MPAC is proud to present TIFFANY LAO (Pops Class of 2017) as a featured Pops Blogger. Follow her quarterly as she takes us along her journey to becoming a physician, through medical school and beyond:

So how’s med school going?

This is a question I get asked a lot; by family, friends, old co-workers, pretty much anybody who knows that I’m a first-year med student. I know how they expect me to answer: that the course work is difficult, and I’m constantly stressed out by the immense amount of knowledge I’m expected to shove into my brain. And while those things are true for the most part, my medical school experience has been so much more than that. It feels cheesy to say but there are so many times that I actually stop myself just to revel in the feeling of being here. Sometimes it feels strange telling people how much fun I’m having in med school. Don’t get me wrong my days are mostly spent studying, reviewing, and trying to figure out new and creative ways to cram as much information in my head as humanly possible (mnemonics become your best friend in medical school), and even as I’m writing this I’m acutely aware of the 856 flashcards that I need to do just to make sure I don’t fall too far behind on material.

At the beginning of the year there were so many times that all the days blended together, and I would get lost in the constant cycle of wake up at 7, go to anatomy, sit in class until 4 or 5, do my pre-reading for the next day, go to sleep. But fortunately, now that we’re out of the “foundations” course of our curriculum I’m only physically in class until noon and I’ve got a little more time to be a functional human being. I remember when I was working during my gap years, so many of the docs told me over and over that med school would be the best time of my life. Of course I didn’t believe them, but turns out they weren’t that far off. Somewhere in between all of school work I’ve found time to go on hikes, go sailing on the lake, form a weekly trivia team, go to the gym, have board game nights, go to concerts, and have Bachelor viewing parties every Monday.

My friends and I have compared our experiences in medical school to “college on steroids” because everything is more intense: the work load, the stress, the work load again, but also the experiences and the friendships. The people in my class have been everything in shaping my medical school life. Take 123 people and put them in the same room together every day and you’re bound to create some pretty strong relationships. There’s something about knowing that everyone is going through the same struggles, the same schedule, and the same curriculum that forms an unspoken bond between all of us, and luckily for me that created the biggest support system I think I’ve ever been a part of. I even remember during my white coat ceremony, after every name that was called out you could hear our class cheering louder than any parent in the audience. It’s a comforting feeling, to know that in such a high stress, high stakes environment the one thing I don’t have to worry about is ever feeling alone or unsupported.

Coming to medical school has been my dream come true in so many ways. Even though I had to apply twice and deal with all the anxiety that comes with the application process, I can honestly that for me it was absolutely worth the wait. Every day I get closer and closer to the career and life I’ve been striving toward since my Michigan days, and not only is it rewarding and such an immense privilege to be here but I’m having the absolute time of my life along the way. For anyone who has any questions about medical school, the application process, or pre-med life in general I would be more than happy to share my experiences or answer any questions!!!

3/1/20

Tiffany Lao | Michigan Pops Orchestra Class of 2017 | University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine Class of 2023 | tiffany.lao@med.uvm.edu