All the Nigerian premeds and med students, get in here!!!

[lagbydesign]

Wah gwan! What you lot saying. I'm coming from the west side of Nigeria. You can guess my tribe if you don't already know. Shout out all the Yorubas and thattt, but I love my Igbos still. And all you minor tribes...no one really cares looool. I'm joking I'm joking. I love all Nigerians. We're like a big family.

Let's do this. What's your tribe and what kind of doc do you wanna be? I'll go first. Obviously, you already know the deal. Mans tryna be an orthopod. Broken bones, I'll fix that. Arthritic joints, I'll replace that. Scoliotic back, I'll straighten that. Truss meeee

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[720606]

Wah gwan! What you lot saying. I'm coming from the west side of Nigeria. You can guess my tribe if you don't already know. Shout out all the Yorubas and thattt, but I love my Igbos still. And all you minor tribes...no one really cares looool. I'm joking I'm joking. I love all Nigerians. We're like a big family.

Let's do this. What's your tribe and what kind of doc do you wanna be? I'll go first. Obviously, you already know the deal. Mans tryna be an orthopod. Broken bones, I'll fix that. Arthritic joints, I'll replace that. Scoliotic back, I'll straighten that. Truss meeee

Hey! Yoruba lady here! Hoping to go into something surgical. Looking at Neuro, ENT, or ortho right now....

 

[lagbydesign]

Hey! Yoruba lady here! Hoping to go into something surgical. Looking at Neuro, ENT, or ortho right now....

Sick. It's funny, I used to be interested in neurosurg and ENT. It's a long story, but I'll try to keep it abbreviated, lol.

I wanted to do neurosurgery for the longest time. In fact, it's what drew me to medicine in the first place. Looking back, it was clear that I was actually enthralled more with the idea of being one. As I got older, I realized that overall, neurosurgery has a lot of horrible outcomes. Patients are often comatose or have permanent deficits. You could give your all in the OR, only for the patient to come out worse than they came in. To me, that was unacceptable. So that's when I started looking for surgical specialties with good outcomes. Gen surg is just no for obvious reasons. Plastics does stuff that I'm honestly not interested in, like some of the cosmetics and burn stuff. Urology is disgusting. Cardiothoracic is uninteresting and has too much acuity. I rejected ortho at first, because it looked really barbaric. I was watching someone put in a retrograde tibial nail, and it proper looked like torture, lol. I settled on ENT. I was gung ho about ENT for a while, because the anatomy is the most beautiful in the body, there are few emergent cases, the variety is insane, and the operations are amazing. But then I shadowed for a week and I was like yeah...I don't see myself looking up noses all day, lol. I shadowed multiple orthopods and it was so awesome. I really saw myself doing what they do for a living. So it's ortho or bust from now.

 

[Chromium Surfer]

What up fam, I'm Yoruba! Ironically when I was around 12 I also was drawn to medicine by the idea of being an neurosurgeon haha, this was probably also because my mom gave the biography of Ben Carson to read haha. But now I am really interested in working with disadvantaged populations and reducing health disparities. Im leaning towards something in internal medicine specifically cardiology and I also think family med is cool. But I am open to everything!

 

[720606]

Sick. It's funny, I used to be interested in neurosurg and ENT. It's a long story, but I'll try to keep it abbreviated, lol.

I wanted to do neurosurgery for the longest time. In fact, it's what drew me to medicine in the first place. Looking back, it was clear that I was actually enthralled more with the idea of being one. As I got older, I realized that overall, neurosurgery has a lot of horrible outcomes. Patients are often comatose or have permanent deficits. You could give your all in the OR, only for the patient to come out worse than they came in. To me, that was unacceptable. So that's when I started looking for surgical specialties with good outcomes. Gen surg is just no for obvious reasons. Plastics did stuff that I'm honestly not interested in, like some of the cosmetics and burn stuff. Urology is disgusting. Cardiothoracic is uninteresting and has too much acuity. I rejected ortho at first, because it looked really barbaric. I was watching someone put in a retrograde tibial nail, and it proper looked like torture, lol. I settled on ENT. I was gung ho about ENT for a while, because the anatomy is the most beautiful in the body, there are few emergent cases, the variety is insane, and the operations are amazing. But then I shadowed for a week and I was like yeah...I don't see myself looking up noses all day, lol. I shadowed multiple orthopods and it was so awesome. I really saw myself doing what they do for a living. So it's ortho or bust from now.

