Open book . . . Anne Barnard, SOM ’14
Each Wednesday, the Daily Voice introduces you to a student or resident at UMass Medical School. We’ve asked our subjects to answer a few questions that might reveal a little of their personalities. If you know someone who you’d like to see profiled, let us know at ummscommunications@umassmed.edu.
Why did you choose UMass Medical School?
For so many reasons—close to home, in-state tuition, great focus on primary care . . . but probably the determining factor was the people. I feel like UMass attracts a unique breed of truly happy medical students.
Describe yourself in six words or fewer.
Life’s too short to be stressed.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, name three things you would want.
Since people aren’t really things . . . my piano, windsurfer and a good pair of hiking boots.
If you could have dinner with a famous person, living or dead, who would that be and why?
Dr. Benjamin Carson, hands down. He was my undergrad commencement speaker, and his story changed my life. Check him out if you don’t know who he is.
What person or experience made you decide to pursue a medical degree and why?
I wrote my personal statement about how life decisions are never based on just one person or experience, but result from a subtle combination of large and small events that together point you in the right direction. Such was the case for my decision to go into medicine, a process that started (if I had to pinpoint) with my long bout with Lyme disease in high school.
What is the most interesting or challenging job (paid or unpaid) you’ve ever had and what did you learn about yourself?
Undergraduate research. I found myself hating the lab work, but loving the people. (Grad school, 0. Med school, 1.)
What would your fellow students be surprised to learn about you?
I’ve been sky-diving and bungee jumping . . . waiting on my rock climbing debut.
If UMass Medical School had not been an option, what would you be doing right now?
Living, volunteering, and learning Spanish in Central/South America.
If you could change the world as a physician, what would you like to do?
Design and institute self-sustainable health care programs in developing countries that would ensure follow-up care long after medical missions leave.
Most surprising thing you’ve found out about medical school?
That even studying can be fun with the right group of friends.
Most surprising thing you’ve discovered about Worcester?
What an underrated, hidden gem it really is—it’s the Paris of the New Millennium, didn’t you know?