medicine in motion, a position that fostered experiential learning based on data interpretation and a hands- on approach.
Instead of simply following a protocol, I was guided through the process of critically examining the results of prior experiments to adjust incubation times, concentrations, and reagents. This position bolstered my confidence and autonomy in a wet-lab environment. As time passed, I began advocating for more responsibilities when I noted an opportunity to learn.
Addressing the Historical Shortcomings in Research
Subsequently, within the hospital’s clinics, I began recruiting and consenting patients into our ongoing study. In a clinical research setting, subconscious bias may lead recruiters to only approach those who look like them out of comfort, or unintentionally overcompensate by excessively targeting specific subject populations. It was my goal to ensure that no one felt purposefully targeted, yet no one felt overlooked. This objective may seem obvious but bygones prove otherwise. It is no secret that research in the name of medical advancement has a sobering history riddled with instances of mistreatment of marginalized populations and reprehensible decisions. There are many illustrations of situations where vulnerable populations were unethically coerced into experimentation in the name of scientific research, but rarely served as the target audience reaping the benefits. As a woman of Guatemalan descent aware of past transgressions such as the Guatemalan syphilis studies, it was my belief that receiving additional training as a Clinical Research Assistant would allow me to work towards overcoming some of the barriers associated with the historical mistrust of scientific research among communities of color and other underrepresented populations.
Throughout the discussions I had with patients, many questions shared similarities regardless of the individual’s background; however, patterns emerged among those coming from varying cultures, religious backgrounds, and socioeconomic status. Part of setting the foundation for critical research is the crucial need to acknowledge the validity of patient concerns and being receptive to having an open and honest discussion. I found that in cases where patients from underrepresented populations may originally have shown apprehension, they were still eager to learn about the study. Answering all questions in a non-judgmental manner led the person to feel heard and understood. More likely than not this led to an enthusiasm to participate in a study that aimed to better understand mechanisms related to cardiovascular complications— complications for which they were personally at risk.
A More Personal Approach to Medicine
During my own application cycle, to compare myself with other applicants with 10+ publications would have been futile. I applied without any publications but knew I could speak passionately about my time conducting research. Fast forward, and I am now a first-year medical student at Larner and recently cited as one of the authors on One Brave Idea’s publication in Nature Genomics. I am currently in the process of seeking a new research opportunity that integrates my interest in pediatrics or obstetrics, with my passion for infectious diseases.
Furthermore, just as the medical field has transitioned towards a more personalized approach, such as the phenotyping work being conducted at One Brave Idea— I encourage future medical school applicants to do the same as you reflect upon the narrative you plan to share with admissions committees. Overall, my time spent performing bench science and clinical research equipped me with the technical and interpersonal competencies required of medical students at Larner, as we train to become more culturally responsive physicians.
