Session 590

Inspired by her grandmother’s illness, Jahnvi overcame academic and personal challenges to earn multiple medical school acceptances, emphasizing the importance of mental health and self-belief for pre-med students. Listen to today’s episode to hear her inspiring journey.

For more podcast resources to help you with your medical school journey and beyond, check out Meded Media.

Listen to this podcast episode with the player above, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.

Navigating Citizenship and Residency

Jahnvi was born in the United States but spent her childhood and adolescence abroad, only returning to the U.S. at age 18 to begin college. Because she held U.S. citizenship, she was able to start her undergraduate studies without the added stress of navigating visa requirements or residency status. This allowed her to focus on her academic and extracurricular pursuits, such as biomedical engineering, volunteering, and hospital work, without the uncertainty that often accompanies international student status.

Jahnvi expressed deep gratitude for this advantage, recognizing that many of her peers faced significant obstacles due to their citizenship or residency status.

For international students, the path to medical school is often fraught with additional challenges. Only a limited number of U.S. medical schools accept non-citizen applicants, and those that do may have stricter requirements or offer fewer financial aid opportunities. These barriers can make the already competitive process of applying to medical school even more daunting for international students.

Challenges of Premed Life

Jahnvi didn’t have any doctors in her family, so when she decided she wanted to go into medicine, she was pretty much on her own. She told her parents about her plans, and while they were surprised, they supported her, but she didn’t have anyone to really guide her through the whole premed maze.

Figuring out what classes to take, what experiences she needed, and how to even start the application process was all up to her. She said the hardest part was just “guiding myself through this journey,” and not having any mentorship made everything feel a lot more overwhelming.

Dealing with Premed Advising

On top of that, her experience with premed advising wasn’t great. She actually did seek out help her first year, but the advisors were super negative – basically telling her that if she didn’t have a perfect MCAT score and GPA, she’d never make it to med school.

They even suggested she stick to biomedical engineering instead of trying for medicine, which was pretty discouraging. Jahnvi pointed out how this kind of attitude just adds to the stress and pressure, especially since Texas med schools are already tough to get into.

Jahnvi’s experience with premed advising was mixed. On one hand, she found the advising discouraging and negative when it came to encouragement and belief in her ability to get into medical school – they focused on perfection and even suggested she stick to engineering.

On the other hand, she did get some practical support from her advisor, like help figuring out which classes to take and how her engineering courses could count toward premed requirements. So, while the emotional support and motivation were lacking, she was still able to get some useful guidance on the logistics of her academic path.

Dealing with Toxic Premed Culture

She also talked about how competitive and sometimes toxic the premed culture can be, but she was lucky to have at least one friend who wasn’t like that and helped her out. Most of the info she got about requirements and classes came from the internet or piecing things together herself.

All in all, Jahnvi’s premed years were full of uncertainty, self-doubt, and a lot of figuring things out the hard way, but she kept pushing through, even when it felt like she was doing it alone.

Managing Premed Classes and MCAT

Balancing Premed Classes with Engineering

Balancing premed classes with a major like biomedical engineering was no joke for Jahnvi. She said it was really tough to keep track of everything she needed to do – there were so many requirements, and sometimes her engineering classes overlapped or got in the way of the usual premed prerequisites.

Most of the time, she had to hunt down information online or ask around to figure out which classes counted and when to take them. Luckily, she had one friend who wasn’t competitive and helped her navigate the chaos, and her advisor did help a bit with sorting out which engineering courses could double as premed credits.

The Rollercoaster of the MCAT

When it came to the MCAT, Jahnvi’s journey was anything but smooth. She had to take it three times.

The first time, she admitted she had no idea how to study for it and her mental health wasn’t great, but she pushed herself to take it anyway and didn’t do well. The second time, she put even more pressure on herself, thinking her whole future depended on this one test, and ended up having a panic attack during the exam.

Even though she felt like she bombed it, she later realized she’d actually done better than she thought in some sections. After that, she took two years off to work, focus on her mental health, and tackle her test anxiety. With the support of her family and friends, and after learning some new coping strategies, she finally nailed the MCAT on her third try. 

Applying to Medical School

When it came time to apply to medical school, Jahnvi really went all in – she applied to 50 schools across the country, including both MD and DO programs. She said she just wanted to maximize her chances and avoid having to go through another application cycle, but looking back, she admits that was a lot to take on.

