My 2nd Spotlight for The Mahogany Tower is Eunice DeFlippo, a soon to be graduate of the Yale School of Medicine in less than a month. I met Eunice April 24th 2016 in a parking lot in Vermont. You know, Eunice was one of those people that you meet and you immediately have regrets about not having met them sooner. Warm, outgoing, and incredibly bright. Beyond that though, Eunice was really key in helping me to flush out the concept for The Mahogany Tower and offering me some VERY helpful feedback. I still use it now as I figure out what to write and how to write it.
Academic Bio
Doctor of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine
Bachelor’s in Public Health, Rutgers University
Q: You attended Rutgers, where you studied Public Health and Dance. Where did the interest in medicine come from?
The funny thing was, I wasn’t initially interested in medicine when I was applying to college. Actually, I wasn’t even interested in the sciences. My trajectory to medicine was a bit roundabout and definitely unexpected. Though looking back, I can see Gods hand through it all.
I was hoping to major in Dance or English or Film/Media Studies in college, as these were the courses I enjoyed studying in high school. I planned my major based on the schools I applied to, but for some reason when I looked through the Rutgers majors I thought Neuroscience looked interesting. I hoped to never go to Rutgers because “everyone goes to Rutgers” in New Jersey, and because I had high hopes for acceptance into an Ivy League school. Unfortunately, I was rejected almost everywhere I applied, and Rutgers ended up being the best option for me in the end. In the fall of 2009, I found myself in calculus and biology, on the neuroscience track. I still wasn’t interested in medicine at this point. It so happened that I couldn’t afford textbooks and heard of a program on campus that offered free textbooks for Math and Science courses if you signed up for their tutoring/mentoring program. The program was called ODASIS (Office for Diversity and Academic Success in the Sciences). It wasn’t until the end of the semester that I realized this was a program to aid minority students in getting into the health professions, particularly medical school. For those who did well academically that semester, ODASIS took us on a trip to visit Yale School of Medicine. That is where the switch from neurosciences to medical sciences occurred. Soon after, I switched my major to Public Health.
Q: It sounds like you were part of a number of programs in undergrad, both at Rutgers and elsewhere, to help you develop as an aspiring physician. Can you talk about some of those programs and how they provided you the professional and social support you needed as an undergraduate?
ODASIS was an incredible program. They offered free textbooks for math and science courses, gave advice on course load and schedules, provided mentors, tutoring, question banks, an incredibly intense but affordable 8 month MCAT prep course, and a list of summer research/clinical opportunities. The most valuable parts were the motivational workshops. Every semester they had graduates who went on to medical school, residency, and beyond come back and speak to us, share their stories, and encourage us to “Eat those books.” I owe the majority of my success in applying to medical school to the ODASIS program.
I’d say my involvement with my church through college and medical school was the most influential. My faith is the most important thing to me and remembering to prioritize God and see his hand in getting me through pre-med and medical school was paramount. It allowed me to stay grounded, humble, and clear-headed about why I went into medicine and what I wanted to accomplish. My faith is also the reason I chose medicine in the first place and didn’t go into the church ministry, which was something I was debating until my sophomore year. As God was making it clear that medical school was the next step, mentors from church were crucial in helping me to trust God and see his plan for me. There’s so much anxiety and perfectionism in pre-med, medical school, and beyond and so many insecurities that arise; my faith and support network definitely carried me up until now and provided some life-long, irreplaceable best friends.
Q: Medical school is notorious for how selective it is (under 5% for most schools, I believe, albeit schools obviously attract different types of students). What assisted you in preparing and completing your interviews?
I’m a very extroverted person, so interviewing always came very naturally to me. I love making friends, so it was easy for me to tune in to another person’s body language and interact with them at their speed during interviews. In terms of writing my application, I love writing and poetry so I used the application to paint pictures of salient experiences (on paper or in person), using those experiences to highlight valuable lessons learned that were relevant to a career in medicine.
People advised me to be myself and NEVER LIE. I was always honest. Some people get weird if one of their top extracurricular activities has to do with God – they don’t always know how to talk about it and some people advise them not to. One of my biggest commitments was to our college student organization that centered around our church and faith-based events. I was proud of that and it taught me a ton about my personal character. I used this to my advantage. On applications and during interviews, it was about how I phrased and framed an experience. Anything I put on my resume, I found a way to talk about it in ways that made the experience and the lessons learned an asset, either to my future career or to that institution.
Being humble is key. In high school and college no one teaches you how to advocate for yourself, and sell yourself, while remaining humble. I do it by being very descriptive about the skills/character I acquired and how that can be an asset to my career or to the school/company/profession down the line. I always make sure to highlight the influences along the way that got me there; the gratitude that I have for the opportunities I’ve been given.
The last thing I’d say is that it was helpful to have a snapshot of my future (5-10 years out). I think programs like to see a student with a vision. It helps them to picture the student at their institution (faculty who might be a good mentor, current students who are already doing work in that arena, specific programs the institution offers that the interviewee would benefit from). Painting a picture of what I planned to do and how the institution could get me there was key.
Q: Rutgers University is a state school in NJ, not too far from where you grew up. Yale, on the other hand, is further from home and it’s an ivy league school. Was it different trying to adjust to each university? Any culture shock?
Rutgers was an easy adjustment because most of my high school class went there. Getting involved with the faith-based on-campus group made it feel like home instantly.
