3rd year Andie Borba seems to do it all! A Psychobio. major, intern for Care Extenders at the Santa Monica-UCLA Hospital, Education Chairman on the Chapter Council of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and part-time babysitter, Andie wows us all as she manages to balance a rigourous course load, internship, work, and a social life! How does she do it? HC was determined to find out Andie’s secret weapon and what tips she has for her fellow Bruinettes.
HC: What is the best advice you can give to an incoming freshman, who wants to go pre-med?
AB: Space out your lower divisions and try to take GEs with them. Don’t try to rush through the classes, because keeping your GPA up is important. Study with other people when possible to get a new take on the material. Most importantly, don’t stress yourself out! Make sure you get enough sleep, eat right, and balance your schedule with studying and other things you enjoy. If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything, as we pre-health students know!
HC: How did you know you wanted to go into medicine? What would you tell someone who isn’t sure if they want to go into this field?
AB: I knew I wanted to go into medicine when I started taking the life science classes and loved them. Being away at college has really showed me how important staying healthy is to a happy life, and I realized that what would make me happy is to be able to treat medical issues so others have a chance at being happy as well. If you’re not sure you want to go into medicine, I would suggest volunteering at a hospital. If you don’t enjoy it or see it as something you could do for a living, that might be an indication that maybe medicine isn’t right for you.
HC: What do you like the most about your Psychobiology major?
AB: I love how Psychobiology integrates both psychology and biology classes into the major, sometimes combined in one class like Psychology 115, Principles of Behavioral Neuroscience. Taking these classes has really made me consider a career in psychiatry or medical psychology, but with other fields of medicine it gives a new understanding of your future patients via a psychological standpoint.
HC: You work at Care Extenders at the Santa Monica-UCLA Hospital and I’m sure you’ve had some very interesting (to say the least!) and memorable experiences. Tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly!
AB: What I like about the Care Extender program is that it allows you to rotate to many different departments of the hospital so you get a feel for a lot of different aspects. Definitely my most memorable experience was when I worked in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and saw both a natural birth and a C-section in one shift! It was amazing, and really opened my eyes to exactly what people must deal with in life, whether as the doctor or the patient.
HC: It seems like you do it all! How do you deal with the stress of a science major, an internship, community service, and a job and what keeps you from just giving up at the end of the day?
AB: Staying relaxed and rested is really important to be able to maintain a crazy schedule, but it also helps that everything I am involved in is something that I am interested in and enjoy. At the end of the day, although I might be tired, I’m also happy!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCLA chapter.