Aspiring LSUS pre-med students get crash course on pathways to medical school

Aspiring LSUS pre-med students get crash course on pathways to medical school

SHREVEPORT - "Your pathway is your own."

That's how Dr. Tracie Pasold, a clinical psychologist and LSUS faculty member, kicked off a robust panel discussion designed to direct college students who have aspirations of medical or professional school.

Nearly 40 students attended the Pre-Health Success Program on Monday, a starting point for aspiring future healthcare professionals to guide them on their academic and career paths.

The program is the first step of a plan to connect students earlier to staff and faculty resources with the goal of better preparing students to strengthen applications for medical and professional school.

"We want to make sure that you're positioned in the best possible way and understand how to explore different medical fields," said Jennie Flynn-McKevitt, director of career services at LSUS. "Today is about getting an understanding of what you already know and then what you want to inquire about."

Inquiry was a central facet of Monday's program as students ranging from incoming freshmen to graduate students probed a panel of LSUS and LSU Health Shreveport faculty as well as local medical practitioners.

Mental health, both for the students themselves and for the patients/clients they'd serve, surged to the forefront for panelists and students.

"The mind and body are connected, and I believe an understanding of mental health should be a requirement for medical practice," said Joshua Hollis, a two-time LSUS alumnus who is a clinical specialist that counsels medical students at LSU Health Shreveport. "A significant number of patients who present physical symptoms at their primary care doctor, there's a mental health component involved."

Hollis said a bad test grade is the primary reason that medical students make an initial appointment with LSUHS counseling staff, but typically underlying mental health stressors or trauma influence those students to return for regular sessions.

"Balance" is another common theme to help students navigate rigorous coursework and stressful exams, like the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or tests in advanced science or medical courses.

"Students who get burned out are the ones who drop out," Pasold said. "You have to learn how to balance academics and the rest of your life from an early stage.

"You have to feed your soul and your psyche."

But balance looks different for students depending on their situations, explained Dr. Jason Jordan, a psychiatrist and LSUS and LSUHS alumnus who founded Empath Psychiatry.

"There were weddings and funerals I missed when I was studying, but now that I'm in my current position, I don't miss a play or a swim meet or anything else," said Jordan, who added that he had two young children and a wife when he went through medical school and residency. "There's a cost-benefit analysis you have to do, and you have to be intentional with how you spend your time.

"There were times when my friends would say, 'Where have you been?' but now I'm able to fly anywhere and go visit because of the sacrifices I made."

One outcome of Monday's program was for students to connect and network with healthcare professionals.

A student who is transitioning from Air Force service to college as an aspiring medical student asked Jordan about his own transition, which included the Air Force, a disc jockey, a firefighter and eventually a medical student and psychiatrist.

"You'll leave here with my number in your phone," Jordan added with a smile. "What I will say is no matter what field or industry any of you find, just ask how your skills can help others."

Part of Jordan's journey involved an LSUS committee that evaluates and recommends students for medical school, and committee members and professors Dr. Vonny Salim and Dr. Jack Baricuatro served on Monday's panel.

"I'd say be kind to yourself because you will make mistakes," said Baricuatro, an aspiring marine biologist who nearly drowned three times in school before switching to chemistry. "Know the benchmarks for your pathway and be open to other paths if life presents those opportunities."

Baricuatro and Salim are large proponents of undergraduate research on campus through their partnership and the intersection of biology and chemistry, which looms large in the medical field.

"LSUS has a lot of resources to help you, and one of those tools in undergraduate research," Salim said. "It's practical experience that puts what you're learning in the classroom to use, and it strengthens a medical school application."

That experience and relationship with faculty and staff will bear fruit when students seek internships, shadowing opportunities or part-time jobs in the field.

Panelists detailed their own mistakes, whether in their initial career path choices or in their early academic careers.

While grade-point average can be an automatic disqualifier for some programs, many programs take a holistic view of candidates for entry.

"The essay is a chance for you to explain your growth as a student and how you got to where you are," said Dr. Chris Gissendanner, chair of the LSUS biological sciences department who mentioned his own academic struggles in high school and college."

But authenticity, the ability to ask for help, and the knack for social connection are tools that can prevent those struggles or help students overcome those missteps.

"Don't isolate yourself," said Dr. Ed Mahoney, program director of physical therapy at LSU Health Shreveport and an LSUS alumnus. "This is going to be hard, and you have to ask for help."