Chivon Stubbs, who recently matched into family medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine, joins us today to share about medical school and her journey to family medicine.
Tell us about yourself:
I am a wife, daughter and sister. I enjoy spending time with my family and close friends. For fun I like to bowl, shop and travel. I also enjoy cooking. I am very passionate about working with underserved communities and have served as director of our student-run free clinic for the past three years.
Looking back on your medical school experience, what would you say to the young and naïve “first-year you”?
I would say to spend time doing things you enjoy because you have the most time during first year. Once second and third year come, time will be a precious commodity. Also, I would encourage them to get involved in campus activities! If you don’t do it during first year, you likely never will. It helps you to learn the importance of balancing your time early on because you never will have much. Involvement will give you topics of discussion for your residency interviews as well.
What tips do you have for USMLE?
Ask for help! Step prep starts the moment you enter medical school. If there are topics that are ever unclear, seek the help you need to ensure your understanding before the subject comes up again on exams or the wards.
What advice do you have for the students going through clinical rotations?
Be professional. This includes attire, attitude and punctuality. Be honest. Give more than the bare minimum. Make the most of the experience and keep an open mind so that you can learn everything. You never know when that one patient will come into your practice with the one disease for the rotation that you hated. Also, study every day because that is the practice you will need as a resident.
What recommendations do you have for medical students to maintain their sanity?
Do what you enjoy! Work hard and play harder. When you do have a break, take that time away and try to turn off. Your non-medical school friends are vital for your sanity, so really try to keep up relationships with them.
How did medical school differ from your expectations?
Medical school has its ups and downs! I can say I am truly grateful to have had the experience, though I’m not sure where it fell on the scale of my expectations.
What things did you do during your four years of medical school that you believe particularly impressed your residency program?
I served as director and senior director of our student-run free clinic over a three-year period, a job which included writing grants and coordinating health fairs. I also served on the board of directors of an interdisciplinary, student-run organization, volunteered doing income tax returns for low income families, served on the board of directors for the state-wide family medicine organization and started a new organization on campus for women in medicine.
What attracted you to your chosen specialty?
The population I would be able to serve, the variety of practice settings and the work-life balance.
What is your biggest fear about beginning residency?
End-of-life care.
What advice would you give third-year students about to start the Match process?
Don’t let others influence your decisions. At the end of the day, if you match, you are employed!
And a fun bonus question! Please share an easy and quick recipe that got you through tough weeks in medical school:
Beans and Weenies:
1 can of beans (your choice; pork and beans or baked beans my favorite)
3 hot dogs
Cut hot dogs into ~ 12 pieces each and place in three-quart sauce pan, add beans and three-fourths of a cup of water.
Bring to a boil then simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Medical Student Editor Emeritus
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
I am a proud alumnus of Louisiana State University, and yes, I do bleed purple and gold. I’m in the Class of 2018 at LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine. I’ve run one marathon and a few halves – the latter being my favorite distance of the two. I believe in daily ice cream intake. When I’m not studying or running, I’m exploring new workout classes and outdoor adventures, training my large and adorable dog, Gumbeaux, or knitting to keep my fidgety fingers busy.