Yo. Looking at this logic I might end up in ortho sooner or later. I literally just came to that realization about Neuro myself recently. The anatomy and dissection was why I began to like ENT!

 

[720606]

What up fam, I'm Yoruba! Ironically when I was around 12 I also was drawn to medicine by the idea of being an neurosurgeon haha, this was probably also because my mom gave the biography of Ben Carson to read haha. But now I am really interested in working with disadvantaged populations and reducing health disparities. Im leaning towards something in internal medicine specifically cardiology and I also think family med is cool. But I am open to everything!

Naija parents and that book man....

 

[Chromium Surfer]

Naija parents and that book man....

Hahahahaha truuuu

 

[lagbydesign]

Naija parents and that book man....

It's like he represents the epitome of achievement for Nigerian parents or something looool. I can already hear it in my head: "See how far he came, does he have two heads?? He was top of his class! You too can be a pediatric neurosurgeon. That way, you can be making money and taking care of me in my old age."

 

[720606]

It's like he represents the epitome of achievement for Nigerian parents or something looool. I can already hear it in my head: "See how far he came, does he have two heads?? He was top of his class! You too can be a pediatric neurosurgeon. That way, you can be making money and taking care of me in my old age."

...and marry well so I can do aso ebi.......

 

[lagbydesign]

...and marry well so I can do aso ebi.......

Lol, everyday. That reminds me of Tiwa's mother in SGIT. It's actually crazy that she's not that far off from the truth, if not spot on for some people.

 

[720606]

Lol, everyday. That reminds me of Tiwa's mother in SGIT. It's actually crazy that she's not that far off from the truth, if not spot on for some people.

Yo! You watch that too! I identify with her mother on a spiritual level. It's like she did binary fission to make my mum.

 

[lagbydesign]

Yo! You watch that too! I identify with her mother on a spiritual level. It's like she did binary fission to make my mum.

Loool. That's funny. Nah, but Tiwa has been taking the piss lately. She's an unserious pehsin. The way she's been acting in this fourth season, enh...if I slap

 

[720606]

Loool. That's funny. Nah, but Tiwa has been taking the piss lately. She's an unserious pehsin. The way she's been acting in this fourth season, enh...if I slap

Talk about someone kobalizing herself...

 

[lagbydesign]

She's moving like a teenage girl or something kmt. She's there lying, about "Oh, he kissed me and I didn't kiss him back." My friend if you don't! She fully held it, for a full 6 seconds. Like come on mate, lol.

 

[Orthopedics101]

Ayyy was waiting for a thread like this. How are you guys doing? I'm Igbo and also trying to be an ortopod as well.

 

[720606]

Ayyy was waiting for a thread like this. How are you guys doing? I'm Igbo and also trying to be an ortopod as well.

Welcome!

 

[720606]

She's moving like a teenage girl or something kmt. She's there lying, about "Oh, he kissed me and I didn't kiss him back." My friend if you don't! She fully held it, for a full 6 seconds. Like come on mate, lol.

That's how people put themselves in trouble. Honesty (especially with yourself) is always the best policy. It's not God she's deceiving, anyway...

 

[720606]

Ayyy was waiting for a thread like this. How are you guys doing? I'm Igbo and also trying to be an ortopod as well.

Are you premed or in med school already?

 

[Orthopedics101]

Are you premed or in med school already?

I am premed applying to medical school now. How about yourself?

 

[720606]

I am premed applying to medical school now. How about yourself?

