Introduction to a Struggling Pre-Med Student
Howdy, my name is Hannah Mulder. I am from a small city in northeast Texas, named Greenville. My family is made up of my parents, my sister, MaKenzy, and me. We have three dogs, 5 cats, and on occasion, we may or may not have some sort of farm animal.
I am a biology, pre-medicine major. My immediate goal is to survive this semester and every semester between now and graduation. My ultimate goal is to become an ophthalmologist, specialized in laser eye surgery. I am classified as a freshman meaning a first-year student at OU, but I classify as a junior by hours. Last semester I took Intro to biology: Molecules, cells, and Physiology, Beginning German, and Precalculus: Business, Life, and Social Sciences. My favorite class from last semester was Beginning German. German was my favorite because of the atmosphere. It was a class of 20 to 25 students, and I feel like we had a fun time and everyone knew each other on some level.
Outside of my life as a student, I love to play and watch tennis, well if I am being honest I will watch whatever sport is on. I also like to hang out with my friends, read books and listen to music. My favorite music comes from the 50's, 60's, and 80's. I also like country music, I mean come on I am from Texas. I am not a movie person, but if I had to pick a favorite movie category it would be comedy. I am allergic to gluten, so my list of favorite foods is very short. My favorite foods are grilled chicken, cheese, and ice cream. My favorite type of food is Tex-Mex.
Over break, I did nothing too exciting. I just went back to Texas for the month. I hung out with my family, friends, and pets. I played a little bit of tennis. I did a very minimal amount of shopping. I watched hours of football. I also ate at all my favorite restaurants while I was home.
... That is me in a nutshell.
(Pictured here is my mom, me, and my sister. My dad is camera shy, so he is not pictured. Photo by me)
(Above is a picture of my dog, Tootsie. Photo by me)
I am a biology, pre-medicine major. My immediate goal is to survive this semester and every semester between now and graduation. My ultimate goal is to become an ophthalmologist, specialized in laser eye surgery. I am classified as a freshman meaning a first-year student at OU, but I classify as a junior by hours. Last semester I took Intro to biology: Molecules, cells, and Physiology, Beginning German, and Precalculus: Business, Life, and Social Sciences. My favorite class from last semester was Beginning German. German was my favorite because of the atmosphere. It was a class of 20 to 25 students, and I feel like we had a fun time and everyone knew each other on some level.
Outside of my life as a student, I love to play and watch tennis, well if I am being honest I will watch whatever sport is on. I also like to hang out with my friends, read books and listen to music. My favorite music comes from the 50's, 60's, and 80's. I also like country music, I mean come on I am from Texas. I am not a movie person, but if I had to pick a favorite movie category it would be comedy. I am allergic to gluten, so my list of favorite foods is very short. My favorite foods are grilled chicken, cheese, and ice cream. My favorite type of food is Tex-Mex.
Over break, I did nothing too exciting. I just went back to Texas for the month. I hung out with my family, friends, and pets. I played a little bit of tennis. I did a very minimal amount of shopping. I watched hours of football. I also ate at all my favorite restaurants while I was home.
... That is me in a nutshell.
Hi Hannah!
ReplyDeleteWe seem to have a lot in common. I am also pre-medicine, but I am a senior so I have already gone through the process. I am so impressed that you are only a freshman but already have so many hours. How did you do that? I also love tennis. The Australian Open has been interesting, and I am so excited to watch Osaka play this year. She is wonderful! Your dog is also adorable. I have a German Shepherd and his name is Danny. But is not as friendly as your doggo seems. I also want to be an ophthalmologist! I have shadowed, volunteered, and researched for one so I love every aspect of the eye. You should look into research at the Dean McGee Eye Institute. The people there are incredible and the research they do is mind-blowing. I am so glad you are ahead though so you can do these things and enjoy your education as a pre-med student. Don't be afraid to branch out into different fields outside of science! I definitely regret not being an anthropology or astronomy major haha. So do what you love! It was so great to read your intro! Good luck this semester.
Hi Hannah! It is nice to meet you. Your major sounds very difficult; I applaud you for your hard work! It will pay off! In the midst of all the chaos, don't forget to make time for yourself. I learned that the hard way. It is awesome that you like tennis so much. I played for six years with my schools, and I miss it so much! Since you like sports, I bet you're excited for the next season of Sooner football. I enjoyed visiting your blog, and hope you have a great semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah! First of all it is very impressive that as a freshman you have so many hours! I am sure that will be so helpful come time you are needing to study for the med school test! I am also a Texan and completely share and equal love for Tex- Mex. I could eat it for every meal! Having taken a language class I agree on how nice it is to have class where the class size is so small and being able to learn more about your classmates. I hope you have a great end to your freshman year this semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah!
