Rosalie Schumann was a double major in Neuroscience and Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and graduated in 2018. She is currently a Medical Student at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

What is your current position like?

As a medical student, I am constantly learning new information. As a first-year student, I am focused on learning about the cellular and molecular basis of disease and medicine. I really love the fact that medical school emphasizes exploring and understanding different fields of medicine before students make a choice about what specialty they want to go into.

Describe your career path.

I did not decide to pursue medical school until my senior year at Temple University. After graduating from Temple, I completed a post-bacc program at Thomas Jefferson University in order to take the basic science pre-requisite classes for medical school.

How did the CLA Neuroscience Program prepare you for your current position?

The CLA Neuroscience Program's range of course offerings allowed me to explore the different aspects of neuroscience that I was most interested in, which really helped me decide that I wanted to go to medical school. The rigor of the courses and the focus on research definitely prepared me well for medical school and helped me develop strong study habits. The great thing about the CLA Neuroscience Program is that there is a lot of flexibility to figure out what you find most interesting and focus on that, whether it is through choosing specific classes or getting involved in research.

What advice do you have for current students in the CLA neuroscience program?

I would definitely recommend getting to know your professors. The Neuroscience faculty are very valuable resources and have a lot of insight that students can benefit from, regardless of what you want to do with your Neuroscience degree! I would also recommend getting involved in research as a way to translate classroom learning into skills, and it is also a great way to build connections with faculty and other students. Being involved in the department, or on campus in general, will definitely be beneficial in the long run. 

What is something that you know now that you wish you knew as an undergraduate?

I think it is important not to compare yourself with others, which can be tempting. Everyone has different goals, interests and strengths and everyone's path will be different. I think it is important to focus on what will be best for you and really take the time to think about what that might be.