Being at a liberal arts college like Colby you may be surprised to find premed students, but they’re here and doing a lot around campus. Elizabeth, or as her friends call her Liz, is making the most of her opportunities at Colby to pursue her premed path. We met up with Liz and asked her a few questions about school, life, and her future plans with premed.
So, why did you decide to go premed and what’s your major?
I’m a Biology major with a Neuroscience concentration and an Ad-Sci minor. I have always liked biology and I guess I just find it all very interesting. That past two summers I shadowed a physician in NYC and it was neat seeing all different procedures and surgeries.
So you’re literally going to be a brain surgeon! And I know you were abroad this fall, where did you go and how was it?
I went to Prague. My main goal for my abroad trip was to travel around Europe. Prague was an easy place to travel in and out of and I only had classes Tues and Thurs so I could travel to cities for long weekends which was awesome. I went all over — Lisbon, Brussels, Budapest, London, Paris, Dublin, Rome, etc. It was great. It was a good “break” semester from all the pre-med stuff. I did not do anything pre-med except I started looking at the bio section of the MCATs. I took Intro to Czech language, Czech Art and Architecture, Modern Dissent, and Intro to Marketing.
Oh wow that’s cool! Now that you’re back on campus what are you doing?
Well, I’m a biology tutor for Colby College Peer Turtoring and the Colby College Premed Society. I’m also on the Goldfarb Student Advisory Board, mentor for Colby Cares About Kids, and work as a research assistant for Paul Greenwood in which we look at the population structure of the sea anemone, Metridium Senile, using microsatelites.
You have a lot going on. What is your favorite part of being on the Goldfarb Center?
I really love the speakers that come through the Goldfarb Center.
You’re clearly very busy at school, are you planning on being as busy this summer?
I’m doing an internship at the beginning of the summer at Hackensack University Medical Center through the Alice and Marvin Gottlieb Summer Scholars Program. I’m working in the children’s hospital, so I’ll be working on a research project and shadowing doctors in different specialty areas. But I’ll also be spending time in the Outerbanks and celebrating my 21st birthday!
So when you just want to kick back and relax what do you like to do?
Well, I like to ski, spend time with my friends and family, and play with my dogs!
Do you have any advice for other premed students?
Plan ahead. I didn’t decide I was pre-med until after add/drop period my freshman year and I knew I wanted to go abroad for a semester and not take a year off, so as a result I had to take some premed classes over the summer so that I could fit it all in.
Thanks Liz! Good luck this summer and happy early birthday!