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to meet you. My name is Trini and I am pre-PA so kind of similar to what you are doing but a little bit different! I feel so old when I hear about freshman because that feels like ages ago to me now that I'm a senior, it goes by SO FAST. I hope you've enjoyed your time here so far and that it only gets better! I also really enjoy watching tennis! I have been wanting to go (leisurely) play sometime because I have an extra racket gathering dust in my closet but it's been very cold. Hopefully one day! Also loved the picture of your cute doggy. I have a little chihuahua named Roxy who is the light of my life!! I hope I get to see more of your posts in the future, good luck this semester!
Tootsie is such a wonderful name for that cutie! I like how you describe completing semesters as "surviving". I felt the exact same way when I was a Biology major but after switching to something I was more passionate about such as film, semesters became a breeze! It's super cool that you know exactly what kind of ophthalmologist you wanna be, that's something some people don't figure out till the last few weeks before needing to make a decision! It's super awesome that you enjoy playing and watching sports, I wish I enjoyed them just as much as you do.
ReplyDeleteHey Hannah! How cool that you and your family share your home with so animals! I'm curious what kind of farm animals you've lived with. Your German class sounds like a blast! I love language-learning and took Hebrew for four semesters at OU. I agree that the smaller classroom environment is really nice, and that getting to know and interact with the other students on a more personal level really makes a learning environment so much more enjoyable. I also really enjoy 80's music! Do you have a favorite artist from that era?
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah! I know you have probably heard this already, but that is so impressive to have finished so many hours already, congrats! Some of my favorite classes have been my language classes at OU. I felt the class incorporated culture with the language, which is so intriguing but also a nice daydream between the rigors of school. As for sports, the only one I really watch is basketball but I wish I watched more. I honestly never understand some of the moves/how it works, so I just never really got into it but if I knew more I probably would be more interested. I think it is great you know what you like/do not like though! I look forward to reading more :)
ReplyDeleteHey there,Hannah! It's so interesting that you have a love for biology and medicine... it's a very commendable field and very impressive! My dad is actually a doctor and specializes in internal medicine, which I'm sure is less complicated than ophthalmology (I've always been fascinated with how our sight works). It's also cool that you love tennis! I grew up playing tennis in USTA tournaments and for my high school! I wanted to play in college but I'm also a singer and just love it a bit more/:
ReplyDeleteI totally vote for dogs and cats, Hannah! Maybe you will add some pictures to the "Pet Padlet" -- Padlet Tech Tips, which is a fun way to do an extra credit Tech Tip thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also totally vote for ophthalmology! My eye doctor is my hero. I am very nearsighted (I am currently his most nearsighted patient), and that condition led to a retinal tear that they had to correct with laser stitches... and wow, that was an amazing experience! Now I have teeny-tiny stitches in my eye keeping my retina together. SO COOL. Without the help of the doctors and all the technicians (thank you, lens grinder!), I would be practically blind, but instead: I am doing great! I can't drive anymore but, hey, I never really liked to drive anyway. As long as I can read and write (big fonts!), I am happy.
So, I wish you good luck in your studies: the world needs all the help that ophthalmologists provide. You help us to see: it's miraculous.
Hi Hannah! Thanks for sharing! I love that y'all have so many pets, I bet it keeps the atmosphere interesting, although I would send my day just filming animals, if I had that many, because they do sooo many funny things! I love your immediate goals, and can totally relate. Its interesting, now I am about to graduate and looking back it seemed to have past so quickly, although I took it just 1 semester at a time also. I look forward to seeing more photos of all your pets! Hopefully you can sneak some more in!
ReplyDeleteHey Hannah! I sympathize with your situation. I have enough hours to be partially done with a masters degree but I am classified as a sophomore and I am taking some junior and some senior classes so go figure. It might feel like you'll never graduate but you'll get there one day. Good luck with your studies and I hope you're able to change lives as a doctor one day!
ReplyDeleteHey hey Hannah!!
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice to see people in nutshells, it's generally a bit more exciting than seeing people in pickles, although seeing people in gator mouths is definitely a more entertaining experience. You've got an interesting major. I once had a friend who was a biology/pre-med major, but she repeatedly took advantage of me, so we don't talk anymore; also I took an arrow to the knee. Btw. what are your thoughts on the A-10 warthog? I love the idea of a gun strapped to a plane, and the warthog brings me joy everyday.
Hi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful family and even cuter dog! I love that your family has so many animals because that is my ultimate life goal. I want to have several dogs, but for now just have one. I am super jealous that y'all also have farm animals on occasion. What type have y'all had so far? What was your favorite? I look forward to reading your stories this semester and also good luck this semester! It sounds like you have a lot on your plate!
