MAPS President 2019-2020: Veronica Prince

Veronica Prince

Atlanta, Georgia

Major: Medical Humanities

Minor: Biology

Pre-Medical

Baylor Interdisciplinary Core

Honors College

Multicultural Association of Pre-Health Students President

Student Health Advisory Council President

Student Government Association Health Deputy Co-Chair

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

Baylor Alumnus Class of 2020

Q. Now that you have reached your senior year. Can you reflect on yourself and the growth you have seen within you that has emerged since the start of your pre-health journey?

A. Reflecting back, the biggest thing that I can say in relation to my personal growth and my growth as a pre-health student was just understanding the power of perseverance early on. The pre-health program at Baylor is notoriously difficult and potentially weeding out students so you see a lot of kids dropping your freshman and sophomore year and you begin to question yourself and your own capabilities. However, as I got through each year, I realized the importance of perseverance and the fact of just getting connected with upperclassmen and getting involved with organizations that will encourage you and speak life into you but also doing your part as a student to make sure that you are not one of the people that drops out and that you continue to progress towards your goals. So that is really what carried me from the time I set foot on campus to basically the time that I'm approaching now where it's time to get my degree

Q. Thank you. So as a freshman, when you came into Baylor, what were your initial reactions and experiences with becoming a student here at this university?

A. When I first got into Baylor and enrolled in everything, I did that without ever stepping foot on campus. That is not something that I advise and that is not something that is common. So when I got here, I was just open to everything. I try not to allow myself to be taken into the negative mindset or, oh, find things that I did not like about this or that. My thought process, I have already committed and I'm going to be here for years.

So I first, like you, get taken aback by the campus's beauty because it is a beautiful campus. But as classes started, I was like, wow, I am really in college. And this school is actually a little difficult and it is more difficult when you are a minority student. And I learned that out the back. But that just encouraged me to get connected with other minority students and other African American students on campus just to create a home away from home.

Q. And with that, how has the pre-health office assisted you in expanding your capabilities as a pre-health student?

A. So the pre-health office has a unique role on campus. It has a bunch of resources and opportunities that it sends out to students. And they hold these things called like ask pre-health sessions where you can go in and ask them any question you want. And even if you want a calculator like a GPA or BCPM GPA. and you do not know what that is, they will literally work with you wherever you are and help you get to where you are trying to go. That being said, if you are one of the students, who is let’s say, "too far gone", you might want to go to the pre-health office, but also like look in different ways of getting resources because they probably won't be able to help you at that point and they will be very open about that. But that does not mean that your road to medicine is impossible, anything like that at all. They have "Ask Pre-Health" sessions. They have this group of medical mentors that they sponsor that hold sessions on med-school applications and MCAT just everything. Letters of recommendation, personal statements. So they are a great asset to the prehealth community here, in my opinion.

Q. Can you personally describe how you've used your resources and networking to get plugged in, per say, into different avenues of health around Baylor, such as the different organizations you are a part of and the different opportunities that have been presented to you?

A. Yeah. So I knew that when I came to college, wherever it would be, that I would want to leave it better than I found it in a way. And so in order to do that, from the moment I got here to the time now where I am about to leave, I have joined numerous organizations and I guess I will start on that list. I currently serve as the president of MAPS, which is the Multicultural Association of Pre-Health Students, the organization that is sponsoring and publishing this beautiful, Mosaic magazine.

I am also the president of SHAC Student Health Advisory Council on Baylor's campus. And basically, we are a small council of university students who help advise the health clinic staff, as well as the counseling center and BARC (Beauchamp Addiction Recovery Center), which is our addiction recovery center on campus and just things of that nature. I am also a Devastating Diva of the Rho Eta chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. I am a Teaching Assistant for Human Physiology Lab up here for about a year and a half now. I am in SGA, which is the Student Government Association as the Deputy Director of Health, a role that I split with a colleague. I served as a C.L (Community Leader) for two years as well. I served as a NCAA academic mentor. I currently teach in Waco ISD. Freshman year I worked in Waco Hall as an Usher. That is a great experience for anybody who just wants to be more personable. And recently I took on a job as a medical scribe at Providence. And as far as research I have been involved and Dr. Tomball's Leap Lab and the Sleep Cognition and Neuroscience Lab here, Baylor, where I've gone to run a couple of independent research and present those during URS Scholar Week. But the initial question was how have I used those resources to help me?