The sheer number of secondary essays was overwhelming; every day after work, she’d come home to a new batch of essays to write, and it was exhausting trying to keep up, especially since she didn’t pre-write any of them.

The process was also expensive, but having a job as a medical assistant and living at home helped her manage the costs. Her family was supportive, which made a big difference. Timing was another challenge – she ended up applying a bit late because she was waiting for her MCAT score and then got hit with COVID, which set her back even more.

Applying late and taking longer to turn around some of her secondaries probably cost her a few interview opportunities, especially at MD schools.

In the end, Jahnvi got FOUR ACCEPTANCES and two waitlists, which is pretty amazing given how tough the process is. If she could do it over, she says she definitely wouldn’t apply to so many schools – her advice is to make a smart list and not overwhelm yourself. The whole experience taught her a lot about managing stress, staying organized, and not being afraid to ask for help when you need it.

Preparing for and Succeeding in Interviews

Jahnvi’s first medical school interview was a nerve-wracking experience—she was so anxious that she didn’t do as well as she’d hoped and didn’t get accepted at that school.

She realized she needed to change her approach, so after that, she started doing mock interviews with Dr. K, someone she found on Instagram who helps premed students prepare. Those practice sessions made a huge difference for Jahnvi. Dr. K gave her the pep talks and feedback she needed to feel more confident and ready for the real thing.

With her new preparation strategy, Jahnvi felt much more at ease in her next interviews, and it really paid off – she ended up getting seven or eight interview invites and multiple acceptances.

For Jahnvi, the key was not just practicing answers, but also building up her confidence and learning how to handle the pressure of the interview setting. Her experience shows that even if things don’t go perfectly at first, you can always regroup, get help, and come back stronger.

Choosing the Right Medical School: Family, Support, and Affordability

Picking which medical school to attend wasn’t just about rankings or prestige – it really came down to what felt right for her life. Being close to her family was a huge factor; she’s a big family person and wanted to be able to see them often.

When she visited the school she eventually chose, she immediately felt welcomed and could tell the environment was supportive and genuinely cared about students’ success.

On top of that, the tuition was more affordable compared to other options, and the residency opportunities lined up with her long-term goals. All those things together made the decision clear for her.

Adjusting to Medical School Life

Starting medical school was both exciting and overwhelming for Jahnvi. Even though she was thrilled to finally be on the path she’d worked so hard for, she admitted that the stress and imposter syndrome didn’t just disappear.

The workload was tougher than anything she’d experienced before, and there were moments when she doubted herself or worried about passing exams. But what made a big difference this time was that she had better tools to manage her stress and anxiety, thanks to the work she’d done on her mental health during her gap years.

Building a Support System and Coping Strategies

Jahnvi leaned heavily on her support system – her family and friends were always there to encourage her, and she didn’t hesitate to reach out for help when things got tough. She also made use of counseling and therapy, and she wasn’t shy about talking openly with others about her mental health journey.

Jahnvi found that having coping strategies, like breathing exercises and changing her perspective on challenges, helped her stay grounded even during the most intense periods of medical school.

Encouraging Openness and Seeking Help

Jahnvi knows that mental health can still be a taboo topic in some communities, but she believes it’s crucial to be open and proactive about getting support. She encourages other students not to be afraid to seek help, reminding them that mental health is just as important as physical health.

Looking Ahead: Career Interests and Goals

Jahnvi isn’t completely set on a specialty yet, but she’s keeping an open mind as she moves forward in medical school. She recently did research on diabetes, which sparked her interest in internal medicine, especially since so many people are affected by the condition and there’s still a lot to learn and improve in that field.

At the same time, she’s also drawn to mental health and is considering psychiatry as another possible path. Jahnvi is excited for her upcoming rotations, knowing they’ll give her a chance to explore different specialties and figure out what truly fits her passion and skills.

Words of Wisdom for Premed Students

Jahnvi’s journey hasn’t been easy, but she’s learned a lot along the way. Her biggest piece of advice for premed students is to never stop believing in yourself, even when things get tough or you start to doubt your abilities.

She stresses the importance of having a strong support system – family, friends, or mentors – who can keep you motivated and help you through the hard times.

Jahnvi also encourages students to keep pushing forward, reminding them that everyone faces challenges, but perseverance and self-belief can get you through.

Links:

Meded Media

Blueprint MCAT

Dr K on Instagram