In med school already! Let me (and @Fracture I'm sure) know if you have any questions! SGIT aside, it it would be cool if we could help ourselves out on here!

 

[lagbydesign]

In med school already! Let me (and @Fracture I'm sure) know if you have any questions! SGIT aside, it it would be cool if we could help ourselves out on here!

In wholehearted agreement.

Ayyy was waiting for a thread like this. How are you guys doing? I'm Igbo and also trying to be an ortopod as well.

Awesome. What attracts/attracted you to orthopaedics?

 

[Orthopedics101]

In wholehearted agreement.


Awesome. What attracts/attracted you to orthopaedics?

It's the specialty I've shadowed the most (3 different orthopedic surgeons). Also seen some surgeries and I like how mechanical the procedures are. What about you?

 

[lagbydesign]

It's the specialty I've shadowed the most (3 different orthopedic surgeons). Also seen some surgeries and I like how mechanical the procedures are. What about you?

• I have always enjoyed the musculoskeletal system, especially as I started to get into strength training. As you advance, you have to understand the biomechanics of the muscles you're training if you want to maximize strength and muscle gain. For example, in order to make your pull up the most efficient, you have to lean back somewhat in order to put your lats in the optimal line of pull. I find it so fascinating.
• The anatomy is so beautiful, second only to head and neck. I love the mechanical aspect as well. Unlike ENT, which is a lot of digging around in small places, you get to use large tools in order to restore anatomical alignment, on a gross scale.
• I decided sometime ago that I wanted to provide relief for people as a doctor. In orthopaedics, one of the most important issues is pain relief. For example, the most important outcome of joint replacement isn't restoring optimal function of the joint; it's actually pain relief. I believe that aspect of orthopaedics will be very rewarding.
• I have dealt with musculoskeletal issues all of my life. It's been nothing major, but these issues have affected my life to an appreciable extent. I would love to play a part in helping others with similar issues to heal. It's personal, lol.
• The operations look like tremendous fun. I was shadowing one orthopod and he was doing a routine ACL. I had seen a few already and they were pretty boring tbh. But the way he did it was ridiculous. He actually held the graft in his hands and he was pulling HARD like he was playing tug of war. I was scared he was going to break something off, lol. He did that in order to pull the graft through the holes he made in the femur and tibia. He told me there's 1000 ways to do an ACL. He looked so hard when he did that, lol.
• My desire to enter the field was strengthened when I was given the opportunity to take histories of patients in an orthopaedic office. I also got to present patients to the doctor I was shadowing. I made my first diagnosis, a rotator cuff tear, and it felt great. It just felt right. I know orthopaedic surgeons hate clinic, but I was in clinic all day for a week, and I truly saw myself doing what they do in the future. This is unlike ENT, where after hearing the 20th discussion about Flonase (nasal spray), I was beginning to get pretty bored.

 

[lagbydesign]

I plan to apply to Nth Dimensions for the summer between M1 and M2. Everyone interested in ortho should check it out. By the time we're applying for orthopaedics, it will be even more competitive than it already is. We need all the help we can get, lol.

You get clinical experience, research, and most importantly, connections. The people you work with can be the difference between matching where you want to match or even matching at all. They can even go to bat for you when applying for fellowship. This is exactly what we need in medicine. God bless Dr. Bonnie Mason. I plan to participate in this when I'm given the opportunity, God willing.



Website: Home

Insta: Nth Dimensions (@nthdimensions) • Instagram photos and videos

 

[rigal]

My naija ppl!!! Igbo girl here. I'm interested in pediatrics or OBGYN


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[720606]

I

I plan to apply to Nth Dimensions for the summer between M1 and M2. Everyone interested in ortho should check it out. By the time we're applying for orthopaedics, it will be even more competitive than it already is. We need all the help we can get, lol.