All of those resources are great in and of themselves with opportunities that they present in addition to being added on like a medical school application. However, they each were able to put me in situations where I had to step outside of my comfort zone and think on my toes and interact with all types of people and represent a whole body of students as one person. So it really helped me as a leader, but also as a student understanding and having to hear students' stories and then convey that in the most appropriate way to the higher ups.

Q. That is amazing. So with that, can you give me some insight into your day to day life, seeing as you were, you would be extremely busy having to shoulder so much responsibility in these different avenues.

A. Yes. My day life is, I wouldn't say hectic - and this is something that I give to everybody - the sooner you understand the importance of time management to your life, the sooner you will be able to enjoy everything that it is that you want from your college experience.

So my day to day life starts. I try to wake up. No later than 7:45 to go to work. And then I go to class and my days are done by 3:15. So it's not too bad. And then after that is where my extracurriculars come into play, whether that step practice or MAPS meetings or Executive Board meetings or conference calls or whatever it may be. But whatever it is, I know that I will be in my house and in my bed no later than 12:00 in the morning. Those are just kind of my hard-set things. And if I cannot make it fit into those hours or that schedule, then maybe I shouldn't be doing it because then I can't give 100 percent of myself, which would be a disservice to whoever is asking for my participation. So it's really about balance and understanding your limits, but also your passions and making everything fit any unique way that benefits you and your schedule.

Q. Is there anyone whether a former student or mentor who had a significant impact on you that you would like to celebrate and/or speak on?

A. Yes. So in relation to medicine, the students who have been a beacon of light to me have been. Stephanie Nwagwu, the former, well, three times removed past president of MAPS. And then our Arham Siddiqi, who is the previous president of MAPS. Both of them have helped me on both ends of my college career as a freshman. Stephanie was the president of MAPS and seeing her command room or present or talk was really inspiring to me. And it was in that first general meeting I was thinking, “you know what, I am going to become her. I do not know how I am going to get there, but I will be president of this organization and I will get into medical school.” I can do it because she can do it. And she looks like me. And then on the tail end of my undergraduate career, we have our home, who has been a phenomenal asset to a lot of my accomplishments here and who has been understanding and flexible with me. In 2019 I served as the vice president [of MAPS] and in MAPS we have to plan an entire trip. And my year we had 27 students flying of which I was responsible for getting them there and back.

However, I also decided to undertake sorority life and that was also very time-consuming. And he was completely understandable that I am flexible with me and that he continued to encourage me throughout that. And also as I was wanting to be president of MAPS. Even after he graduated, he is currently in medical school. He has proofread my entire application. We have sent a minimum of 30 edits of my personal statement back and forth like he is the embodiment of what I envision MAPS to be in the future, just a constant progression of giving back to where you started from.

So those two students have definitely assisted me greatly in relation to medicine, in relation to his everyday life. I have to shout out my sorority sisters and also countless young men and women who restore faith for me in knowing that while when I leave Baylor is still going to be represented and the plights of minority students will still be advocated for. And there are so many people who are too zealous for change and advocacy and all those great things.

Q. You stated that you had Arham assist you in your med school application process. Can you give us further insight into how all that came about?

A. Yes. When you are about a junior, I will say you will take your MCAT. You can definitely take it before then. Totally up to you. But about junior year, your coursework will have prepared you to take the MCAT and you will be more mature, which is needed when you sit for that eight-hour test. But after that, you apply to medical schools that summer, the summer of your junior year. And in that, there is like a personal statement in which you write about. There is an activities section and just it is a lot. But you can definitely do it with the help of a tribe that is going to look like what you need it to look like.

