‘Day In The Life Of a Medical Student’ helps scholars understand medical school

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Before deciding whether to choose Penn State, prospective students often attend an in-person tour to gain an authentic sense of the University and its campus environment. Physically seeing the amenities, classrooms and buildings, as well as having the opportunity to ask questions, helps students determine if they can see a future for themselves at a Penn State campus. The Schreyer Honors College Medical Team has expanded upon this idea in their annual trip to the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The Schreyer Medical Team is a student organization within the honors college that acts as a community for pre-health Scholars, hosting a variety of events to expand Scholars knowledge of the medical field and support them in their journey of pursuing a career in medicine.  

The visit to Penn State College of Medicine is catered to Scholars who are interested in attending medical school by providing the opportunity to shadow a medical student for an entire day of classes and activities. Attending multiple lectures and labs, the 10-15 Scholars selected to visit the college gain a unique, first-hand glimpse into medical school that cannot be found on a website or informational pamphlet.  

The idea for the program is credited to the current president of the team, third-year Schreyer Scholar and biology major Lisa Wang. Wang said she understood early in her Penn State career that some concepts require hands-on learning and must be taught outside of a traditional classroom setting. This mindset translated to Wang’s inspiration for the Schreyer Medical Team trip, which sparked after completing a shadowing program at the Penn State College of Medicine. 

Wang said that during her time shadowing, she had the rare opportunity to sit in on a lecture and briefly experience the medical school curriculum. As the event planner of the medical team at the time, she immediately recognized the value of this opportunity for other pre-medicine Scholars.  

“I was shadowing at the Hershey Medical Center over summer break after my first year, and one of the physicians took me into a medical student class. So, I got to sit in the classroom and see how the students learn, report on patient history, and what their overall thought process is,” Wang explained. “In the back of my mind, I thought ‘This would be valuable for medical school undergraduates to experience as well.’ The Schreyer Medical Team has a history of experiential learning, and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity.”  

After expressing interest in creating a program for the Schreyer Medical Team in partnership with the Penn State College of Medicine, Wang was connected to Bernadatte Gilbert, the college’s assistant professor and associate dean for admissions and financial aid. Wang worked diligently alongside Gilbert to design an immersive experience for Scholars that provides opportunities for engaged learning and the space to build lasting connections.  

One way that these new connections are formed is through the pairing of Scholars with medical student ambassadors, whom they shadow for the duration of the visit. Gilbert leads this mentor-pairing process, and described the mechanics behind creating the pairings, as well as the value of these partnerships to enhance Scholars understanding of medical school.

“To create the pairing, undergraduate students share some of their medical interests upon applying to the program. Our medical student volunteers also share some of their interests when signing up to volunteer. We then attempt to match them according to these identified interests” said Gilbert. “The benefit of the pairing is that the undergraduate student gets direct, one on one time with a first-year medical student. This allows them to really get an idea of a day in the life of a medical student.”  

After receiving their mentor-pairing, students then attend a variety of classes, from large lectures, small-group discussion-based courses, and even clinical labs. The range of courses offered at the college each works to fulfill the four foundational pillars of medicine: biomedical science, health humanities, clinical sciences and health system sciences.  

Scholars can deepen their medical knowledge in these classes through exposure to the advanced curriculum, but also through learning from the medical students themselves. Wang described that during the most recent trip in 2024, simply listening to a class discussion among students greatly expanded her understanding of how health system theories are applied in real-life contexts.  

“One of the most interesting things about sitting in on the small group discussions course was that there were a lot of medical students from different backgrounds. So many of these students had the expertise to show us how medical decision-making looks different when you are practicing in a high-pressure environment, and how there is a big gap between studying a set of protocols versus the real situation,” Wang shared. “Hearing the medical students experiences showed me that ‘in theory’ is so much different than ‘in practice’ when it comes to medicine.”  

Matt Ishler, director of Schreyer Career Development and the adviser for the medical team, shared that his favorite aspect of the program is that it was created for Scholars, by Scholars. He highlighted how inspiring it is to see students, like Wang, go above and beyond to generate new learning opportunities for their fellow peers.  

Ishler emphasized the immense value of the trip in helping to clarify decisions for students' futures beyond Penn State. By closely following the schedule of a medical student for the day, Scholars can begin to determine if they could see themselves in a similar environment post-graduation. He explained how students who have an interest in medical school after the trip can then make calculated decisions on how to successfully prepare for this next step. 

“There is value to this trip on multiple levels. The ability to directly observe medical school, in a first-person vantage point, can inform your senses and prevent medical school from being this ambiguous entity for students,” Ishler explained. “Now, students have a visual point of reference for this trip, and it can help determine the way they want to build experiences or add to their undergraduate career in their remaining time at Penn State.” 

The overall feedback collected from students reflects this, as Scholars who have participated in the program report an overall increased interest in attending medical school, specifically at the Penn State College of Medicine. Gilbert explained that fostering interest in the college is one of the main goals of the experience, as the visit helps Scholars learn more about the student resources and academic offerings that set the college apart from other medical schools. 

“We often refer to Penn State College of Medicine as a ‘hidden gem.’ This is because many undergraduate students, including those at Penn State, are not aware of the unique curriculum and amazing opportunities we have here for our medical students,” Gilbert said. “For example, this trip allows Scholars to experience our unique health humanities curriculum that prepares students for humanistic practice and enhances habits of lifelong learning, curiosity, creativity and critical thinking.”   

Another reason that the trip has improved overall student interest in pursuing the medical field is its ability to showcase the collaborative community between students, Wang said.

“Seeing the collaboration and connection between the medical students at the Penn State College of Medicine was a very empowering experience. Medical school can be perceived as being very difficult and daunting," Wang said. "However, one aspect that stood out to me during this trip was seeing the medical students’ interactions. There is so much so support to help students, and if you reach out, there will be a community around you to help. There was definitely a lot of information to be learned during that day, but a main idea that with the resources, community, and dedication to medicine, students are well prepared to succeed.” 

In addition to creating a program that gives Scholars a taste of medical school, the trip also works to strengthen the relationship between the College of Medicine and the Schreyer Honors College. Ishler explained how the administrative staff and the outstanding medical students at the college have been enthusiastic partners, eager to dedicate their time to help shape the next generations of medical professionals.  

“We have a great partner in the dean for admissions at Penn State College of Medicine. Bernadette Gilbert is an outstanding partner in that she solicits volunteers, is aware of the interests of the first-year currently enrolled medical students, and makes an effort to pair students to their mentors in a way that generates fruitful, productive conversation throughout the day,” Ishler said. “The entire staff and students are a wonderful team to work with and have an overwhelming passion for hosting and sharing more of what they do and what they learn.”  

This year’s trip to Penn State College of Medicine took place on April 15. The team attended a new anatomy lab, showcasing how the program will continue to expand and grow its unique educational offerings for Scholars. For more information regarding the Schreyer Medical Team’s trip to the College of Medicine, contact [email protected].