My Fulbright Experience - Meeting My (AMAZING) Program Advisor

This week’s video is about meeting my program advisor. My program advisor, Dr. Miller, opened me up to the possibility of applying to a number of different post-bacc scholarships like the Rhodes, the Gates, the Marshall, the Mitchell, the Schwarzmann, and the Fulbright. The Rhodes is a scholarship that will allow you to get a degree at Oxford. The Gates will allow you to get a degree at Cambridge. The Marshall and Mitchell scholarships allow you to complete a Master’s program in the UK and Ireland respectively. The Schwarzmann will take you to the University of Beijing in China, and the Fulbright funds a year of pretty much anything academic that you may have in mind anywhere in the world. Each scholarship program looks for something unique. For example, the Rhodes places a large emphasis on being a well-rounded student, whereas the Marshall scholarship seeks out people who have demonstrated leadership. The Fulbright looks for students who can act as cultural ambassadors in addition to the scholarly work that they plan to do.
My program advisor was simply the best. She motivated and encouraged my peers and I to shoot for the moon. She selected a small group of students to work with closely and groom for these scholarships, and I actually was not originally part of the cohort of students. I wasn’t an honors student, and she specifically looked within the honors system for standout students. Luckily, I found her anyway. I enjoyed working with the other students she selected, however, because I was able to appreciate the level of hard work and service that my peers demonstrated. I felt like I had to do more in order to call myself a leader, and that has stuck with me to this day.
Nevertheless, Dr. Miller gave me feedback on all of my essays and did her best to make sure I was set up for success for all the scholarships that I applied to. In the end, I got the Fulbright, and literally nothing else. I applied to PREP programs, I applied to the Marshall, the Gates, the Rhodes, and all of these programs said no. I say this to remember that everything happens for a reason (and largely by chance). The fact that you may apply to a given program and not get in does not mean that you’re not qualified enough to get in. It could honestly be for a wide range of factors. I was certain that I would at least get into a PREP program before I got the Fulbright, but it didn’t happen that way. I also thought that I would be a shoe-in for the Marshall for various reasons, but they said no too. Instead, I thankfully received the Fulbright and made the most of my time in Germany. Stay tuned for my synopsis on how that went in the next video!
Jouelzy's Undergraduate Experience: • Storytime: My College ...
NIH PREP Programs: www.nigms.nih....
General Channel Description: Welcome to MDPhDandMe! My name is Chelsea Nnebe, I am a URM student at Stanford’s MD/PhD program, and I want to take you on a journey with me as I train to become a physician scientist. This platform is meant to be interactive. I want to hear from you! Whether you’re a pre-med, a high schooler, an MD/PhD student, a full-fledged physician-scientist, or just a curious on-looker, I want to know what you all think. Feel free to like my videos, leave a comment, give me (constructive) feedback, and tweet me your questions if you have any. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
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[@sweetgirl21able]

Hey, I've just started following you and I'm blown away at how accomplished you are. Rn my GPA is about a 3.2-3.3, and I'm in my sophomore year of college. I'm currently looking for new study habits to help me study more effectively for my exams. I also have strong interest in applying to the MD/PHD as well but my main priority rn is getting my GPA 3.5+ before graduating. I would like to know what are some good studying tips that worked for you while you were in undergrad?

[@MDPhDandMe]

Hey Christa! Sorry for taking forever to respond. I'm just now seeing this message. I recommend reading the textbook, taking notes on the textbook/lecture slides, making flashcards, and going to office hours religiously. You need your GPA to be strong in order to apply to MD/PhD programs, so you have the right mindset in trying to display an upward trajectory. I personally did not find it helpful to study in groups, but if you do, try to keep the groups small (no more than 4 people, including yourself). These groups should be focused on teaching each other the material. If you're able to teach the material to someone else, then that shows true mastery of the content. You're also better able to retain the information. I hope this information helps. If all else fails, reach out to your professors for help and advice. I wish you lots of luck on your journey!

[@sweetgirl21able]

@@MDPhDandMe thank you for this detailed response! I will keep them all in mind!