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Student Profiles

Alric Devon Hawkins
Age: 24
Hometown: Tuscumbia, Alabama

Highlights of Pre-Med Career:

Why Medicine?

I've always had an interest in medicine. As a youngster, I was the kind of guy who was always interested when I was in or around hospitals. My interests were refined by my experiences with family members, especially when encountering health issues in the African American community. Now I'm interested in addressing health care issues among African American and minority communities. Things like access to medical care, health care disparities among differing economic and cultural communities, and the comparatively small number of physicians serving minority populations are all issues I plan to address. Mental health within minority communities is also an important interest of mine.

Why CHM?

CHM's focus on primary care and on serving medically underserved communities really drew me to come to MSU. CHM's true community focus made it stand out as the school most capable of training me to best serve African American, minority and other underserved populations.

About Year II

Year two has been challenging, but I've enjoyed it even more than my first year. I really enjoyed the problem-based learning structure CHM uses. My study habits have been refined and I work smarter than I did during year one. It has been fulfilling for me to help first-year students succeed and to work at orientation week. It also has been empowering to learn more about what I came to school to learn. Studying more disease and health issues and fewer basic sciences has been rewarding; it's a good feeling to learn the material I will be using to improve lives in the future.

Year II Challenges

Balancing family life with school has been a challenge this year. Ever since I began college I've been living away from home, and now I have new nieces and nephews back home and my youngest sister recently started school. The challenge is keeping myself from getting into the habit of neglecting ties to family and losing contact. It's also a challenge being a resource for undergraduate students and being active in the political process while in medical school.

On Small-Group Learning

CHM's small-group learning structure enhances the whole academic process. I'm a big proponent of small-group learning because it sets you up with a group of people who help you learn and stay motivated. I had a group that I was able to always study with, and benefiting from the information and skill sets of other students in my group really contributed to my understanding of material. Small-group learning was especially helpful in my first year of med school.

About Problem-Based Learning

I've had great experiences with problem-based learning. It really compliments my style of learning. I had a great group where everyone brought a different perspective to the table along with a different skill set. I learn from every person, and their backgrounds really helped me grow outside of my own background. My group members were able to provide me with valuable insights into issues. There is a great integrative focus with problem-based learning. It's a huge plus of being at CHM.

On CHM

CHM is exactly what it's billed to be. The people enjoy being in school even though it's difficult. Yes, it's a straining process, but people are happy here. Students and faculty genuinely enjoy being around each other. I feel like I have access to administrators that I don't see available at other schools. Above all, one thing really stood out: I feel like I am supported by faculty and students, and everyone takes an interest in me and my ability to become the kind of physician I want to be.