You get clinical experience, research, and most importantly, connections. The people you work with can be the difference between matching where you want to match or even matching at all. They can even go to bat for you when applying for fellowship. This is exactly what we need in medicine. God bless Dr. Bonnie Mason. I plan to participate in this when I'm given the opportunity, God willing.



Website: Home

Insta: Nth Dimensions (@nthdimensions) • Instagram photos and videos

Might want to do this! My school only gives 4 weeks of summer vacation though....

 

[720606]

My naija ppl!!! Igbo girl here. I'm interested in pediatrics or OBGYN


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Hey! Welcome to the group! Premed or med?

 

[rigal]

Hey! Welcome to the group! Premed or med?

Premed, applying this summer


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[720606]

Premed, applying this summer


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Praying for your success! By God's grace, everyone on here applying will hear good news!!!!

 

[scaredadvocate]

I’m just going to go ahead and throw this grenade in here...


Sooooo what are y’alls thoughts on being totally over represented in medical schools? Probably over half of Black people in med school are first generation Africans. Why do you think this is? Is it a problem?

 

[lagbydesign]

I’m just going to go ahead and throw this grenade in here...


Sooooo what are y’alls thoughts on being totally over represented in medical schools? Probably over half of Black people in med school are first generation Africans. Why do you think this is? Is it a problem?

Lol, it's an interesting topic. There are so many reasons why. For Africans, specifically West Africans like Nigerians and Ghanaians, education in general is extremely, extremely important. It's pushed very hard. You're kind of expected to finish with a masters, minimum. Prestige and money are very important to the average Nigerian parent. We are expected to become doctors, engineers, pharmacists, laywers, etc. But becoming a doctor is definitely considered the highest achievement. On the other side of things, med schools are trying to fulfill their diversity quotas. If a very large portion of black people in universities are Nigerians, and a very large portion of those are pursuing medicine, that quota is going to be filled with Nigerians. Where I went to uni, most black people there were Nigerians, and most of them were premed or engineers.

For Nigerians that came to America, their children are their investment. If they don't succeed, they are not getting a return on their investment. For them, the only proven, safe way of doing that is by pursuing the professions that I mentioned before. That's why they typically don't allow their kids to pursue the arts. It's the same even in Nigeria.

I don't think it's a problem. We need more black people in medicine, period. But I do think we need black people from all backgrounds in medicine as well.

 

[720606]

Lol, it's an interesting topic. There are so many reasons why. For Africans, specifically West Africans like Nigerians and Ghanaians, education in general is extremely, extremely important. It's pushed very hard. You're kind of expected to finish with a masters, minimum. Prestige and money are very important to the average Nigerian parent. We are expected to become doctors, engineers, pharmacists, laywers, etc. But becoming a doctor is definitely considered the highest achievement. On the other side of things, med schools are trying to fulfill their diversity quotas. If a very large portion of black people in universities are Nigerians, and a very large portion of those are pursuing medicine, that quota is going to be filled with Nigerians. Where I went to uni, most black people there were Nigerians, and most of them were premed or engineers.

For Nigerians that came to America, their children are their investment. If they don't succeed, they are not getting a return on their investment. For them, the only proven, safe way of doing that is by pursuing the professions that I mentioned before. That's why they typically don't allow their kids to pursue the arts. It's the same even in Nigeria.

I don't think it's a problem. We need more black people in medicine, period. But I do think we need black people from all backgrounds in medicine as well.

Couldn't have said it better. Nigerians are the Asians of black people.

 

[scaredadvocate]

Yeah...I dont know. African Americans get sub-par health care in this country for a variety of reasons. A generation of Nigerian surgeons isn't doing anything for that community. Often the case is made that more minority physicians = more culturally competent care for their respective communities but here there seems to be a mismatch.

 

[lagbydesign]

Furthermore, there's room for everyone at the table. It doesn't have to be African Americans over Africans or vice versa. We can all enter medicine. Some people are saying that affirmative action is only for the descendants of slaves. That's nonsense. It's for all minorities. All black people, regardless of their background are at a disadvantage due to institutionalized racism. All we can do is help ourselves, which is why I'm so grateful for programs like Nth Dimensions.

