Samantha Tener
For my first interview, I talked with Samantha Tener, an alumna from the class of 2018. Currently, she is attending Columbia University for the Pahtobiology PhD program. I am a pre-med, biology major student, but I am not wholly certain of what I want to do in the future. I decided to talk to Sam because I knew she would provide an interesting perspective (especially because she is a recent graduate!). She completed two years of research at Muhlenberg, working with immunity in flies and epigenetics. Sam thought Columbia was a perfect choice, as it had the program she wanted. She liked the medical aspect as well as the research components. What was really interesting is that in graduate schools, they try to recruit you. Unlike med school interviews, grad school interviews take the whole weekend. If you’re accepted, they pay you to complete their program! The PhD program is 5-7 years, so Sam says she has a lot of time to figure out exactly what she wants to do in the future. She’s not sure if she wants to go into academia. If she did, she would want to teach at liberal arts college, but those jobs are hard to find now. She also likes the idea of being a science writer or grant writer. She says that with a PhD she will never be out of a job! Overall, it was great talking to Sam. She was very friendly and gave me some good insight on what it’s like to be a biology major, and the different paths I can take in the future (besides just med school).
Joseph Barsa
For my second informational interview, I contacted Joe Barsa of the class of 2014. Currently, he is in his third year of medical school at St. George’s University in Grenada. He is looking to go into internal medicine or maybe sports medicine. I had an amazing time talking to him. He was unbelievably friendly and supportive as he answered my questions about medical school/the pre-med path. One of the best pieces of advice he gave me was to start formulating my “why” (i.e why I want to become a doctor). Joe said this will not only help me in medical school interviews, but will also be my motivation as I study for years while peers my age enjoy their 20s. It was nice to get more insight into medical school. The first two years are standard science lectures/labs, then the next two years are working with actual patients. He said that Muhlenberg prepared him so well for medical school! That was really comforting to hear. Something else that was interesting was his explanation of DO School, something I never really knew before. However, I think that medical school is the right path for me. Talking with Joe also assured me that Muhlenberg is the right place for me. There is such a supportive community here as well as rigorous preparation in the sciences. Joe chose St. George’s because he got in and because he wanted to travel. Location is definitely an important consideration, and I feel similarly as I want to experience a new place. He told me that it is so important to gain the respect of your patients, and learning Spanish is one of the best ways to connect with a large number of patients. Overall, I gained a lot of valuable information and a great connection! I was very glad to have talked to him.
