Allison and Ryan discuss a new controversial bill in Missouri that would allow new medical school graduates to work without any residency training.

Session 83

Our guest for this episode is Alex Breslin, a rising senior at the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and the President of the Dream Team. The Dream Team is a student-run, non-profit organization whose program specifically focuses on the children in cardiac care at UF Health Shands Hospital. They aim to dedicate time, not money, and service these children and their families with enthusiasm, passion and shared dedication.

Here are the highlights of my conversation with Alex:

• How shadowing physicians and going to medical missions influenced his decision to be a doctor
• Choosing to go to University of Florida, how he studies for the MCAT and how he have gets the most out of his pre-med advisors
• Sharing each of our own experiences as Shands volunteers, and about Child Life Program, a sub-specialty within Shands volunteer
• Where the idea of the Dream Team came from, the organization’s goals, and what the program is all about
• Getting the hospital involved in the Dream Team, forming relationships with the directors, and getting the necessary approvals by impressing them with their first 10 volunteers
• Strict application cycles, interviews, and methods on how they sifted through applications to get their first 10 volunteers
• Their strategies in keeping their momentum, their motivation and their overall success
• Finding out where he wants to go to med school and what he wants to do next

To echo Alex’s point, the journey is equally important with the outcome. So embrace everything you are doing, find something that you are passionate about and be involved in activities that make a difference. Fueling this fire will get you going through those hard days and night in med school.

Links and Other Resources

Dream Team UF Dream Team UF Volunteer Application Shands Child Life Program

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