 

[lagbydesign]

Yeah...I dont know. African Americans get sub-par health care in this country for a variety of reasons. A generation of Nigerian surgeons isn't doing anything for that community. Often the case is made that more minority physicians = more culturally competent care for their respective communities but here there seems to be a mismatch.

Like I said, more black people of all backgrounds should be entering medicine. I think one key component is representation. If you see someone that looks like you doing something, it might spark something in you that may cause you to pursue that field. People are trying to remedy this.

Black Men In White Coats showcases African American and African physicians.




Black Kids White Coats is a channel run by Nigerian med students. They have a "Black Males In Medicine" segment that so far, includes an African med student and an African American med student.

 

[720606]

Yeah...I dont know. African Americans get sub-par health care in this country for a variety of reasons. A generation of Nigerian surgeons isn't doing anything for that community. Often the case is made that more minority physicians = more culturally competent care for their respective communities but here there seems to be a mismatch.

From personal experience, I can say that 1st gen Africans, upon arrival in the US, tend to suffer the same disadvantages (sometimes worse ones due to added immigrant status) as African Americans. We do understand that aspect of the Black in America experience. Many (as I do) also want to work to inspire others of our heritage (as in all Black people) to succeed. Many are actively involved in community outreach and mentorship of young minority students. Just because we enter medicine doesn't mean we're all surgeons (still fighting with the parents on that one because of work-life balance, lol). We (like many African Americans) have varied interests and passions; it would be faulty logic to assume every AA physician wants to help the AA community (I have seen quite the opposite in interactions).

Long story short: accent or not, immigrant or not, black is black to everyone else. The least we can do is embrace and build each other up.

 

[lagbydesign]

Hey guys! Love this thread. I am ethnically mixed. My dad is Yoruba, my mom is Igbo. It's been an interesting upbringing haha. I honestly have no idea what kind of doctor I want to be. I know most people say that's okay and you won't know until you go through rotations third year, but I feel as if I'm going to be super behind because I won't know what to tailor my research programs/summer opportunities to. I have done a lot of community service with cancer patients and have been thinking about oncology a little bit. I expressed interest in that a while ago to my mom and she was just super negative about it. She used to be a nurse, and was like "oh that's so depressing, yadda yadda." She just wants me to be an OBGYN or whatever. It's honestly been super annoying sometimes having super opinionated Nigerian parents who are always comparing you to other people. I'm actually looking forward to leaving next year and moving far away for medical school and as sad as it sounds, I probably won't come back often. My dad is pretty chill, but my mom takes the comparisons to the extreme. Always trying to one up everyone or compares me and my sisters to other people, i.e. family friends who are at Yale Med or UPenn Med. This process has been frustrating because I've gotten a lot of II, but I didn't apply Ivy or top tier since my MCAT was so low. But even though I've interviewed and stuff, my mom's always like, "Oh good job, but did you apply to Johns Hopkins or Columbia?" It's toxic and I'm sick of it.

Looooool I know exactly how you feel. I'm laughing because it's so spot on, lol. Pele. It is well.

"Oh good job, but did you apply to Johns Hopkins or Columbia?" It's toxic and I'm sick of it.

Nah, this bit killed me. Loool. Just zero sensitivity, lol.

 

[lagbydesign]

I honestly have no idea what kind of doctor I want to be. I know most people say that's okay and you won't know until you go through rotations third year, but I feel as if I'm going to be super behind because I won't know what to tailor my research programs/summer opportunities to. I have done a lot of community service with cancer patients and have been thinking about oncology a little bit.

I've heard that if you're undecided, oncology research is the best because it can apply to multiple fields. Doing well on step 1 will allow you to keep all the doors open, so that if you decided you want to pursue a competitive specialty like ortho or plastics by third year, it won't be an uphill climb to shift your application toward that field.

