What is your job/position?
Medical Student at Washington State University. Joined the Air Force under the Health Professions Scholarship Program and am anticipating a residency and future career as a physician in Internal Medicine.
Describe the path that took you from your American Studies degree to your current career or life situation.
The field of medicine is competitive. During my application process to medical school, I heavily leveraged my humanities and American Studies background as something unique and essential to becoming a well rounded physician. In my application essays and interviews, I discussed American artwork and film, as well as Thomas Paine's American Crisis, topics that committees took great interest in. Additionally, I was different from almost all of my fellow applicants. Coming from BYU but not being a traditional premed Exercise Science or Biology major really helped me gain traction and success in my acceptance to medical school. Further, I got a military sponsored full-tuition scholarship based on my performance and unique degree as well.
What are the specific competencies you cultivated as an American Studies student that you now use in your professional life and that set you apart from your colleagues?
In the medical field, clear communication, empathy, personal connection, and cultural awareness are as highly prized as the art and practice of medicine. However, while many clinicians are exceptionally intelligent and academically inclined, they lack soft skills that allow them to work well in teams, relate to patients, and communicate hard news. The writing skills, ability to listen, and ability to correctly convey a patient's desire are all things I have excelled at thanks to my skills I've developed as an American Studies major.
What are some of the surprising ways in which your American Studies degree has helped you in your professional or personal life?
Critical analysis and writing has largely helped me in my work in medicine. The ability to read dozens of pages in a medical record and then succinctly distill the most important information is a skill that has surprised me. Additionally, medical education involves lots of opportunities to learn but also to teach. My American Studies degree taught me multiple ways to teach and view things critically. Additionally, I have a wealth of experiences to draw upon during interviews and patient interactions to help me better connect and build rapport.
What do you wish you had known as an American Studies student? What advice would you share with current students?
Since American Studies requires significantly less credits than other majors, students have the opportunity to explore other fields to better round out their academic experience. I was able to take all the medical school prereqs with my American Studies degree. I enjoyed discussing the Hudson River School one hour and then grinding through the DNA synthesis and replication the next.
*You can contact Jacob with questions about his American Studies story at mansfield527@gmail.com.