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THE BATTALION
Friday, January 18, 2002
Making the Grade
f>r many students, professional educations are the next step after graduation
By Heather Campbell
THE BATTALION
mportant to ^Ji rem y N* tc hcock, a first-year student at Texas A&M College
aiun off edlc ' ne . walked across the stage at graduation knowing what
a W anted to do with his life — help others. But this would mean
■>> more years of school and the determination to get through
l,.■ an y students decide to study even harder after college and
>rt the area lU'Kiip nr^f^ • , . . J b
,i ,f„. n . lcf . c Professional school.
P re P arat ion for medical school involves a seven-hour
exam, application processes and interviews with a Ph.D.
at each school,” Hitchcock said.
Bp'ke Freeman, a first-year student at Southern Methodist
■ v ersity Law School said the benefits of attending a profes-
B al school and his past work experiences convinced him to
■tinue with higher education.
K'he application for law school involves recommendations
v sev eral essays,” Freeman said. “Schools place a lot of weight
nt heLSAT."
here as wel ,/ ^ er deciding where to go, students begin the arduous task of
Bating to the life of a student pursuing a professional degree.
’■ he atmosphere is different because everyone knows
B they have to do well ” Hitchcock said. “Medical school
K Ves a lot of competition within yourself. It’s a lot of
■Pmg bars and going through hoops.”
’ ii r Gar >’ McCord, assistant dean and professor at Texas A&M
oiiege 0 f Medicine, said the demands come in the volume of
11 ^T? at ' on the y roust obtain.
^|The intensity they have to prepare for and volume of
»id a mnla^rc *j^ r ' a * s presented to them is incredibly greater,”
kclv come fr® 0rd said .
B^r. Thomas Carr, a graduate professor
P the math
Station
his thanks
the past
; c are reallv
>e able to
tiey General
oday for stude
the basic idea
ity of the stui
niversity," D
“(Texas Gov
tailed out
only tittin
n do the saro
den
inued frontj
iversities and
engineerine
is more focused because everyone is studying one specific subject.
Freeman added that the students are more intense and competitive
compared to undergraduate studies.
The grueling schedule can increase stress levels, but Hitchcock
keeps his mind focused on the reciprocity he will receive in the
professional world as a doctor.
“There is no way 1 can imagine four years, so I think about the
of academia
the private sec
'at ion.
letter has
out to the df
administrat
requesting i
Hiler said,
already recei'
minations."
similar letter"
to deans anb
. at other ur
trong engineei
. he said
; rev iew proed
ations w
5 and w ill last
onths.
ice we go thfi
ations, we "
the 10 besu
hem for an ii®1
that, we w
ee or four and a
le to A&M for
ew,” Hiler saic
len make our
.) the board ol ici
er said he
he position
following
lent, Sept. 1
_ — department at Southern
BJiodtst University, said that he assumes
iB^uate students will be more independ-
JB an d he does not have to help or motivate them as
nuph.
^JThe big difference is that some undergraduates are
•e just to fulfill the requirements and every graduate stu- ,
’fH 1 has chosen their specific field,” Carr said. “Overall, I
:x Pect to see a general professionalism in their work.”
B^orbett Redden, a first year graduate student in the math
mnment at the University of Notre Dame, said the atmosphere
FRANK CHANCE
contact I will have with patients and the satisfaction gained from
healing them. I enjoy helping people and the rewards come in
being able to serve those who need it the most ” Hitchcock said.
“I traveled to a country to assist people and we had to turn away
some that desperately needed surgery. I have their names on a
piece of paper that sits on my desk. Anytime I get overwhelmed 1
remember that I'm doing this for them.”
Graduate students can be seen sleeping in libraries, eating between
labs and classes and studying until late at night. After hours of intense
learning each day, students look for ways to alleviate the pressure.
“My motto has become ‘study hard and play hard.’ The books
are intense and we can’t do it for 10 hours straight,” Hitchcock said.
“Breaks are a necessity. My roommates, Jason Campbell and Joel
Massey, and I find ways to relieve the stress. We go rock climbing
and ride bikes. Our medical school class also interacts a lot.”
Redden said he enjoys interaction with his professors and that
while they expect a lot from the students, they are always
available and even attend parties.
“They are really nice and care about the students’
progress. It’s neat to be able to communicate with pro
fessors and get to know them,” Redden said.
Carr said math is not always appealing to students, but
he finds ways to talk to them.
“It’s fun to get beyond the textbook and see what
the students are actually learning,” Carr said.
Hitchcock said that at the A&M medical
school, the professors care about them and
while they crack down in class, out
side of it, they gain satisfaction
from befriending the students.
I “This school has made an
investment in us and they want to
see the investment through,”
Hitchcock said.
Dr. McCord said that the biggest reward
is when a student understands and he sees
the light come on in their eyes.
“Knowing that these students are going
_ to be helping patients gives me satisfaction,”
McCord said. “A lot of gratification comes in
giving them the equipment to do it very well.
the battalion I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
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