Student Profiles
Prashant Vaishnava
Age: 23
Hometown: Grand Blanc, Michigan
Highlights of Pre-Med Career:
- Bachelors in physiology with high honors, Michigan State University.
- Prevention and Economics of Health Policy Summer Program, Harvard University School of Public Health.
- Worked as a biologist for the Cardiovascular Drug Discovery Division of Eli Lily Research Laboratories.
- Served as a graduate research assistant for the CHM Department of Medicine.
- Served as a teaching assistant for clinical skills, medical neuroscience and human physiology courses.
- Served as an intern at the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
- Served as an executive board member for VISIONS Worldwide Inc.
- Served as founding member and president of VISIONS at MSU.
- Served as the national chair of the service committee of the Medical Student and Resident Section of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.
- Served as a student coordinator of the MSU Friendship Clinic.
Why Medicine?
Medicine offers the unique opportunity to directly interact with people with the goal of relieving their suffering through the application of medical knowledge. That motivated me when I chose to do this and continues to motivate me every single day.
Why CHM?
I came to CHM through the Baccalaureate/M.D. Combined-Degree Medical Scholars Program, which offers conditional acceptance into medical school at the time of entry into a course of undergraduate study at Michigan State . I entered this program after high school because I had an established and tested commitment to medicine, and the Medical Scholars program offered me flexibility during my three years of undergraduate study. I was able to spend one summer studying impressionism in Paris and another working with an Office of Economic Policy at the U.S. State Department. The prospect of such flexibility and exploration drew me to the CHM Medical Scholars Program.
I was also drawn to CHM because it stands out as an institution uniquely committed to medical education. In just about every interaction I've had at CHM, I've felt my instructors have enjoyed teaching and being a part of medical students' growth. Especially during my third year here at CHM, I've been surrounded by faculty who are enthusiastic and love to share their enthusiasm for medicine. Aside from this outstanding commitment to medical education, the commitment to training students to be doctors who care for their patients and not necessarily just treat their diseases has drawn me to CHM.
About CHM's Community Campus-Based Structure
I absolutely love learning at a community-based campus, and I am fortunate that I have been able to experience it. During my residency interviews, I always have a tendency to brag about how I trained with less than 20 other students in a 637-bed hospital. With so few students, we have had the distinct advantage of having received unique personal attention and teaching from our resident and attending physician instructors. It was common to be the doctor's first assistant on a number of surgical procedures.
Professional Opportunities at CHM
Professional opportunities at CHM have been plentiful. The college is committed to developing professionalism and practitioners who are committed to serving their patients and working well in teams. In addition, there are many teaching and research opportunities available to all students. As a second-year student, I was a teaching assistant for a neuroscience laboratory course. As a third-year student, I was a graduate assistant for the second-year clinical skills course. Both opportunities were readily available, and I was easily able to integrate them into my schedule both years. Throughout my four years, I've also pursued research that has yielded multiple publications. Even in my first year, I had the opportunity to complete a one-year graduate research assistantship in the Department of Medicine. Again, I was easily able to integrate these opportunities into my schedule and be productive in the laboratory. CHM has given me the flexibility and breadth of opportunities to define my own course within medicine. I ultimately see myself in the field of internal medicine as an active participant in patient care, teaching and research.
