Footnotes - Fall 2023 - 26

Dear Big Sibling...
By: Lauren Mitchell, SCPM Class of 2026 & Muhannah Hossain, TUSPM Class of 2025
Q: Dear Big Sibling, what is one piece of advice you
wish you could give to yourself before going into your
second year of podiatric school?
A: Dear Little, Great question! Second year is often
colloquially known as the most strenuous year of school. It is
a big step up from the curriculum of the first year, while also
having to gear up for the first part of the APMLE exam as
soon as the year is over.
If I could give a second-year version of myself any piece of
advice, I would tell myself to not work myself up over things
I cannot control. Let me explain. Starting in the Fall of your
second year all you will hear is boards " this " and boards
" that. " Obviously, I am not downplaying the importance of
studying hard and doing well on your Part 1 examination. But
the great majority of students before you have gone through
it in one piece, and so will you. The most important piece of
advice I would give myself is that I should believe in myself
and my abilities.
Q: Dear Big Sibling, do you have any tips for
balancing staying active/your extracurriculars with
your school schedule?
A: Dear Little, I think that is a great question! Putting an
emphasis on staying active and enjoying your extracurricular
activities is one of the most important aspects of being a
successful medical student.
The first thing that I would recommend doing is to find
some time during the week where you are 100% (and I mean
entirely 100%) disconnected from school. For me, since
beginning school, I have never studied on Friday evenings.
As soon as class, clinic, or 3pm (whichever came first), on
26
Friday came around, I was off the clock. I found that this
not only motivated me to be productive on Friday mornings
and afternoons, but it also motivated me to wake up early on
Saturday and Sunday mornings to spend quality time studying.
That brings me to my second point. Quality time spent
studying is better than length of time spent studying. I don't
want to turn this into a study advice column, but my best piece
of advice is to not let how many hours others are studying
determine how much time you spend studying.
My third point is to remember why you got involved in those
extracurricular activities in the first place! More often than not,
the things we get involved in are a reflection of our passions.
For me, being involved in things that I am passionate about is
what gives me energy to go through each and every day. So,
the next time you have a club meeting or a volunteering event
or a class social, think about why you got involved in those
things in the first place. I promise you that the feeling you'll
have after you make the time for those activities makes the rest
of being a student a little bit easier.
Lastly, find some time to prioritize your roots. My friends and
I set aside one weekend every fall to head back to our college
town and watch our football team play. Even if the weekend
is right before an exam or important class, I still make it a
priority to go. I would not be where I am without those friends
and without those football memories, so prioritizing that has
always outweighed most aspects of being a student...even if
our team loses every time. Go Hokies though!
Q: Dear Big Sibling, what is your favorite non-schoolrelated
activity?
FALL 2023
Footnotes - Fall 2023

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