Alumni Spotlight: Aaron Rodriguez
This week our Alumni Spotlight is Aaron Rodriguez! He recently graduated from Baylor in the Spring of 2021 and is currently a first-year medical student at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Read ahead to hear more about Aaron’s experience in AED, learn what it’s like to be in medical school, and get some valuable advice. His contact information is also listed at the end if you have any more questions for him!
Aaron joined AED in the Fall of 2018 and was a part of AED leadership as a Mission Trip Chair before serving as the VP of Service. He was also known as AED’s official skincare expert! Looking back, Aaron’s favorite part of being in AED was the service opportunities. “I might be biased, being the former VP of Service, but I genuinely look back on my time spent serving others alongside fellow AED members with fond memories. I would say that my favorite thing that I did while in AED was go on the medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic and also volunteer at Shepherd's Heart Food Pantry. It was through these events that I met my closest friends and became inspired to live a life serving others.”
And Aaron still carries the things he learned from those experiences today. “Whether it was giving preventive care presentations to locals in the Dominican Republic, or making sure families in the Waco community had enough food for the week, I learned how my efforts, even small ones, can truly make a big difference in somebody else's life. These passions encourage me to keep pushing through the grind of medical school so that I may one day serve others with my talents for and aptitude in medicine.” Community service is such a central part of what it means to be an AED member, and while the goal is to use our time and gifts to serve others, Aaron’s story is just one example of how volunteering often opens our eyes to a greater purpose within our own goals beyond Baylor.
Now that he is in his first year at LUCOM, Aaron has a lot of great insight into the transition between Baylor and medical school. “Something that I didn't expect was how doable medical school actually is. Throughout undergrad, I always heard horror stories about how medical students are constantly drowning from the fire-hydrant of knowledge and not being able to have balance between school and other parts of life. While it is true that you are grinding for most of the day, you will always have time for yourself for self-care and relaxation, given that you manage your time wisely. I still have time to go to the gym three times a week, chill or hang out with friends on the weekends, and am always in bed by 9:30 pm every night! Even while doing these things, I have been able to do very well in my classes and lab practicals.” As pre-professional health students, we all have set challenging goals for ourselves, so it is always reassuring to hear that it can be done!
Starting that next step in his academic journey is another thing that Aaron has enjoyed about being in medical school. “I would say that my favorite part about being in medical school is seeing how all of my hard work from undergrad paid off in both getting me here in the first place and also with some of my coursework. Although it sometimes got tough prepping for the MCAT and going through the application process, I found it all to be worth it now that I am here and actively pursuing my dreams of becoming a physician. I would say that my favorite thing that I have done in medical school so far would be dissecting in my anatomy lab. It truly is amazing to learn about the complexity of the human body, and see how each part of our body works together for our daily life.”
After Aaron graduates, he plans to continue on to residency as he discovers his specific passions in medicine. “As of right now, I am remaining open to all of the possible medical fields that are out there, and I am letting my experiences in class, shadowing, and listening to guest speakers push me into one field or another. Currently, as a first-year student, I am interested in learning more about the field of internal medicine because there are so many possibilities. I am also interested in pediatrics and various interventional procedures.”
When it comes to advice, Aaron has two main takeaways for current AED members:
“My biggest piece of advice for current AED members is to always take time to stop and reflect on the joys and blessings of being a pre-health student at Baylor University. While it may sound simple, it is so easy to get caught up in constantly trying to be the perfect professional school candidate. Don't get me wrong, definitely still study and work hard, but make time to create lasting and fond memories within your four years at Baylor that you will cherish forever. 10 years down the line, you're not going to remember that night you spent in Moody repeatedly drawing the Kreb's cycle, but you will remember the time you went to Fuego at 3 am with your friends and ate nearly a half-gallon of queso.”
“I would also recommend for current AED members to take advantage of all of the great resources that AED offers and take their classwork seriously! Anatomy with Dr. Parizi and Physiology with Dr. Tandy were such great foundations for many classes that I have taken thus far in medical school, allowing me to surpass many of my peers on examinations.”
Beyond that, Aaron’s email is listed below and he would love it if you reached out with questions about anything at all! (Want to know what other classes you should take? Advice for the MCAT or applying for medical school? Favorite places to visit in Texas? Skincare recommendations? Aaron can answer it all!)
arodriguez2325@outlook.com
Written by Jasmine Hartman Budnik