607: Why Being Yourself Is the Most Underrated Strategy in Premed
The Premed Years
Ryan Gray
4.8 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 10 December 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
(00:00) - Dream to Physician
(09:36) - Navigating Premed at UF
(17:46) - Navigating Mentorship in Premed Culture
(28:58) - Navigating Medical School Challenges
(38:00) - Embracing Support in Medical School
When Kelviyana was just 15, their world changed overnight as they became the primary caretaker for their mother, newly diagnosed with breast cancer. This poignant experience ignited Kelviyana's passion for medicine, providing a firsthand look at the compassionate care of healthcare professionals. That transformative moment set the stage for a lifelong mission to be a source of hope and support, leaving a lasting impression on their journey from aspiring physician to dedicated med student.
As Kelviyana navigated the bustling corridors of the University of Florida, they faced the daunting reality of being a minority in a vast institution. Discover how they crafted a robust support system through family, friends, and the Health and Advocacy Promotion Initiative (HAPI), a club they founded to champion health education and self-advocacy. Kelviyana's narrative underscores the importance of aligning academic pursuits with personal passions, not just to build a resume but to foster meaningful change.
Premed culture often pushes students into a boxed checklist approach, but Kelviyana emphasizes the power of authenticity and self-belief. Whether it's exploring unconventional interests or overcoming imposter syndrome, they remind us that success in medical school applications comes from embracing one's unique qualities. Listen as Kelviyana shares the vital lesson that grades do not solely define potential, urging future doctors to persevere, seek support, and trust in their ability to achieve their dreams, even amidst setbacks.
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| 0:00.0 | The Pre-Mid Years session number 607. |
| 0:08.3 | Hello and welcome to the pre-med years, where we believe that collaboration, not competition, is key to your success. |
| 0:15.9 | I'm your host, Dr. Ryan Gray, and in this podcast we share with you stories, encouragement, and information that you |
| 0:21.7 | need to know to help guide you on your path to becoming a physician. |
| 0:27.2 | Welcome to the pre-med ears. |
| 0:28.7 | Thank you so much for joining me today. |
| 0:31.0 | I have an amazing guest. |
| 0:32.1 | But before we jump in and say hello to her, I want to talk to you about the MCAT Minutes, |
| 0:36.7 | brought you by Medical School |
| 0:38.2 | Headquarters. Did you know as we're releasing this? We have our winter MCAT immersive starting |
| 0:44.2 | December 17th. Go check it out at winter immersive.com. If you're listening to this in the future, |
| 0:50.7 | go to medical schoolhq.net or MCcat immersive.com to check out when our next immersive |
| 0:57.6 | MCAT course is or any of our other MCAT offerings. We are super excited to start offering or have |
| 1:04.9 | been offering now for a while. MCAT services. I brought over someone from Kaplan that had been with |
| 1:10.5 | Kaplan for 25 plus years |
| 1:12.8 | to help build out the best MCAT services here at Medical School HQ. And we're doing that. |
| 1:19.8 | MedicalSchoolh.net to check out all of those amazing services. All right, we're going to jump in |
| 1:25.0 | and say hello to Calviana. In our episode today, you'll hear how Calviana went from caring for her mother during a breast cancer diagnosis at just 15 years old to becoming a medical student driven by purpose, authenticity, and impact. |
| 1:41.4 | We dive into overcoming imposter syndrome, which never goes away, finding mentors, |
| 1:46.4 | avoiding the checkbox trap, and trusting that who you are is enough on this journey to medicine. |
| 1:52.4 | Let's jump in and say hello to Calviana. Calviano, welcome to the pre-mid years. Thanks for joining me. |
| 1:58.3 | Hi. Thank you so much for having me. This is honestly a dream come true. |
... |
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