Interview Summary

Once I came up with the idea for my project, I thought about who I should contact for interviews. Because the topic of my project had to do with the path to becoming a doctor, I thought it would be best to contact a student in the pre-med program at FSU, a student or graduate from medical school, and a current physician. I wanted to interview them so that I could learn from their experience pursuing medicine and apply it to my life as I follow the same path to becoming a surgeon. I was able to interview the pre-med student and the medical school graduate. I have also sent out my questions to a physician I would like to interview, but have not yet gotten a response. Although I strongly prefer to have interviewed three individuals, who are on different stages of the path to becoming a doctor, I can still do my project with only two.

Stacey Pierre is a junior pre-med student, and friend of mine. When I came to the decision on what I will make my project about, I contacted her immediately. I scheduled the in-person interview during her free time in her office. I recorded this interview on my phone so I could focus on conducting the interview instead of writing down her response. I asked her questions about her career plans, her experience as a pre-med major, the challenges she faced, and the lessons she learned from this experience. What I got from this interview is that being a pre-med major is definitely not a walk in the park, nor is it for everyone. Being in pre-med means that there will be struggles, burnouts, and major reconsiderations. But there is also a need for resilience and discipline so that one can learn from these moments, grow, and continue pursuing a career in medicine. This interview was fairly short, lasting about eleven minutes.

I knew that my brother had many connections to a variety of professionals. So, I asked him if I could interview one of his friends who have, or are currently attending medical school. I was able to reach Brianna de Souza, a recent medical school graduate. Later that day, I contacted her for the interview and she agreed. She provided me her email address and I sent her my questions through email. Later that day, she replied to my email with a response to the questions. I asked some questions similar to the ones for Stacey’s interview, such as what inspired her to become a doctor, her plans for the future, her experience in med school, and the challenges she faced as a med student. I learned that medical school is not always about stress, all-nighters and humbling experiences. It is filled with exciting collaborations with specialists in a variety of fields, learning about all fields of medicine, and opportunities to treat patients who come from various parts of the world. What makes it better is that you are pursuing something you love and are passionate about, and have the confidence that you are capable of succeeding.