Not Farewell After All by Hamsika C. '13

In my last entry, way back in June 2013, I painstakingly bid good-bye to life at MIT and in particular, to the MIT blogs (direct quote: “Farewell, MIT blogosphere”). But I’m back!! Just in time to join other current and alumni bloggers in celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the MIT blogs and also to offer an update on my life post-MIT.

I graduated about a year ago (June 2013) and – because I wasn’t ready to be a Real Person quite yet – jumped straight from undergrad into med school. Now, I’m over on the West Coast, at Stanford, where I just finished my first year of medical school and absolutely loved it. In the past, I’ve had a lot of people ask me whether it’s hard to be pre-med at MIT, particularly since MIT is known to be a tough school, and whether looking back, I wish I had chosen a 7-year med program, something I was considering way back in 2008 (wow, that makes me feel old ☹) when I applied to colleges.

Having gone through MIT, the med school application process, and now a year of medical school, I am actually incredibly grateful that I went to a school like MIT because:

1. MIT exposed me to a strong science and engineering foundation that definitely makes my med school coursework easier.
2. MIT forced me to figure out, early in my undergrad career, how I should balance work, friends, sleep, exercise, etc., a skill that’s just as vital in med school as it is in undergrad (also, for some reason, EVERYONE exercises in medical school…lots of peer pressure)
3. MIT helped me believe that if I had an idea, then there was nothing stopping me from taking that idea and making it a reality.

So, short answer: yes, being pre-med at MIT was challenging at times (I think it will be that way no matter where you go, honestly), but no, I have no regrets and would do it all over again if given the chance.

Going back to the 3rd point I mentioned above: the MIT blogs had a huge influence on my decision to apply to and then matriculate at MIT, and I had the idea of bringing this concept of a student blog to Stanford Med as well. I joined a couple similarly minded students at Stanford in talking to the Stanford administration about this, and as of January 2014, there’s a Stanford Med student blog too!! I think about MIT every time a new post goes up on Stanford Med blog, and it helps me feel like I’m still connected to the MIT community.

I’m also back in Boston this summer, living near Harvard Square and working in the medical center, and I pass by MIT every single morning on my way to work. I miss MIT so much! For those of you entering MIT this upcoming fall, make the most of these next 4 years – you’re in for such a treat! For those of you applying this cycle, good luck! If you have any questions about MIT or med school, I’m happy to be a resource ☺

I won’t make the mistake of saying “Farewell, MIT Blogosphere” in this post. Instead: till next time!

Hamsika, MIT’13