Javier Nishikawa
Where are you from?
Born in New Jersey but have lived in Huntsville since I was three.
Where did you complete your undergrad?
Auburn University – War Eagle!
What made you want to become a physician?
When I started college, I was not planning to attend medical school, but after my first year of school, I started to realize that I was most excited by a career as a physician. I took advantage of my school breaks to shadow several physicians, and that solidified my interest in the field. I am excited to pursue a service-oriented career.
What made you choose the UAB Heersink School of Medicine?
Being from Alabama, I always knew that UAB had an outstanding reputation in every regard—undergraduate and graduate medical education, medical research, and patient care. This already put UAB high on my list of schools, but as I learned more, met classmates and faculty members, and considered my educational goals, I realized UAB Heersink was where I would perform my best. I could tell that the school’s leadership puts students first.
What is your favorite thing about UAB Heersink?
Since starting school in July, I have come to realize the importance of UAB in the Birmingham community and am so glad to be a part of it. There are so many different opportunities for students from interest groups and service organizations to learn from physicians who are leaders in their field. UAB makes students feel like they are part of its mission to serve the state of Alabama from day one.
What do you think makes UAB different from other schools?
My classmates. We are a unique group of 186 with different interests, backgrounds, and hobbies, but we share the common goal of becoming physicians. This helps us remember to work as a team and support each other. In just a few short months, I have made many new and kind friends.
What is something you wish you could go back and tell yourself the summer before your first year?
Enjoy your summer. Go visit your friends who live far away, go somewhere you’ve never been before, start a new hobby, or run a marathon— whatever you want to do to enjoy the break. Don’t think about school!
What is your favorite Birmingham spot?
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens. They have beautiful flowers, a greenhouse, and a Japanese garden. The best part is that it is completely free!
What is something about being a medical student that more people don’t realize?
The process of applying to medical school is long, expensive, complicated, and challenging. You have worked so hard to get this acceptance. Congratulations!
Mike Wang
Where are you from?
Lubbock, TX and Las Vegas, NV
Where did you complete your undergrad?
American University
What made you want to become a physician?
I was in high school when the Great Recession started, and the impact it had on my community led me to pursue political science as an undergrad, where I hoped to have an impact on building more robust safety nets for vulnerable communities and individuals. After graduating, I worked in politics and labor, where access to healthcare came up time and again whether from lack of access to mold-free housing or among coworkers who struggled to afford health benefits. When the 2016 election ended, I was out of work and those stories motivated me to become an EMT-B, which allowed me to fall in love with patient care. I ultimately wanted to get more involved with patient care, which led me to go back to school to apply for medical school.
What made you choose UAB Heersink School of Medicine?
I chose UAB because of the amazing combination of the school’s commitment to service as well as the incredible opportunities for growth here. My reasons for getting into medicine are closely tied to an interest in service through medicine, while I also knew that mentorship and research each were important to my personal growth in my path to medicine.
What is your favorite thing about UAB Heersink?
The friends and mentors I’ve found through my Learning Community have been amazing. Students are sorted into Learning Communities during orientation, who in many ways become like family. I have been constantly and pleasantly surprised how deliberately and thoughtfully the school puts effort into ensuring students feel a part of a community, especially as an out-of-state student. That’s especially true of my peer mentor, a student in the class ahead of mine, who was instrumental in helping me feel better adjusted and prepared for school as it started and to rise to meet its challenges as it unfolds.
What do you think makes UAB different from other schools?
Something that stood out from my campus tour onwards is that the school really cares about students’ experiences. The faculty clearly read and work in feedback from our evaluations and will stay around after lectures to answer questions. The administration also works closely with Student Senate as well as individual students to continually improve the curriculum as well as our broader experiences here. That sincere interest in student involvement provides many opportunities for involvement in the behind-the-scenes work at the school – there are so many opportunities for involvement and leadership in the many different organizations and entities that make up the school.
What’s something you wish you could go back and tell yourself the summer before your first year?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Medical school is tough, and I don’t think I’d be able to keep up without support from my study groups and from Medical Student Services. There are amazing resources available formally through the school via Medical Student Services and in our peers here that I’ve learned so much from.
What’s your favorite Birmingham spot?
I love pizza, so I was really excited to find Pizzeria GM in Mountain Brook. My fiancée and I like to go after exams or whenever else we feel like celebrating.
What’s something about being a medical student that more people don’t realize?
People genuinely want you to succeed in medical school. I took it for granted as an undergraduate and in the medical school application process that medical school would be equally competitive. On the contrary, I’ve found that both my peers and the school want us to succeed and that people celebrate each other’s successes and support each other through challenges.