MS1 at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Christy Lopez

URM

Pianist

Runner

First in family to attend medical school

TL;DR

I integrated music and medicine into my educational career prior to medical school
I participated in a few internships that were extremely formative to my development
I have experienced many challenges with transitions between different stages of my life
I was accepted into medical school through the FlexMed Program

Background

It was early, cold, and foggy and my dad was cooking steak and eggs – my favorite. I was 6 years old and excited to start my fun camping trip with my parents. I bothered my parents and started running around our tiny camping plot. A few minutes later, I tripped over something in the ground and fell forward. I don’t remember the feeling I had, but I couldn’t stop screaming. My mom ran out of the bathroom, where she was brushing her teeth, and my dad picked me up out of the firepit, hot with embers from the s’more-making the night before. I vividly remember the ice-cold faucet they used to drench my entire body and watching my skin fall off my hand.

I spent some time in the hospital for second and third degree burns to my hand and thigh. I don’t remember much of my life before that event, which is common for kids who experience a traumatic experience like that. I also spent the rest of my early childhood experiencing symptoms of PTSD like nightmares and an intense fear of fire and smoke.

When I was recovering from my burn injury, two incredible things happened. The first is that I found out about a camp, called Champ Camp. Champ Camp is a free summer-camp for burn survivors based out of California, where I’m from. It’s a place where kids can be themselves and participate in traditional camp activities without the fear/embarrassment they might experience from exposing their burn scars. I attended this camp for 10 years, and it had a huge positive impact on my childhood.

The second thing that happened was that I took piano lessons. The artificial skin they use to regrow dead skin from a burn made my hand almost impossible to move at first, and after some intense physical therapy, playing the piano helped me regain the fine motor skills in my hand. I ended up continuing to study piano throughout my life and college.

One of the interesting things about burn injuries is that the scar tissue for more serious burns requires surgery throughout a child’s development because it is not able to stretch and grow as well as normal skin. I received one of these surgeries in seventh grade after complaining for years about the pain I had trying to expand my hand. I was fascinated about the surgery and did a lot of research on the technique, a start to my interest in pursuing medicine.

Early Years

I grew up in Martinez, California, which is a suburb in the Bay Area. My father grew up in Peru and moved to the United States when he was 17. My mother grew up in Danville, California. Being a mix of white and Latina was something I never really thought about until I reached high school and began to explore these identities.

For my education, I attended a very mediocre middle and high school. The middle school, high school, and highly attended community college were all located on the same block. I didn’t want to stay on that block, or even in California, so I decided to apply to schools in different states. It was a shock to my high school when I was accepted into Johns Hopkins University. They actually sent out an email to the entire faculty (which was very embarrassing) to talk about my accomplishment and that of one of my best friends. I didn’t feel like someone who was fit to attend a fancy private university.

In high school, I was involved in an organization called HOSA-Future Health Professionals and I was also on the Contra Costa County Search and Rescue Team. In Search and Rescue, we were trained as Emergency Medical Responders, and I remember looking forward to the late-night classes and loving every minute of that experience. I also did a very influential summer internship called CHORI, which is held at the UCSF-Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland. This internship provided me with my first ever research experience, an entire summer of looking through hundreds of medical records. Though tedious at times, I was often so intrigued by the stories of the patients I read. My research focused on pain management for children with sickle cell disease. I read about kids who had some really tough lives and it was very humbling for me.

The summer following my high school graduation, I went to Peru to be with my family. Having grown up in the US, my experience living with my very elderly great aunt and uncle was very challenging to me. They were extremely strict, which was the opposite experience I had to the independence I had at home. My goal for the trip was to advance my Spanish skills, and I spent the summer in a high school classroom. I loved learning about the difference between the education system of Peru and the United States. I also had the opportunity to shadow a general surgeon in Peru, who showed me a whole other health system as well. Overall, my time in Peru allowed me to reflect on my background and look forward to my next journey in life.

Undergrad

When I flew to college, I was nervous and unsure about my place in the school. I later learned that I experienced classic imposter syndrome, something I still struggle with today. I had trouble finding my place in school. I took way too many classes and involved myself in way too many things. Eventually, I narrowed it down and was really involved in three big things throughout undergrad. The first was the Wilson Fellowship, which provided me funds to do research. This fellowship is noted as the biggest funded research fellowship in the country for undergraduate students. I applied to it during my senior year of high school as a component of my application to Johns Hopkins. In order to apply, I had to write an essay about research I would be interested in conducting. I studied scald burn prevention in children at the Johns Hopkins Harriet Lane Clinic. We asked parents about their child’s injury and also the first aid applied at the time of the burn. It felt really great to come full circle, being a burn survivor to a burn researcher! I presented this research at my first conference and published it as well.

