Biology majors aren’t the only students getting accepted into medical school these days. In fact, there are medical programs seeking out students with atypical degrees.
Recently married, Katie and Israel Wojnowich are completing their residencies at Bayfront Medical Center. They will soon be looking for a practice to join, but neither one of them saw medicine in their futures until only a few years ago. Before applying for Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, Katie was a classic languages major and Israel was studying film.
The program at Mount Sinai is different from other medical programs because instructors use cross-disciplinary methods to teach. They want well-rounded students who understand the personal side of the practice as well as the technical, Katie said.
“More studies make you more passionate,” Israel said.
During the first two years of the program, students are graded on a pass-fail basis with hopes of eliminating some of the competitiveness and contention that gets in the way of learning. According to Israel, it allows students to decide whether they really want to pursue medicine or not.
Katie felt that the techniques suited her perfectly.
“I don’t know if one way is better than another. People just learn differently,” she said.
During the last two years, the classes are more hands-on and students participate in clinical rounds.
After graduating, doctors have to go through at least a year of training to get their license.
“After you’re done with medical school you realize the practical side of medicine,” Israel said.
Katie said that the program opened up a lot of residency options for her.
“Sometimes people aren’t sure what they want. Residency programs let them figure out the right fit,” she said.
According to Israel, there are plenty of opportunities for employment in the field. Many new doctors gravitate towards higher paying, specialized practices to pay off their medical school bills — leaving a great need for general practice doctors.
The couple debunked some common myths as well.
Shifts can be long, but not as long as they are sometimes made out to be on television. Sixteen hours is the federally mandated limit on the time that a first-year resident can be on the floor at the hospital.
“They’ve figured out that you start losing efficiency after about 12 hours,” Israel said.
Another thing that new doctors aren’t always expecting is the endless amount of paperwork.
Overall, they are both happy that they chose medicine as a career path. They still pursue their other interests on the side — when they have time.
“I love talking to people, and teaching people,” Katie said. “Whether it’s a language or a disease state, in many ways it’s the same.”
More information on the medical program at Mount Sinai can be found at mssm.edu.
