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Spotlight On: Lindsey Brown ’20 – Physician Assistant

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Photo of UVM Alum Lindsey Brown '20
Outside of her PA program, Lindsey Brown encourages the importance of self-care. 

Lindsey Brown graduated from UVM in 2020 with a degree in Biochemistry and is now a second-year physician assistant student at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Manchester, New Hampshire. During her undergraduate years, Brown gained meaningful exposure to a variety of medical environments, through shadowing and hands-on healthcare experience.

While at UVM, Brown contemplated her career options in medicine while participating in impactful experiential activities. She volunteered in Child Life at the UVM Medical Center, and valued the opportunity to play a positive role in the lives of hospitalized children. Brown also gained leadership experience through serving as an orientation leader, a WEventure leader, and participating in an 11-day medical mission trip to Chantilly, Jamaica. Her most intense health-related experiences were gained in her role as a caregiver for the elderly through Home Instead Senior Care. Her responsibilities ranged from bathing, providing palliative and hospice care, and providing companionship to clients. Shadowing various health care providers also gave her valuable insight. Lindsey believes all these experiences were meaningful, motivating, and further strengthened her passion to become a health care provider. After reflecting on her values and future goals, Lindsey concluded that becoming a PA would best allow her to dedicate her career to patients while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

The first year of PA school, known as the didactic year, is “like trying to drink from a fire hose.” However, Brown recommends that you must “take as many sips” as possible.

Lindsey shared that her UVM pre-health advisor provided a piece of advice that made a large impact on her application process to PA school. The advisor encouraged her to keep a pre-health journal to write about each experience that had an impact on her pre-health journey, which turned out to be especially useful when writing her personal statement and in the interview process.

Following graduation from UVM and while applying to PA school, Brown continued to work in health care, improving her patient interaction skills, gaining a better understanding of the hospital environment, and learning about various medical conditions. She took a full month off directly before starting PA school in order to relax, get organized, and prepare to put her best foot forward as she embarked on her professional training.

 Soon after becoming a PA student, Lindsey recalls being told by a peer mentor that the first year of PA school, known as the didactic year, is “like trying to drink from a fire hose”. Lindsey’s own advice is to “take as many sips” as possible in order to retain a great amount of the information. She also shares how important it is to use the support systems available throughout PA school. She has found the connections she has made with her PA school peers to be extremely valuable. Now in the clinical phase of her training, she is busy rotating through multiple specialty areas. At the time of this interview, she was completing a 5-week pediatrics rotation in Manchester, NH. Although pediatrics is a field that has always intrigued her, she has also enjoyed other rotations in family medicine, dermatology, and OB/Gyn. She finds the clinical year highly rewarding, allowing her to learn about a wide variety of patient conditions, while directly applying her newfound knowledge, and seeing the impact of her care on others.

Outside of her studies, Lindsey pays attention to self-care. She does this by studying in a comfortable Outside of her studies, Lindsey pays attention to self-care. She does this by studying in a comfortable environment with light music and a candle, as well as getting a massage at the end of semesters to relieve tension and have something to look forward to. Brown enjoys boating, spending time on the water, hiking, and spending time with her new French Bulldog, Tito. Lindsey will be spending this summer, May-November in Northern Vermont for five clinical rotations, where she is looking forward to the Vermont summers.

Spotlight On: Murisa Malagic ’17 – Podiatric Medicine

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Murisa Malagic

“We don’t think about our feet before we have a problem with them.”

Murisa is a third year DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine) student at Des Moines University in Iowa. A 2017 graduate, Murisa studied Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry at UVM. During her undergraduate career, Murisa worked as a RA and a building manager at the Davis Center. She also served as a volunteer mentor through the DREAM-Riverside program, which Murisa described as a “rewarding experience.” 

When reflecting on her choice to pursue a career in healthcare, Murisa discussed how her passion for medicine “clicked when [I] started scribing.” Murisa’s scribing (and, later, shadowing) experience was highly valuable, as it helped her to gain a better understanding of different medical specialties and allowed her to discern which career path was right for her. When asked why she chose podiatric medicine, Murisa noted that, “We don’t think about our feet before we have a problem with them.” She went on to say that there is a “great work-life balance” in this field, and the ability to engage in “hands-on” clinical procedures that yield “tangible” results drew Murisa to this branch of medicine. 

Upon reflecting on her time in medical school thus far, Murisa acknowledged with a laugh that “[I] never studied so much in my life.” Nonetheless, she has experienced many key moments that have “affirmed [her] choice” to pursue a career in the health professions. Murisa speaks highly of the friends that she has made and the physicians who serve as faculty members within the College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery at Des Moines University. Murisa described her professors as “passionate [about podiatric medicine]” and “very willing to teach,” noting that they often address medical students as “Student Doctor.”   

Outside of academics, Murisa enjoys spending time with her friends and taking walks along one of the lakes in her town. A lesson that Murisa learned during undergrad which still rings true today was that “You still have to make time for you,” regardless of hectic schedules and rigorous coursework. When asked what advice she would give current students interested in pursuing a medical career, Murisa encouraged students to expand their understanding of the medical field by shadowing a wide variety of physicians with different specialties, stating “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to try new opportunities.” 

Spotlight on Dr. Ethan Jones

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Dr. Ethan Jones at his practice in Burlington, VT.

Dr. Ethan Jones graduated from the UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2016.

After taking a gap year to complete a few additional science pre-requisite courses, Dr. Jones graduated with a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree in 2021 from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Jones now practices in a Burlington primary care optometry practice. 