The next thing I was involved in was a camp called Camp Kesem. My mom survived battling breast cancer twice during my childhood, and I felt strongly connected to Kesem, which supports kids who have a parent who has or has had cancer. I ended up directing our chapter out of JHU and I poured so much of my heart into bringing the best experience for these kids.

The last thing I was involved in was working. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I could fund my own expenses during school, so I was constantly picking up jobs that could support my groceries or dinners with friends. I worked at the Johns Hopkins Career Center as a student employee, reviewing resumes and cover letters and handling administrative duties. I also served as a tutor for students taking Introductory Chemistry.

Sound like a lot? It was. My sophomore spring, I was taking 21 credits, doing all the things I just mentioned and more, and trying to do it all perfectly. I was burnt out. My room was a mess, I was constantly having breakdowns, and I couldn’t focus my energy very well on doing the best. I ended up calculating that I was sick (with a cold or cold-like symptoms) almost 80% of that semester. I vowed to never do that again. The reason I tried so hard that semester was because I had applied to FlexMed, an early assurance program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai. This program boasted accepting sophomores into medical school and allowing them to continue college without having to take the MCAT or some of the pre-med requirements. I received an interview and told myself that I had to prove to be the best applicant possible. I regret being that hard on myself and vowed never to do that again.

I ended up getting into FlexMed and felt a wave of relief coupled with even stronger imposter syndrome. Getting into medical school as a sophomore? After one of the worst semesters of my college experience? It didn’t feel right. I reflected a lot that summer and changed my mentality for the last semesters of college to focus on learning for learning and not a grade. I also took advantage of my opportunity to explore different interests and ended up participating in a fascinating internship in educational inequity work through Teach for America (called Accelerate) the summer following my junior year.

Gap Semester

I graduated in December of 2019 with a B.A. in Public Health Studies and a music minor. I picked up a research opportunity through one of my professors that worked with elderly drivers. It sounds random, but I honestly fell in love with the project and the goals. I worked on this project first in-person and then remotely once COVID hit. I spent these last 8 months focusing on my health and trying to mentally prepare myself for a tough four years in medical school. Nobody lies and says that this journey is easy or always fun. However, I have found that my internal drive and genuine interest in caring for people has always pushed me towards this path. I also don’t think I would have been able to get to this stage without the support of my family, friends, and partner. It really takes a team!

Choosing A Medical School

I can’t speak too much to my experience choosing a medical school. When I stepped foot on Sinai’s campus to interview, I was blown away at the community feeling of the school, which my undergrad lacked. I was also drawn to its location in New York City and its work with people from Latin America. Finally, I felt a lot of support from the professors and staff at the school, even during my interview. I was thrilled to learn that this continued into my education and I feel like the people involved in my journey to becoming a doctor are very accessible and welcoming.

I am writing this after my first day of virtual orientation for Icahn School of Medicine. This isn’t the experience I wanted, but I hope to learn more about myself and others as I more confidently venture into this new stage of my life.

Update: FEB 2021

One semester down! Starting the first semester of medical school virtually was one of the most challenging experiences I have had so far in my life. One of the things I was looking forward to the most in school was meeting the incredible people who have worked so hard to be there. However, in “ Zoom World” this was difficult. Forcing myself to attend virtual events after a 7-8 hour Zoom day seemed hardly feasible, and I felt challenged in different ways at many points of the semester. I lacked the motivation to learn and never truly felt like a medical student in these first few months. Fortunately, I found a community and inspiration. I joined the Latinx Medical Student Association, which welcomed me with open arms! I helped them to plan a regional conference. I volunteered for the free student-run clinic and was reminded why I wanted to be here in the first place. I watched talks from activists, experts in various fields, and students who were passionate about making a difference in the world around them in a way that I may not have thought about. I study a huge amount, and have had to experiment with new ways of learning, such as more structured studying with others and trying the Pomodoro method (check it out!) I also have started prioritizing taking care of myself and accepting challenges in this new experience. I’m thankful to be in medical school and hopeful for the future.