Yale was and still is an intimidating place, I quickly felt out of my league. I went from being a star premed with great medical school prospects to feeling hyperaware of my race, and the limitations of my inner city public school education. I think I became hypersensitive to the gaps in my knowledge, vocabulary, and education – and sometimes unnecessarily.
Ultimately, I gravitated to those who were Christian, who grew up in the inner city, who were minorities, or who came from a low socioeconomic status. I also spent a lot of time engaging with my church home near Yale, which was WAY more diverse than Yale. It didn’t hurt that I moved into an apartment in the “rough” part of town my first year that felt more like home to me.
Q: You matched on April 16th. How does it feel?
I’m relieved and excited and intimidated and tired. I’m so grateful to be staying in a place where I have such a great support system and some great friends!
Q: There are so many different specialties in medicine. How did you end up choosing Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics?
After majoring in Public Health, I developed a passion for global health. I always toyed with the idea of working for Doctors Without Borders. In thinking of a career in medicine, I began considering a career that offers the most flexibility when abroad. I didn’t want to serve those in need but only the adults. I also wanted to have a very broad skillset – to do as much as possible for as many as possible.
Many specialties such as neurosurgery, neurology, ophthalmology, etc. were too specific. I was looking for something broader. My surgery rotation was amazing, but I felt that Internal Medicine (adult medicine) was much more interesting and cerebral with more interaction with patients rather than honing my craft in the operating room. I also loved pediatrics and interacting with kids. A specialty that combined both fields (adult/internal medicine and pediatrics) made the most sense.
Q: Let’s be honest, medical school is not for the faint of heart. What lessons do you feel like you learned in your walk with God over the past 4 years?
This question could be the topic of an entire podcast series! So many lessons. I will limit them to one for each year:
- Trust God. Realizing that God got me here and will get me to the next step. The goal isn’t to be the smartest, etc. The goal is to be the same godly woman I was trying to be before med school, and let God do the rest like he did before.
- STAY IN YOUR LANE. Too much comparing and competing goes on in medicine. I’m on my own path. I was never the “smartest”, the one who memorized the most, the highest scoring, etc. But I kept trying to measure myself by these academic standards that didn’t even have the greatest correlation with being a good doctor. Letting God make me who I’m meant to be and focusing on being obedient, diligent, and humble while he’s doing that.
- Take Care of Eunice. I’m most responsible for making sure I’m okay. Learning to take care of myself so I can be who I need to be spiritually, relationally, academically is KEY. I cannot run on empty or I will continue to harm myself and others.
- Trying to seek confidence/self-esteem/security in anything but God will fail.
Q: You were dating Steve throughout most of medical school. In fact, you got married just recently. What type of social support and spiritual support did you see in dating while you were in school? On the flip side, how did the two of you manage the time constraints you frequently had being in medical school?
Steve has been one of my greatest supports during pre-med and medical school. He has taught me to RELAX and can notice when I am running on empty and need rest/God/fellowship/food. He also helped me to understand God’s grace and have grace on myself during these arduous years.
I’m not sure how God worked it out, but Steve and I had a lot of time together. What helped most was reviewing my academic schedule before second year with the Dean of Students. I was involved in too many extracurricular activities, research, projects, etc. Once she realized Steve was moving to Connecticut, she told me that I needed to say no to almost all of my commitments and that the only things I would have time for outside of being a good student were church and Steve. Prioritizing him early on definitely made a difference.
Q: If you could go back and have a conversation with 1st year Eunice, what would you tell her?
Oh man – great question! I would tell her to “STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS, take your time studying, and learn to take care of yourself (workout, eat healthy, etc.).
Q: I’m sure you’ve had a number of mentors, both professional and spiritual, throughout undergrad and medical school. What role did these men and women play in helping you be the person you are today?
There are so many. Mostly they listened during times of crisis and intense stress and redirected me to the bigger picture of why I was doing medicine.
Spiritual mentors often reminded me that God was in control and that nothing could separate me from Gods love. They taught me to endure the hardship. Professional mentors steered me away from getting involved in projects I didn’t really want to invest in or didn’t have time for. They helped me streamline my vision into things I actually valued and guided me to meetings/mentors/projects that nurtured and cultivated my passions. All my work with vulnerable populations and refugees started with a mentor redirecting my passion for global health to the local but vulnerable groups within our community.
Q: When you were in undergrad, what do you feel was your most defining adversity or failure? What about in medical school? What gets you through moments like these?
While studying for the MCAT to get into medical school, my father passed away suddenly. I had a hard time dealing with anything academic afterwards and developed a lot of anxiety around my academic and spiritual “performance”. During that time a friend simply told me to “hang on” because one day the grief and anxiety would pass. And it did.
In medical school, the grieving process continued in different forms. I often had a hard time seeing God’s love and grace during these periods. But every time the grief came, I learned something new about how to take care of myself and respond to triggers in healthy ways. Counseling and therapy is invaluable.
Q: Any advice for underrepresented students that are aspiring physicians?
You can do it! Surround yourself with mentors and those who are a few steps ahead. Pray for God to clarify the path he wants for you, and once he does, move forward with absolute confidence. Strive for excellence and diligence; be wary of perfection. Always create breathing room in your academic career for rest, mental and physical wellness, etc.
Some people say that minority students should work 10x as hard to prove those wrong who may underestimate the abilities/knowledge of minority students. I reject this wholeheartedly. There is definitely bias in academia, but you cannot spend your medical career trying to breakdown stereotypes – you don’t have time to and its mentally/physically exhausting. Your responsibility is to your future patients and colleagues – give them your best and know that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Is 54:17