Alice Pham

Program:  MD/MPH, Rural Primary Care Track

Hometown:  Memphis, TN

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Memphis, Biology/Psychology double major

Specialty/Career Plans: Internal Medicine, but I am still not sure!

Extracurricular Activities: 
Leadership in SNMA, Minorities and Alliance in Healthcare, Medical Students for Health Inequity, Family Medicine Interest Group Ambassador

Marital Status:  Single

Alice Pham

Please click here to email a question to Alice

Why Quillen
I did not know until the interview that Quillen was my number 1 choice. I had worked in a busy ER that saw many patients from rural areas, and I was interested in rural medicine, but I was not really sure what I would be able to do with that. I saw the environment and opportunities offered by Quillen during my interview day after talk to Stephanie Cole and some current students, and that was what really finalized my decision. Quillen seemed to offer a competent, but not competitive, feel among the students, and I can still say that this is true after my first year. The small class size allows me to know almost everyone in my class, and I have several groups of friends that I can study and hang out with.

Prior Life
I have only lived in Memphis, TN, prior to moving to Johnson City for medical school. I graduated from the University of Memphis in 2018 with degrees in Biology and Psychology, and I have done past research in psychotherapy relating to communication between clinicians and patients. I took a gap year and scribed in the ER in DeSoto County, MS, and I used this time to revise my thesis for publication.

Being a Quillen Student
I have always felt that my feedback is taken seriously, even though sometimes it feels like there are so many surveys. I know that my voice is heard when my suggestions are acknowledged, and the layout of some courses can be adjusted to fit student needs. I have a close relationship with several of my classmates as well as several of the upperclassmen just through the Big/Little program that OSR sets up. Of course medical school is a big change that is overwhelming, but I feel that I have a strong support system here, even though I moved from West TN and did not know anyone in my class before the first day of classes. Additionally, I have had some health problems since starting school, and all the faculty and staff were very helpful and understanding.

Life Outside of The Classroom
Although studying for classes takes up quite a bit of time outside of the classroom, I usually have several hours every week that I spend volunteering and hanging out with friends. I play the piano and violin, but I don’t have either of my instruments with me, which has been a big change, but I know there are several people in my class that also enjoy playing music together. We also have doggie play dates at the park whenever the weather is nice outside and there are no exams. I had a difficult time planning time for myself in the first semester, but many of the interest groups would schedule social events that got me away from studying for a little while.