Session 13

Finding Home at Brown

When Ashley Houlihan stepped onto the campus of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, she immediately felt it—community.

“It’s the one thing everyone talks about during interviews,” she said. “You wonder if it’s for show, but it’s real. From orientation, I could tell this was a special group of people. Brown has this warmth—it feels like Rhode Island itself.”

A Massachusetts native, Ashley was coming off a gap year in bustling New York City. The move to Providence was a change of pace, but also a homecoming. “I think I was craving a little bit of comfort,” she said. “To be close to family again, to be in a smaller, tight-knit place—it’s exactly what I needed.”

At Brown, that sense of closeness extends beyond students. Faculty, mentors, and administrators are deeply invested in every student’s journey. “It’s not just lip service,” she said. “They genuinely want you to succeed.”

From the Ice Rink to the Anatomy Lab

Before medicine, Ashley spent her days on the ice. A club ice hockey player at Syracuse University, she learned discipline, teamwork, and grit—traits that now carry her through medical school.

“There’s a lot of grit in hockey,” she laughed. “Even when you’re exhausted, you push through. That’s medicine too.”

The precision and persistence of the sport helped her develop structure and mental endurance. “I was skating six, seven days a week in high school,” she said. “It taught me to manage time, set goals, and stay driven. That mindset prepared me for medical school more than I realized.”

Though her schedule doesn’t allow for as much skating these days, those lessons stay with her. “Hockey taught me how to show up for people—your team, your patients, your peers.”

Medicine Meets Art

For Ashley, creativity is more than a hobby—it’s a way of understanding the world. “Art has always been a part of who I am,” she said. “That’s why Brown felt like such a good fit. It’s a place that celebrates creativity.”

She’s found ways to blend art with medicine, both academically and personally. Her paintings were featured in Prescribing Creativity, an annual healthcare art exhibition at the Bristol Art Museum, and at Brown’s Med Gala.

Ashley also took Brown’s Art and Medicine elective, which allowed her to explore medical illustration. “It’s two hours of carved-out time to sit, reflect, and create,” she said. “It’s rejuvenating.”

Recently, a classmate even asked her to illustrate figures for a research paper. “It’s cool to see art and medicine come together in unexpected ways,” she said. “And I like that Brown gives us the space to explore both.”

Building Community—Inside and Outside the Hospital

If there’s a throughline to Ashley’s story, it’s connection. Whether through hockey, art, or advocacy, she’s drawn to spaces that bring people together.

One of her favorite experiences so far has been volunteering with Be Real, a Brown Med program that teaches health and sexual education to young men at the Rhode Island Training School, a juvenile detention center.

“It’s not a population I imagined working with,” she said. “But it’s been incredibly rewarding. Watching these boys open up—from barely speaking in the first session to not wanting the last one to end—was powerful.”

She credits Brown’s curriculum for introducing her to this kind of work. “We had a panel of incarcerated individuals speak to us about healthcare in those settings,” she explained. “It completely changed my perspective on access, stigma, and how we can bridge those gaps.”

Her takeaway? Medical students hold a unique position. “We’re close enough in age to relate to young people but trained enough to teach,” she said. “We can be that bridge between healthcare and community.”

Exploring Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine

Ashley’s passion for women’s health began in an unexpected place—France.

While studying abroad in Strasbourg during her undergraduate years at Syracuse, she shadowed a pediatrician who was suddenly called to the labor and delivery floor. “There was a crash C-section,” she recalled. “Everything was in French. People were running, shouting, and the next thing I knew, I was in scrubs watching this life-changing moment unfold. It was surreal—and I was hooked.”

When she returned to the U.S., she deepened that interest through clinical work. She became a patient care tech on a maternity floor in Boston and later worked as a medical assistant at an OB-GYN office during her gap year. “It confirmed what I already felt—I love working with women and being part of such an intimate part of their lives.”

At Brown, Ashley joined the Reproductive Health Scholarly Concentration, where she’s conducting research on prenatal genetic testing on TikTok—specifically, how accurate information is shared and how it might influence patient decision-making. “We’re looking at who’s posting, what’s being shared, and where the gaps are,” she said. “It’s fascinating to see how social media shapes medical conversations.”

She’s also collaborating with a mentor to launch a maternal health podcast for women in Rhode Island, providing education and connections to local resources.

Mentorship, Networking, and Paying It Forward

Finding mentors, Ashley said, has been key to her success—and it often starts with a simple email.

“One of my mentors came to speak to my small group, and afterward I just reached out,” she said. “We got coffee, I pitched an idea, and that’s how the podcast started.”

Another mentor came through her scholarly concentration directors. “They pointed me to someone who was the perfect fit for my research,” she said. “Sometimes it’s about putting yourself out there and asking.”

Now, Ashley is paying that mentorship forward. She serves on Brown’s student interview panel and mentors incoming first-year students through the Alpal program, a peer support initiative. “It’s fun to see things come full circle,” she said. “Helping others navigate this journey is one of the best parts.”

For medical students preparing for residency, she recommends early mentorship and self-reflection. “Talk to people who’ve just matched,” she said. “Ask them what they wish they’d done earlier.” Resources like Residency Essay Editing and Residency Mock Interviews can also help turn those lessons into a strong, confident application.

You can even book a 1:1 Residency Advising Session with Carlos Tapia for personalized guidance from the Medical School HQ team.

Keeping Balance—and Staying Grounded

Between her studies, research, and service work, Ashley is intentional about protecting her time and mental health.

“When I’m studying, I’m studying,” she said. “My phone’s across the room. That way, when I’m done, the evening is mine.”

That time is sacred—whether she’s baking, watching Succession or Love Island, or heading to the beach. “I grew up near the coast, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I moved back,” she said. “The ocean is my reset button.”

Her favorite local spot? “Pickerel,” she said instantly. “It’s this cozy ramen place on Federal Hill. Everyone jokes that soup is my favorite food, but it’s my comfort meal. It’s my happy place.”

The Lesson That Guides Her

As Ashley looks ahead to her second year—and, eventually, to residency—she’s holding tight to the lessons Brown has instilled in her.

“Follow what you’re passionate about. Be who you are,” she said. “Medicine will take up a lot of your life, but it’s not all of who you are. Keep nurturing the parts of yourself that make you, you.”