 

[yaya97]

Hello everyone! I'm not pre-med, I'm pre-dental, but thought I would still join in! Everything written is so relatable. lol

"Oh good job, but did you apply to Johns Hopkins or Columbia?"

Can you imagine being the only African child you know that isn't going to be an engineer or a physician? My only saving grace was getting interviews at Columbia and Upenn (going there in the fall!!!) haha

Couldn't have said it better. Nigerians are the Asians of black people.

Best quote I've ever read! haha Sharing that one with my other non SDN African peeps.

 

[720606]

Hey guys! Love this thread. I am ethnically mixed. My dad is Yoruba, my mom is Igbo. It's been an interesting upbringing haha. I honestly have no idea what kind of doctor I want to be. I know most people say that's okay and you won't know until you go through rotations third year, but I feel as if I'm going to be super behind because I won't know what to tailor my research programs/summer opportunities to. I have done a lot of community service with cancer patients and have been thinking about oncology a little bit. I expressed interest in that a while ago to my mom and she was just super negative about it. She used to be a nurse, and was like "oh that's so depressing, yadda yadda." She just wants me to be an OBGYN or whatever. It's honestly been super annoying sometimes having super opinionated Nigerian parents who are always comparing you to other people. I'm actually looking forward to leaving next year and moving far away for medical school and as sad as it sounds, I probably won't come back often. My dad is pretty chill, but my mom takes the comparisons to the extreme. Always trying to one up everyone or compares me and my sisters to other people, i.e. family friends who are at Yale Med or UPenn Med. This process has been frustrating because I've gotten a lot of II, but I didn't apply Ivy or top tier since my MCAT was so low. But even though I've interviewed and stuff, my mom's always like, "Oh good job, but did you apply to Johns Hopkins or Columbia?" It's toxic and I'm sick of it.

Hey! Welcome to the thread! I feel your struggle! What I have quickly learned is that once you get in to school the best way to tell your parents to lay off is to describe in gory detail all your assignment, schedules, exams, and due dates. My parents became so lax after they realized just how hard American med school is. Most of them tell us to do medicine because of their experiences with people in Nigeria, but this one is a different cup of pepper soup if you know what I'm saying. Furthermore, many specialties don't care about research or what it's in if you have it (from talking to EM and other residency directors), but the ones that do care have matriculating students with a maximum average of 2-3 papers, so don't fret. Like @Fracture said, do oncology or vary your paper focus and used it as an exploratory tool. In my school at least, different specialties email us looking for help with chart reviews and such. Those are helpful for formi ng relationships with different areas and exploring new fields.
YOU ARE NOT BEHIND!
AGAIN, YOU ARE NOT BEHIND!

 

[720606]

Hello everyone! I'm not pre-med, I'm pre-dental, but thought I would still join in! Everything written is so relatable. lol

Can you imagine being the only African child you know that isn't going to be an engineer or a physician? My only saving grace was getting interviews at Columbia and Upenn (going there in the fall!!!) haha

Best quote I've ever read! haha Sharing that one with my other non SDN African peeps.

Hello and welcome! I'm glad to see us doing well in different areas!

Hello everyone! I'm not pre-med, I'm pre-dental, but thought I would still join in! Everything written is so relatable. lol

Can you imagine being the only African child you know that isn't going to be an engineer or a physician? My only saving grace was getting interviews at Columbia and Upenn (going there in the fall!!!) haha

Best quote I've ever read! haha Sharing that one with my other non SDN African peeps.

Hello and welcome! I'm glad to see us doing well in different areas! Congrats on UPenn; it's an awesome school!
I love our culture because (despite the toxicity sometimes) it pushes us to work hard and be successful. All the best!

 

[yaya97]

Hello and welcome! I'm glad to see us doing well in different areas!

Hello and welcome! I'm glad to see us doing well in different areas! Congrats on UPenn; it's an awesome school!
I love our culture because (despite the toxicity sometimes) it pushes us to work hard and be successful. All the best!

