Bennington Postbac Premed Program
Postbac in the Spotlight
Caitlin is this week’s Postbac in the Spotlight. Here, she answers questions from fellow postbac Shelby:
What made you want to become a doctor?
“During my final semester at Elmira College, I took a physiological psychology course that sparked my interest in the field of neurology. A few months later, I shadowed a neurologist at Boston Medical Center, where I instantly became fascinated with the field of medicine. After college, I decided to work at Planned Parenthood for a couple of years. It was an honor to have the opportunity to see the impact that the doctors and other healthcare providers had on their patients. I was able to see first-hand the positive experiences patients had and how these experiences affected multiple aspects of their lives. Ultimately, it is these experiences in addition to being able to combine my love for science and my compassion for others that influenced my interest in becoming a physician.“
”What are you most excited about for when you become a doctor?
“I’m excited about the ongoing process of learning that comes with being a doctor, whether it is learning new discoveries in medicine, learning more about a patient, or even learning about myself in the process. I’m also very excited about the "good days,” when I am able to go home at the end of a long day and know that I figured out a difficult diagnosis, or delivered good news to a family, or performed a successful surgery… I know, of course, there will be tough days, but these days will be vital learning experiences, which I find important in becoming an even better version of myself.”
”What do you do in your spare time?
“Well, in the 20 minutes of free time I have every day… just kidding! I really enjoy running, so I try to do that as much as possible. A few years ago I completed a marathon, and it is my hope to complete a half marathon in the spring with one of the other postbacs. I also enjoy hanging out with friends from the program, and exploring Vermont and nearby areas- or just sitting on the couch and watching Netflix :)“
”What is your favorite science word?
“I’m in genetics mode right now, so I’m going with ‘alloploidy’.”
Why did you choose Bennington?
“I knew that I wanted to be in a small program where I could develop a relationship with the professors and other students, since that was the experience I also had in college. The small class sizes here are really important for learning and are instrumental in our success. I also wanted to be in an environment that I could enjoy. I love the outdoors, and Bennington is in the mountains, so it really seemed like the perfect choice.”
What has been your favorite moment at Bennington so far?
“I think my favorite moment was one of the first times we all hung out with each other outside of class, which was during the summer term. Everyone in this program is amazing and I feel so lucky to get to know all of the other students.”
”Where do you envision yourself in 10 years?
“I’ll have had to figure out my specialty by then, so we’ll see where I end up… but as of right now, OB/GYN and neurology are my top interests. I am currently shadowing an OB/GYN at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, which has been both extremely fascinating and reinforcing. In addition, I would like to have my MPH.”
Postbac in the Spotlight
Caitlin is this week’s Postbac in the Spotlight. Here, she answers questions from fellow postbac Shelby:
What made you want to become a doctor?
“During my final semester at Elmira College, I took a physiological psychology course that sparked my interest in the field of neurology. A few months later, I shadowed a neurologist at Boston Medical Center, where I instantly became fascinated with the field of medicine. After college, I decided to work at Planned Parenthood for a couple of years. It was an honor to have the opportunity to see the impact that the doctors and other healthcare providers had on their patients. I was able to see first-hand the positive experiences patients had and how these experiences affected multiple aspects of their lives. Ultimately, it is these experiences in addition to being able to combine my love for science and my compassion for others that influenced my interest in becoming a physician.“
”What are you most excited about for when you become a doctor?
“I’m excited about the ongoing process of learning that comes with being a doctor, whether it is learning new discoveries in medicine, learning more about a patient, or even learning about myself in the process. I’m also very excited about the "good days,” when I am able to go home at the end of a long day and know that I figured out a difficult diagnosis, or delivered good news to a family, or performed a successful surgery… I know, of course, there will be tough days, but these days will be vital learning experiences, which I find important in becoming an even better version of myself.”
”What do you do in your spare time?
“Well, in the 20 minutes of free time I have every day… just kidding! I really enjoy running, so I try to do that as much as possible. A few years ago I completed a marathon, and it is my hope to complete a half marathon in the spring with one of the other postbacs. I also enjoy hanging out with friends from the program, and exploring Vermont and nearby areas- or just sitting on the couch and watching Netflix :)“
”What is your favorite science word?
“I’m in genetics mode right now, so I’m going with ‘alloploidy’.”
Why did you choose Bennington?
“I knew that I wanted to be in a small program where I could develop a relationship with the professors and other students, since that was the experience I also had in college. The small class sizes here are really important for learning and are instrumental in our success. I also wanted to be in an environment that I could enjoy. I love the outdoors, and Bennington is in the mountains, so it really seemed like the perfect choice.”
What has been your favorite moment at Bennington so far?
“I think my favorite moment was one of the first times we all hung out with each other outside of class, which was during the summer term. Everyone in this program is amazing and I feel so lucky to get to know all of the other students.”
”Where do you envision yourself in 10 years?
“I’ll have had to figure out my specialty by then, so we’ll see where I end up… but as of right now, OB/GYN and neurology are my top interests. I am currently shadowing an OB/GYN at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, which has been both extremely fascinating and reinforcing. In addition, I would like to have my MPH.”