This interview is the latest in an Accepted blog series featuring interviews with medical school applicants and students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top medical schools and the med school application process. And now, introducing Heather Hossaini…

Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what are you studying as an undergraduate? When are you graduating?

Heather: I am originally from Los Angeles. I am a Biology major at the University of Texas at Dallas. I am graduating in 2018.

Accepted: With another year left of University do you already have your sights set on a specific med school? What are your biggest considerations when planning your med school future?

Heather: I am looking at many different medical schools. I am looking into UT Southwestern, Boston University, UCLA, and a lot of others.

Accepted: What motivated you to pursue a degree in medicine? Which area(s) of medicine interests you the most?

Heather: Medicine has always been a part of my life. A few of my family members were sick for a better part of my life that required a lot of care. With multiple surgeries and medications, I became very familiar with medical lingo and the life of someone who works in the medical field. So inherently I wanted to become a physician, more specifically a surgeon.

Accepted: Let’s talk MCATs. Have you or are you planning on taking an MCAT prep course? Why or why not?

Heather: I am probably going to take an MCAT prep course. I know how I can study and going to a class is the best way for me to retain a good percentage of the information.

Accepted: What has been your most challenging experience as a premed student?

Heather: I think the biggest challenge for me as a premed student is chunking the big goal into little goals. Becoming a doctor is such a big goal and I have to constantly remind myself of the little goals that I have already achieved.

Accepted: Are you involved in any extracurricular activities? How are they contributing to your premed experience?

Heather: I am involved in a few activities such as volunteering at a local ER, shadowing a local chief of surgery, the honor society, a domestic abuse shelter. These help me donate some of my time to things that I am passionate about. Medicine is not my only passion and so the activities are a way for me to expand my horizons while having fun!

Accepted: Any advice you can give to your fellow premed students?

Heather: The best advice that I can give you is to not let anyone talk you out of your dreams. I have had so many people tell me that medicine may not be right for me or that it would be hard for me because I am a woman. So just keep moving forward and be unstoppable and be a force of nature!

Accepted: Are you going to change your Twitter handle after you graduate?

Heather: Hmm I have not thought about it… I really like my username but I might have to be creative in creating something new. 🙂

You can follow Heather’s experiences by following her on Twitter (@PersianPremed). Thank you Heather for sharing your story with us!

For one-on-one guidance on your med school applications, please see our catalog of med school admissions services.

Do you want to be featured in Accepted’s blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at bloggers@accepted.com.

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Related Resources:

• Put the Med School Application Puzzle Together: Advice from Cydney Foote [Episode 160]
• The Top 3 Factors Applicants Overlook in Their Applications
• Get Organized in Preparation for Secondaries and Interviews