Hometown: Monroe, LA
Name of Undergraduate Institution: Xavier University of Louisiana
Major(s)/Minor(s) in College: Major: Biology, Pre-Med, Minors: Chemistry/Spanish
Name of Medical School: LSU School of Medicine – New Orleans
Residency Program: Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of California – San Francisco
Favorite Quote: “Have some fire. Be Unstoppable. Be a force of nature.”
Contact Info: mauraejones@gmail.com
Where are you currently at in your career path and why did you decide to pursue this career path?
I am currently an Obstetrics and Gynecology intern in the full swing of intern year. I, like many of my peers, came to medical school thinking I knew exactly what I wanted to do specialty-wise. I was pleasantly surprised during my 3rd year clerkship when I found myself falling in love with OBGYN. I loved the diversity of clinical experiences within the specialty and the combination of medical, surgical, and primary care, but it was the intimacy of the physician-patient relationship that initially attracted me to the field. I soon realized that the ability to support patients through both the best and worst moments of their lives, to empower women at every age and stage, and to be an advocate for women both in and outside of the hospital made OBGYN the perfect field for me.
If you could go back and have a chat with your naïve college freshman self, what would you tell her?
I would tell myself to enjoy life more and worry less. It’s so easy to get caught up in all of the details as a pre-med, trying to be the perfect, well-rounded pre-med checking all of the boxes, and being involved in all the things you need for the “perfect” application. College flies by, and they’re the best years of your life. Enjoy every single last moment. That doesn’t mean do not work hard; you should work very hard, but trust that your hard work will take you where you need to be. Worry less!
What advice would you give to someone getting ready to start their application process to medical schools?
My advice would be start early and submit early. The application can be very tedious, so you should give yourself a lot of time to decrease stress. You should start preparing various elements of your application so that you can copy and paste the finished products into your AMCAS. The limiting factor for my application was my personal statement. It took me a lot of time to perfect it. I think it would have taken much longer had I not been revising and updating both my personal statement and CV every year. Also be sure to have your application proofread. As someone who has previously served on the admissions committee, grammar, punctuation, and spelling do matter!
What do you like to do for fun?
I like to try new restaurants, and hang out with my family and friends. I also enjoy traveling to new places, experiencing new adventures, and learning about other cultures. As someone who is always so busy, those are the things that I prioritize spending my time on.
How have you been able to deal with your romantic relationship and residency at the same time?
As an intern engaged to a pharmacist, in a long distance relationship, communication has been key! I recently moved across the country for residency, which has made communication an even bigger priority. The time difference has been somewhat of a challenge, but we have compromised by having my fiancé calling me prior to bed, at the very end of his night, and me pausing whatever charting/studying I am doing to dedicate at least 15-30 minutes of my undivided attention to him. In medical school, my fiancé only lived 3 hours away, so my strategy was to be as efficient as possible during the week so we could have quality time during the weekends. If I had to study for a shelf exam on the weekend, I would get up early Saturday morning and study until noon or 2pm, and then dedicate the rest of the day to quality time with him. I would then resume studying Sunday afternoon after he left. I also tried not to schedule weekends with him too close to upcoming exams. Overall I think none of this would even be possible without an extremely loving and supportive partner who truly believes in my dreams, and wants to see me succeed.
This is all such wonderful information Maura! Thank you so much for sharing all of this advice with us! It is also great to hear what inspired you to pursue a career in your specialty as well as how you've managed to keep a happy personal life. Keep up the fantastic work and best of luck to you as you continue working hard in residency and beyond!
Health Career Spotlights Home Page
Posted on December 10th, 2018