Hometown: Warwick, RI
Name of Undergraduate Institution: Boston University
Major(s)/Minor(s) in College: Health Science Major
Name of Medical School: NYIT Arkansas State University
Favorite Quote: “Whatever it takes to get to where you want to be.”
Contact Info: reubenhorace94@gmail.com
Additional Links:
IG: @reubixxcube
Twitter: @reubixxcube
What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a similar path as yours?
I personally struggled with grades as an undergrad for the first two years. I was not focused and I lacked the proper study skills to be successful while also juggling division one athletics. At the time, medical school was the last thing on my mind. It wasn’t until I started to change my study habits, took school more seriously, and made the right adjustments for myself that I started to see not only my grades improve, but my confidence as well. I gained the confidence to know that I could and would get into medical school one day.
Your personal journey and the way you cultivate your experience is unique and personal. Having the right people in your corner to encourage you and give you the confidence that you need to become better and do better is very important. One of the biggest things that I’ve seen is sometimes it’s so easy for us to compare ourselves to other people and lose sight of where we are going. Everyone is making moves, we’re all just taking different steps. So, don’t get bogged down by hitting a certain timeline for getting into medical school. I feel a lot of students put pressure on themselves to go into medical school soon as possible and along the way they may or may not rush the process. Medical school is not running away and if you want it bad enough, you’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen. Have confidence in yourself and your ability to succeed even if your past performances dictate otherwise.
If you could go back and have a chat with your naïve college freshman self, what would you tell him?
Short answer: Go for it. Take the chance. Failure isn’t the opposite of success, it’s what happens when you’re trying to do things you can’t do yet.
Long answer: I’d like to tell myself to be more ambitious yet patient. It's easy to forget that the most successful people often put decades in before they got to the level they're at today, and to get impatient. The most successful people have grown into their confidence because they've taken some risks, experienced various roles and setbacks, and have learned from their mistakes. You'll learn so much from your experiences, but will never stop learning and evolving as a person. Remaining patient and focusing on both short and long-term goals can help you get to where you want to be.
Do you have another professional degree? If so, how has it impacted you?
I received my MPH with a concentration in epidemiology from Brown University in 2018. My MPH has allowed me to contextualize health from a physical, psychosocial, and environmental standpoint that affects our overall health. I am currently also pursuing my MBA degree in medical school. There are a lot of routes that people can take with an MBA in medical school and I want to keep my options open if I decide to change routes from practicing medicine full-time. Some of my MBA classmates have interests in both private and public sectors and I believe our coursework gives us a broad framework to understand the inner workings of business from different key vantage points.
Those who want to shift from one industry to another will find that an MBA can help them with specific information that may be necessary for the new industry. For instance, changing from the retail sector to the energy sector might require specific knowledge about regulatory issues or energy policy. Likewise, changing from one functional area, like information technology, to another, like marketing, might require a different way of thinking about business. In either case, some find that a specialized MBA program can help them bridge those gaps. Personally, for me, I am pursuing my MBA with a focus in finance. Later in my career, I hope to be in an executive role within a hospital system and bridge the gap between medicine and business. I believe my DO, MBA, and MPH will give me the best opportunity for my future endeavors.
Thank you for sharing all of that useful and inspiring information with us Reuben! It is really cool to see people like yourself navigating medical school in such a unique way and being intentional in keeping your options open as you work towards building a career for yourself. We appreciate your insight and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!
Health Career Spotlights Home Page
Posted on May 17th, 2021