Today we’d like to introduce you to Nyssa Kantorek.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nyssa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
For as long as I could remember, I’ve wanted to pursue a career in medicine. That ambition drove me through high school and allowed me to work hard enough to enter Vanderbilt University as a Neuroscience major with a Psychology minor. My high school experience was mostly focused on getting into a college that will prepare me properly for medical school, my residency, and eventually my career. My freshman year was a bit of a struggle. Nothing I did in school up to that point prepared me for the rigor of my courses, my busy schedule, and the pressure of becoming a competitive candidate for medical school. However, by remembering and reflecting on my goals, I was able to pull myself up to a Dean’s List student with a hand in multiple rewarding extracurricular experiences such as dance, conducting research, volunteering, and being a Peer Guide.
Now I’m a junior, continuing my studies, enjoying my extracurricular activities, and officially applying to medical school this summer. I’m proud of where I came from and of how hard I had to work to earn the grades and positions I hold. I know that the work ethic I’ve built over the years and the tenacity I had to demonstrate will continue to help me through grad school and beyond.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As you rise in any field, I believe you are guaranteed to have struggles. However, in my experience, the pre-med track at any university is unique in the fact that those of us aspiring to be physicians have to work to be highly competitive not only in academics, but also in our research, in our extracurriculars, and in activities that can count as spaces where we can showcase our passion for people. These can all be difficult to balance for any student, but for me, I also had to balance the fact that I did not come from a private or preparatory school for a university of Vanderbilt’s caliber. Many of my classmates were familiar with the content we studied as a result of having similarly rigorous classes throughout their high school years. I came from a small public school with a graduating class of 120 people. I felt prepared for college in general, but STEM introductory classes have a way of pushing you farther than you think you can go to ensure that you are ready to study hard and work for the field you hope to enter.
My grades freshman year were not entirely indicative of who I envisioned myself to be as a college student, so I had to work to overcome that challenge. I went to study skills classes, took advantage of the tutoring center, spoke to my professors, and made sure I was spending adequate time preparing for all of my exams and projects. Eventually, by fall sophomore year, these efforts were rewarded with a Dean’s List award. As a junior, the only obstacles I face now are maintaining my academic record, managing my time, and preparing properly for the MCAT and my medical school application. It’s not easy, but it’s a lot more rewarding now that I learned the tips and tricks that work best for me.
Throughout everything, I also had to deal with the pressure of being a woman of color in STEM. I felt I needed to work three times as hard to prove I deserved my spot. However, I have been able to look up to mentors and friends who understand my struggle, and I realized that I had deserved my spot since I received my acceptance letter, so I can allow myself to believe in my strength and move forward. For other women coming up or studying for a career, especially in STEM, just believe in your strength and your abilities and don’t let anyone discourage you from what you are passionate about!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I started my Instagram, “My Adventure to Medicine,” to document and share what my premed experiences have been like, what has helped me, and what the path to becoming a physician really looks like. I talk about academics, wellbeing, and how I balance everything at Vanderbilt that I’m a part of. Besides my courses for my major and minor, I enjoy taking part in things that really make my college experience fun. I research in the Creanza Lab at Vanderbilt, where I research birdsong and how urbanization and human activity can affect the songbirds around us. Through this lab, I’ve been able to learn how to code and about computational modeling, I’ve become much more comfortable public speaking, and I’ve had the chance to contribute to projects I’m passionate about.
I volunteer with a group called Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science (VSVS), where we form teams and teach science lessons to neighboring Nashville Metro middle schools to get kids excited about considering a STEM field. I have also had the privilege of serving at the Vanderbilt Center for Student Wellbeing as a Peer Guide, where we receive over a semester’s worth of wellbeing training on topics such as stress and time management so that we can hold appointments with our fellow students and talk out any goals they wish to work towards throughout the school year.
To have fun, I enjoy music and art, so naturally, I joined a dance team, VIDA: Vanderbilt Latin Dance, to have a designated time every week to relax, rehearse, perform, and exercise!
Over the past three years with such a rigorous schedule, I’ve learned how to manage my time and my energy so that I can also get enough sleep, exercise in the mornings, meditate through yoga, and have enough time to relax on the weekends. As a brand, these are the things I post and advise about on my Instagram because a college experience or the ambition for a career can be ruined by stress and pressure if one’s schedule is not balanced in a healthy way.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Stick with it. If you know you’re good at something or that this is what you want to do professionally, you can’t let anyone discourage you. There will be classrooms you walk in where you will be the only one who looks like you, where people say no, or where your questions are ignored, but you must keep pushing. It’s not easy, but as you move forward, there are others behind you, watching, that are inspired by you even if you can’t see them.
I found a few friends where we can confide in each other about our struggles, and that helps a great deal because we’ve created a space where we can help lift each other when things seem to be pushing us down. Overall, don’t let negative outside forces determine what you want to do – find mentors and friends you can talk to and push forward the best you can.
Contact Info:
- Email: myadventuretomedicine@gmail.com
- Instagram: myadventuretomedicine
Image Credit:
Claire Thomas Barnett Photos
Social ‘Dore Aly Bireley
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