Thank you! & I totally agree with you about the Nigerian culture being great at motivating us to aspire to more (even if we might not want to sometimes lol)

 

[yaya97]

...and marry well so I can do aso ebi.......

...it's as if all Nigerian parents are the same. lol

 

[878956]

Also Half-Nigerian from d Yoruba tribe. Considering either ortho or OB/GYN. Had a plethora of experiences before applying to medical school so we will see how this pans out.

 

[lagbydesign]

What are the specialities that care about what kind of research you do? I’m guessing dermatology, ortho, and surgery?

It's really derm, ENT, and plastics that care about what kind of research you do. People are taking research years now just to match, which is actually crazy imo.

In order to match into ortho, research wasn't really a "requirement" like it is in those fields. They care a lot more about your away rotation performance. I think it's because they are a less research focused field overall. They just want to operate. These are broad stroke generalizations of course, lol. But it's what I've observed since I've been on the forums. But as it gets more competitive, it really is beginning to become a requirement, unfortunately. And like any competitive field, they would prefer it if you did research in their own specialty. But having research experience makes you more competitive, regardless of what it kind of research it is. And if you're able to publish? Even better.

The kind of research conducive to high output and publishing is clinical research. Basic science research generally holds more weight, but it's a lot harder to publish and takes a lot longer.

 

[720606]

Also Half-Nigerian from d Yoruba tribe. Considering either ortho or OB/GYN. Had a plethora of experiences before applying to medical school so we will see how this pans out.

Welcome!!

 

[720606]

Very true. I didn't do much research in college, but that will change when I get to medical school. Having some publications would be pretty nice as well.

Make sure that at the beginning, when things are hard to adjust to (e.g. ANATOMY), don't rush into a complex, time-demanding project. Do something simple like chart reviews, which also allow you to get published, but with less stress. Use those to build relationships and explore specialties. Then start doing big things in the specialty of your choosing. Just my advice.

 

[lagbydesign]

Is anyone else stressed about paying for medical school? I've gotten one MD acceptance thus far and it's OOS, so relocating there is going to be a trek. My dad is super old (he's 63) and still works everyday. I don't want him to feel stressed about having to pay for my school fees. I know he probably offer to contribute because my parents are just super not into getting student loans and stuff since they were the type who paid their way through college when they first came to America. I really need to sit down and look for scholarships though. I've been stressing about finding a new job instead since I left my other one back in September to focus on interviewing for school, but I just recently got a job at a local grocery store and will probably just work there and babysit like PRN if possible. I want to channel my energy into preparing for next year. Like for example, when is it best to fill out FAFSA?

Yeah, it seems Nigerians really hate getting into debt lol. If you're applying for federal loans, you should fill it out ASAP imo.

 

[lagbydesign]

Are black men really that underrepresented in medicine to the point that we should ignore how underrepresented women are as well? I've been seeing a lot of those Black Men In White Coat things and I'm all for it, but as a black women I haven't really seen a lot of people that look like me either in the medical field...

I don't think anyone is ignoring the fact that black women are very underrepresented, it's just that there are much fewer black males entering medicine. Personally, I've seen a lot of vlogs and blogs by black women in medicine.

She's one of several on YouTube:

 

[lagbydesign]

Yeah and my parents think that getting money in medical school is the same as in college, when in reality most of the money people get is just loans...womp.

Lol, yeah. Most people just get loans.

Federal loans...you meant FAFSA right? Just want to confirm, lol.

Yes, FAFSA is for federal loans.

And are you guys putting your parental information on the FAFSA?

Hmm, I don't remember...all I remember is that I was not considered a dependent as an incoming grad student.

I brought up filling out the FAFSA this morning to my mom and she was like, “this person’s daughter said that the financial aide people give scholarship opportunities at medical school interviews. Why haven’t you been asking about those?”

Stressss...lol. Yeah, tbh I don't know much about scholarships for med school. They seem to be pretty sparse.