Hey Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI totally know what you mean by surviving this semester and then the next semester lol. That is so cool that you want to be an ophthalmologist! Any reason in particular? I used to shadow one and it was so fascinating! I am looking into family med and ophthalmology. I am also from Texas and miss it a lot which is why I am going back in the fall for med school. What kind of dog do you have? I only have on animal and it is a little Maltese name Kasper.
Hey Hannah!
ReplyDeleteMy dad actually works in Greenville so I know where that it. I'm from a town called Rockwall that's not too far from there!I'm so jealous that you have so many pets! I have one dog at home but parent's refuse to have more than one pet at a time. I can definitely relate with trying to survive the semester. I'm graduating in May and I'm barely keeping it together. It's awesome that you're pursuing opthamology. Best of luck with the rest of your semester and college career!
Hi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteNice to “meet” you!
“Some kind of farm animal”… well now I’m curious.
Laser surgery is very interesting – was there something in particular that drew you to it?
With having that many hours to your name already, you should have the chance to take a lot of interesting classes in whatever direction suits your fancy. Take good advantage of that! When, like me, you have to spend a lot of time fighting the vagaries of the gen-ed system, you realize how nice it is to be able to focus as you please on what interests you.
Best,
A.M.
Hello Hannah! Much like you, I really enjoy playing tennis. It’s one of the few sports I like to watch as much as play! Haha. It’s so neat that you wish to become an ophthalmologist after you graduate! Where did you find your inspiration for that? It’s also neat that you can speak German. Language classes at OU are so much fun.
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteIt turns out we have a lot in common! I am also an out of state student and I am a microbiology major. I took 3 semesters of German to fulfill my foreign language requirement, I loved the class and how intimate the class size was. My favorite music is by far the 60s but also the 70’s and the very beginning of the 80’s. My friends call me old because that is the only music I listen too but honestly, it’s the only good real music to me! My favorite band is the Monkees!
Hi Hannah! I feel the "my immediate goal is to survive the semester" on a spiritual level. I'm in my last semester, thankfully though. If I had any advice, it would be that it never gets easier. But, you do get better. The challenges remain, but your confidence to tackle them grows. Good luck on your studies. On a side note, what barn animals do you have? Growing up in rural Wyoming, it wasn't uncommon for people to have chickens, pigs, sheep, etc.
ReplyDeleteHannah, it was nice to get to know you some through your post. It sounds like you have a lot of pets. I just got my first pet since being in college. I got a Giant Schnauzer, and she is adorable. I am a pre-med major as well, although I am a Chemical Biosciences major with a minor Religious Studies.
ReplyDeleteHey Hannah, I was pre-med when I first came into college, but now I am pre-pa but that is awesome you are sticking to it. I appreciate when people enjoy science and the medical field as much as I do! I think its cool you have a specific interest in laser eye surgery as well because I feel like I don't hear that very often from people going into the medical field! I think youll do great though, stick with it!
ReplyDeleteHowdy Hannah, your aspirations are really cool. I hope you can become a laser eye surgeon. Personally I'd never get laser eye surgery, it scares me too much. I've watched a ton of videos of it because it's so terrifying that I'm drawn to it. There's an infamous scene in the videogame Dead Space 2, where a character gets stabbed through the eyeball and that's all I can ever think of whenever I heard "laser eye surgery"
ReplyDeleteAnyways, take care. I look forward to reading some of your stories.
Hi Hannah~
ReplyDeleteKeep pushing through those pre-med semesters! I did not survive them but it was for the best. I'm graduating in a month with stable mental health and a degree I love. It's cool that your house is so pet friendly. My parents always said if we wanted another dog we had to get rid of the one we already had.
You mentioned loving Tex-Mex. Do you have any recommendations in Norman? I'm from Arizona but have yet to find any really good restaurants there. I've got to get my fill of Tex-Mex before I leave Oklahoma.
The semester is almost over! You've got this.
Hi Hannah! I'm glad you enjoyed Beginning German so much. I took Beginning German almost two years ago, and I enjoyed it so much that I continued to take it! I'm in Intermediate German Continued now with Frau Chilson. She's a wonderful German teacher and I hope you get the opportunity to take a class with her in the future if you continue German.
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteIt’s lovely to meet you. Your family is adorable! I love the glasses, I have a pair just like it! Your puppy is so cute.
My goodness you had so many credits before coming to OU. Did you take all of those in high school or were you somewhere else before OU? I love Tex-Mex too. I probably eat it at least once a week.
Hi Hannah! Such cute pictures you have although I am prone to love the puppy dog one most. I also have a small dog but she isn't quite as fluffy as yours is. That is so exciting that you are on the pre-med track! I wish you the best of luck in your classes this semester!!
ReplyDelete