Amy Lai

Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Amy is taking part in the pre-med advising program, which helps her connect with other students interested in a career in medicine, as well as prepare for med school applications and take classes that cover subjects found on the MCAT.

How did you find out about the pre-med program?

I found out about the pre-med program through the involvement fair my freshman year. I was introduced to our American Medical Student Association and soon after started getting involved with the club. I was further informed about the program through pre-health seminar, a class offered by the school.

How did you get started?

I started getting involved with the pre-med program by joining AMSA my freshman year and participating in the events and activities that the club held. I decided to run for secretary my sophomore year and am currently the Vice President of the club. I honestly think it was one of the best decisions I have made thus far.

What has been the most valuable part of your experience?

The most valuable part of the pre-med program is making connections with my fellow pre-med peers through AMSA. AMSA has become a community of students who share the same passion so it’s a nice place to be surrounded by peers that have the same interests and support you. AMSA is also a great place for lower classmen to get “tips and tricks” from upperclassmen that have experience with upper division science course, MCATs, and med school applications.

Have you taken any research or internship opportunities?

Through our former organic chemistry professor, John Tannaci, I was able to partake in a clinical internship with UCLA where I shadow medical practitioners. I have been shadowing two UCLA pulmonologists consistently since the summer of my freshman year. This experience has been an eye-opener to not only how hard it is to be a doctor, but how worthwhile this profession is. Seeing the patients each week brings me great joy and has solidified my desire to become a doctor.

In addition, I started research during the summer of 2015 under the mentorship of my biochemistry professor, Dennis Revie, in the field of Hepatitis C. Even though I know that I will not pursue research in the future, my interest towards virology has grown and I find myself constantly fascinated by this virus that a cure has yet to be found for. I constantly find myself excited in research when my fellow researchers and I find that our cells have successfully been infected or our methodology for our fluorescent microscopy yields clear images.

Do you have any advice for future pre-med students?

My biggest advice to future pre-med students is to get involved in anything and everything they find. I advise them to find internships as soon as possible. The first thing I tell any pre-med student I meet is to discover if this is really the field you want to pursue by working in clinics or the hospital because I always say, “How can you know that you want to be a doctor if you have yet to experience what it’s like to be a doctor?”

Also, start early. There are so many things to do and so little time. You need to start making a story for yourself at the beginning of freshman year. I do not say this to scare pre-meds away, but it is very important to start thinking about what you want your experiences to tell about you because that’s most likely the first thing interviewers for med school will ask you about. Also, find your passion. Once you find an area of medicine that you love, it’ll be easier to persevere towards that goal.

That’s it for now. Good luck, pre-meds!

Kristin Hijazin

Major: Exercise Science

Minor: Psychology

Kristin is taking part in the pre-med advising program, which helps her connect with other students interested in a career in medicine, as well as prepare for med school applications and take classes that cover subjects found on the MCAT.

How did you find out about the pre-med program?

I found out about the AMSA club from meeting the prior president of AMSA at a social event, and he told me all about the club and what it involves. He definitely made the club seem very fascinating and I knew it would be great to get involved in.

How did you get started?

A week after learning about AMSA, I signed up at a club booth, and from that point on I received all the emails and participated in all the events and attended all of the meetings.

What has been the most valuable part of your experience?

The most valuable portion of the pre-med program for me has been meeting other like-minded students who have similar goals. It is a long road to medical school, and it is helpful to have other students that have the same ambitions so we can help each other through the process.

Have you done any research?

I am currently doing research with Dr. Kelly, one of the professors of the Exercise Science Department. I, along with a few others, am looking for risk factors leading to metabolic syndrome in Cal Lutheran D3 athletes. I have really enjoyed this research and am hoping to co-author the paper with Dr. Kelly and a few others, and as soon as that gets wrapped up, I know I will get started with some more research in that department.

Do you have any advice for future pre-med students?

I would really recommend getting to know your professors. This allows you to learn how to establish a mature relationship in which you can learn to socialize with professionals, and it also just makes it that much easier to approach them. It is important to make connections and learn from their expertise. It is also one of the benefits of being at a small school and something that many students from large state schools do not have the chance to benefit from. I also really recommend shadowing or finding out what it is like to be a practicing physician. Many pre-meds have an unrealistic view of what being a doctor is like, and I find it helpful to see what the day-to-day practice is like so you can determine if medicine is right for you.

Why do you want to become a doctor?

I want to become a doctor because it would give me the opportunity to use my knowledge and compassion in assisting others — as well as working alongside other healthcare providers who share the same desire. Over the past five years, I have been volunteering in a hospital, and I have observed that doctors are always learning valuable lessons in this field. Overall, I can see the joy that stems from making others’ lives easier and eventually I will be able to help heal those in need, and when I do that, I know I will be rewarded with the upmost contentment. I cannot wait to make a positive difference in patients’ lives.

Sam Theis in the lab at Cal Lutheran

Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

My name is Samuel Theis, I graduated from Cal Lutheran in 2014 as cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, with departmental honors. Lengthy, I know – it’s the official name of just one degree though, not two separate degrees!

Sam Theis at LECOM

Where and what are you studying now? What’s your end goal?

Currently, I’m attending the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) and living in Erie, Pennsylvania.

I’m an OMS-I at LECOM pursuing a degree in Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). I am also funding my education through a military – sponsored medical scholarship as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force (which I highly recommend to any aspiring docs, by the way). As a physician, I plan to serve in the Air Force on base somewhere for 4 years post-residency, which will conclude my obligation to the scholarship. After that, I have no clue where my path will take me, but I’m looking forward to finding out.

 How did Cal Lutheran help to prepare you for your current career path?

Everything about Cal Lutheran is small – except for how much the faculty care about their students’ success. Many of the faculty run an open-door policy, and are extremely friendly and accessible. Additionally, many classes are powered by discussions, which serve two purposes – they encourage you to read ahead of time to get an idea of the material, and allow the student to hear different ideas or approaches. This is the essence of a liberal arts education, and in my opinion is what distinguishes CLU from other large-scale universities. The science program is rigorous, unique, and highly influenced by new technologies: some of your courses may even take place in a computer lab where your job is to program molecular structure, or decipher and analyze strings of DNA. The Cal Lutheran science department is moving more towards a practical hands-on learning environment that takes the student outside of the traditional learning environment for the sake of real-world experience, which translates to more success in industry and future academia.

 What advice would you give to the current or prospective students of your major?

As a student, remember that your job is to study. The transition from high school to college is going to present itself as a big obstacle, and you want to make sure that you start out on top and ahead, instead of falling behind. Treat your peers and faculty with respect, as they will be your strongest advocates at going places after college. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to be respectful to your professors in all circumstances, especially in an increasingly impersonal world. Those relationships that you establish now will follow you for a long time!

That being said, take time to enjoy yourself as well! The relationships that you develop here (professional or otherwise) will stay with you for a lifetime, so take time to live a little and socialize – it may be the last time you’ll get the chance before the real world!

Don’t pigeonhole yourself! If you are pursuing a career in medicine, but feel more at home in a different club (say, CLU’s American Chemical Society Student Chapter), join it! Employers and graduate schools are more interested in what you got from your experiences, not where you got them. Being a member of AMSA but having nothing interesting to say about how it influenced your undergraduate experience does nothing towards making yourself an attractive candidate!

What do you miss the most about being a Cal Lutheran student?

I miss seeing all of my friends on the West Coast, and the weather there of course.