Morgan Brinker, MD student, shares a day in her life as a fourth-year medical student at Yale School of Medicine.
Q+A
Morgan Brinker, MD Student
A Day in the Life of a Medical Student
A Day in the Life of a Medical Student
Where did you grow up and where were you living immediately prior to medical school?
I grew up in northwest Indiana (Gary, Indiana if you are a fan of Jackson Five or Music Man). Prior to starting medical school, I lived in Georgia where I worked as a care coordinator and medical assistant.
Why did you choose Yale School of Medicine?
I chose YSM because it fosters intellectual curiosity and emphasizes being an adult learner who can pursue clinical interests, research, and non-clinical passions. Additionally, as someone from a low-income background, the financial aid and support from YSM allows me to obtain an excellent education and pursue a career in medicine with less debt than the median amount borrowed by graduating medical students.
Can you briefly describe your schedule on a typical weekday?
It's a busy time of year as I am completing sub-internships and electives before applying to residency. Currently, I am on my sub-internship for pediatrics as I am applying combined pediatrics-anesthesiology.
On a typical weekday, I get to the workroom around 6:10 - 6:20 a.m. to print the list and read about my patients' overnight events before getting sign-out from the night team. Then, I pre-round on my patients before rounding with the rest of the team, hospitalist attending, and the pediatric neurology attending. Rounding finishes anywhere from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. depending on the patients. Then I grab lunch and attend noon conferences.
In the afternoon, I call consults, finish tasks, write notes, and check in on my patients. Around 6 p.m., I give sign-out to the night team and either head to an extracurricular activity, like rehearsal for the Fourth Year Show, or home to study and relax. Rinse and repeat!
What neighborhood do you live in?
I live in Hamden, which is a town north of New Haven!
What is your favorite thing to do in/near New Haven?
I love watching movies at the Cinemark theater or watching the sunset at Hammonasset Beach State Park.
Do you have any final thoughts or advice for prospective students?
Talk to students from all school years and backgrounds! For example, junior medical students can speak to recent curricular changes in the pre-clinical phase while senior medical students can offer insight on boards, clerkships, and residency advising.
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