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No doubt about it—medical schools are looking for the brightest minds and the most motivated students. While it takes hard work and commitment to make it to medical school, it takes a very special person to succeed there.

With a combination of courage, passion and a little bit of humor, FSC’s very own Cheryl Shafer is getting it done. Graduating last year with a 4.0, Cheryl was one of a select number of aspiring doctors to be accepted to the prestigious University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. At a question and answer session organized by Florida Southern’s Pre-Professional Society, Cheryl graciously shared her experiences as a first-year medical student with a room full of hopeful undergraduates.

So what is it really like?
“Medical school has been a challenging transition,” Cheryl admitted as she passed around a heavy binder filled with colorful slides and detailed lecture notes. Your first two years are filled with studying the basic sciences—anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and pharmacology, and the behavioral sciences, all while you are introduced to the fundamental techniques of taking medical histories and examining patients.

“The problem is not the difficulty of the subject material,” she explained, but rather the immense volume of material to be learned. With about ten times as much information to cover in the same time span as your undergraduate studies, Cheryl puts it simply: “Information is like a waterfall, it just keeps coming at you!”

Different, but not as different as you might think
Expecting her UF classmates to be a cut-throat group of overachievers, “Everyone in the program is intelligent and works hard,” she said.

Cheryl was relieved to find that the people she’s met at medical school are not so different from the friends she’s made at Florida Southern. Despite the horror stories that are so often perpetuated about medical school, team work, camaraderie, and support seemed to be the recurrent theme as Cheryl responded to questions about classes and course work.

“Everyone has an intense drive to learn as much as possible about everything, which is a wonderful environment to be in.”

Will I be prepared?
Yes, medical school does requires a lot of time and energy. Cheryl feels the demanding curriculum should not be of concern to her fellow alumni. While recommending that “pre-meds” indulge in all the Developmental Biology and Anatomy they can, Cheryl is confident that her FSC professors could not have prepared her better for the challenges that lay ahead.

GPAs, MCAT scores and getting in
While every pre-med wants the inside scoop on how to conquer the application process, Cheryl firmly explained, “The most common misconception is that all you need is high grades and high MCAT scores to get into medical school.” Crediting her acceptance to UF to her diverse academic interests, Cheryl believes “medical schools are looking for people who can communicate.” She advises future applicants to perform community service, volunteer and demonstrate leadership qualities.

“I think I can” get it all done
All medical students are faced with the same quandary: How can I make the most of my precious time?

For Cheryl, careful organization and a good understanding of her learning style seem to be the keys to her success. Schedules during medical school are relatively flexible, as "everything outside of class is determined by you." There are no assignments or problem sets and everything is self-directed. Professors will provide many ways to learn the materials, but students themselves must decide which method suits them best and how much material to retain.

Having adjusted now to starting her days at 5:00 a.m., Cheryl understands that these will be the most difficult years of her professional training. “If you want to take responsibility for people’s health and well-being,” Cheryl stated adamantly, “you’ve got to be committed to learning.”

Will I be “grossed” out?
Part personal test and part rite of passage, it wouldn’t be a question-answer session about medical school without talking about gross anatomy; gross anatomy always fills med school hopefuls with equal amounts of anticipation and dread. “Everybody wonders how he or she will react when it's time to start dissecting a dead body.” While adverse reactions are hardly unusual, somehow you adjust. “Everything smells—your clothes, your hair, even your steering wheel. But getting to know your cadaver, its incredible!”

How do you know if medicine is for you?
If you are struggling with whether or not medicine is right for you, Cheryl suggests taking a realistic look at what it takes to get there. “It takes tremendous amount of work” Cheryl stated emphatically, “but you won’t mind working your butt off, if it’s what you’ve always wanted to do.”