Dr. Ethan Jones graduated from the UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2016. After taking a gap year to complete a few additional science pre-requisite courses, Dr. Jones graduated with a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree in 2021 from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Jones now practices in a Burlington primary care optometry practice. 

Dr. Jones found his path to becoming an Optometrist after serving as a technician at a local Burlington, Vermont optometry clinic between his Junior and Senior years of undergraduate at UVM. This was the primary experience that encouraged him to become an optometrist, slightly altering his career path that was originally focused on Speech Pathology. Dr. Jones was also involved on campus as a member of the co-ed, service based Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity. He explained this experience to be very rewarding to give back to the community and build connections with other members of the fraternity. 

When asked about his experiences in Optometry school, Dr. Jones describes the classes, labs, and clinical experience to be extremely rewarding. As a first-year student, he would attend classes from 8:00 am until noon, followed by a lunch break, then labs in the afternoon on top of studying materials. As second-year students, his cohort would attend clinics and then would be involved in clinics or shadowing experiences. The third and fourth years become focused on mo clinic and board examinations. Dr. Jones says that while the material is rigorous, it is highly rewarding in the end. One thing that stuck out to Dr. Jones was the differences in regions in the US from the Southeast to the Northeast and how this plays out in health care. 

Now in his practice, Dr. Jones reports one of the most rewarding parts of his job to be interpreting the unique conditions and symptoms of patients. He described each encounter as “not cookie cutter” and noted his focus was always on finding the end-result that works best for the patient. 

Outside of schooling and his current profession, Dr. Jones enjoys playing disc golf in the spring, summer, and fall months before the winter begins, which is when he enjoys playing board games with a group of friends. When asked about one piece of advice he would give to students, Dr. Jones shared that, in his experience, all the schooling, studying, and work is well worth it in the end. Keeping this goal in mind can be motivating for students in pre-health career paths. 

YOUR POINT-OF-VIEW HAS VALUE

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from the Winter Career Boost 2022 Keynote Speech

Image of Ashley Laporte, director of RALLY.

We asked Ashley Laporte, The Director at RALLY – an issue-driven communications consulting – to talk about being “Professional” while also being authentic to yourself and your values.

Her advice: while you need to show up on time, professionalism isn’t as much about what you wear or how you do your hair so much as it is about how you think, and how you communicate what you think.

Let that sink in for a minute.  How you think.  How you communicate what you think. This is what matters. This is how you can find ways to infuse your values and your point of view in to your day-to-day work.

Your point of view has value, so don’t leave it out.  When the boss asks you to complete a task, complete the task AND then take a moment to reflect on the task at hand.  What observation might you share / what point of view might you offer?  Some analysis of the task that 1) demonstrates how you’ve engaged with it and 2) helps your boss take action. 

Every task, no matter how small or large, presents an opportunity to add your perspective. For example, if tasked to collect the birthdays of everyone in the office, share back the spreadsheet of names & dates with the observation that most folks will be celebrating in the summer.  If tasked with taking notes for a meeting in which a brainstorm of partners failed to include key organizations who work directly with populations the organization aims to serve, submit the meeting notes with the observation that organizations serving those populations should also be considered.

These points of view should include actionable insights (e.g., recommending the inclusion of specific organizations in the example above). Actionable insights drive change; they can hold organizations accountable to their good intents in concrete and meaningful ways. By providing your point of view and your good thinking, you can feel confident that you are being authentic to yourself and how you think.  That is professional; that is what the world needs; and that is a recipe for success.

To hear more of her advice on topics such as making connections with like-minded people at work, separating work from your identity, leaving a company, and much more, watch the full keynote speech below:

Spotlight on Bhumika Patel ’18

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Bhumika Patel ’18
By Samantha Smoger ’22

Bhumika is a first year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) student at Western University of Health Sciences in California. A 2018 graduate, Bhumika studied microbiology and nutrition at UVM. She was extensively involved in Student Government and Living Well, where she played a key role in pioneering the first Fresh Check Day here at UVM. Bhumika was also the only student representative on the Dining Implementation Team, where she represented the student body in discussions regarding meal options within the dining halls.  

When discussing why she chose to pursue a career in medicine, Bhumika referenced her Hindu upbringing and described herself as a “very spiritual person” whose experiences had broadened her overall understanding of “health” and the different factors that impact one’s well-being. Bhumika also characterized her passion to “serve the underserved” as a critical component of her decision to pursue a career in the health professions.  

Bhumika took three growth years following graduation from UVM, during which time she worked as a medical assistant at the Community Health Center in Burlington. She emphasized that this experience further solidified her passion for medicine. When reflecting on the value of growth years between undergraduate education and medical school, Bhumika also highlighted that it is “important to breathe and be a person” and utilize this time to both gain valuable experience and learn how to best care for oneself. 

When asked about her time in medical school thus far, Bhumika replied “I thought I was going to be more anxious and worried.” While she acknowledged experiencing the “content overload” that is characteristic of medical school, Bhumika is also striving to incorporate “yoga, meditation, cooking,” and other activities into her daily schedule. She stressed the importance of making time for non-academic endeavors that bring joy into her life, wisely stating “You have to take care of yourself to take care of other people.”  

Bhumika’s parting advice to pre-health students is to not lose sight of the “big picture”. Specifically, she reiterated that the “big picture of medical school is collective healing.” Bhumika also suggests that students “don’t just be pre-med [or pre-health]”, as the connotations of this label can be considerably restricting and stress-inducing. Moreover, Bhumika emphasized that “Being a healthcare professional, or a disciple of medicine, is very important, but it is not all that you are … don’t lose who you are as a person.” 

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