For me, that is the schedule that I followed. I took my MCAT in my junior year. That summer I applied. And now as a senior is where you are hearing back with interviews or acceptances or deferments or whatever they may be. And that is also not the generic path to medicine. So do not get discouraged if that is not your path to medicine. There are a lot of people on my board currently that are taking gap years or one singular year or doing research and going, all of that. And honestly, the average starting age of med school classes ranges from 25 to 27. So do not feel discouraged at all. If you need to do a postbaccalaureate program or do more research or shadow whatever maybe, rest in that. As long as you are taking your MCAT and work on the application, you are absolutely fine.

Q. How are you using your platform to now help students who are still in the application process and who are looking to network and to become as plugged in as you are?

A. I use my platform in a variety of ways. I feel like accolades mean nothing if they are just for you. If you are just using them as an asset for your own advancement. I am a strong believer in that. That is why on every board that I serve on and everybody that I sit under, I make sure that each conversation we have is about progression, not only of the organization, but of the people within it. Because what good does it do to leave something better than you found just for it to die off? You need to be building up leaders. You need to be encouraging, your member body and you need to be walking the walk for lack of a better phrase. The way that I do that is I am very open. I have an open door, open phone, open house policy with everyone that I work with because I feel like things begin to break down when people feel unheard.

With that, I make sure that everybody that I come into contact with, especially those that I work with professionally in the E-Board setting, are able to contact me and to reach me and feel heard and valued. And that's the biggest thing that I have come across that has ensured success, because as much knowledge as you have in a room or as much money you have in a room, if nobody feels heard, then you're not going to get anywhere. So that is just what I live by and try to model myself after. But also in the progression since, I am purposeful and training up leaders. So when I got in these positions, I knew, ok, come May 2020, I am going to be gone. Who can I identify, who can I pass the golden scepter and things of that nature? So it is always about being conscious and mindful of where you are going and where you want your impact to last.

Q. As ingratiated as you become at this university, how do you do it? How do you find time to relieve stress? You find time to be just a normal regular student.

A. So that is where that balance comes in. You have to invest in yourself. For me as an undergrad, before I knew people it was, going home, watching TV just in my room, relaxing and flying home, hanging out with family and things of that nature. Now that I'm older and know more people, and more involved on campus it is hanging out with my line sisters or going to the movies with my boyfriend or talking to some of my mentees and just asking how they're doing, hosting an event at the house. It is really the little things. Everybody does not need an international trip to unwind. If that is you, then that is totally fine. But it has at the end of the day it is about investing in yourself because success is great, but it can also be harmful if you are not pouring back into yourself to make sure that your cup does not run dry. That is how I do it and how I remain normal and not stressed out or stretched thin or anything about that. I invest in myself and I take it seriously.

Q. Are there any professors with which you have formed positive relationships that you would like to also highlight?

A. Dr. Dena Quigley, she is the lab instructor that I work for. She is super great. Even if you are not trying to get into medical school or you don't want to be near a lab after you finish physics lab. It is totally ok. She is just a great person to talk to. She will write you a letter of recommendation. She will listen to you. She will have you like go on vacation if you need it. She is just super understanding. Aside from her, there's this master’s student who is a soon-to-be Ph.D. student. Her name is Jasmine Stovall. She is a great resource as well. Just if you want to hear from a student who is doing the things and who is focused and motivated and is willing to motivate other people and help them get focused as well. As far as just regular staff and faculty on campus, I would highly suggest people get connected to Dr. Beverly in Multicultural Affairs. She is a great listening ear, but she has a great wealth of knowledge and resources.

There's Ms. Terica Hudson and Campus Living and Learning who will always listen to you and get you connected to the powers that be on campus to meet the needs that you have. In the science community, there's Dr. Erica Abel, she is super sweet. There's Dr. Zinke, also super sweet. The only caveat that I will give is that they come to them prepared. If you are a D- student who is not taking their class or any class seriously, I highly advise you not to approach them, because at the end of the day, science is a field, we're here to learn and they are here to partner with students who are willing to learn and who are willing to push through their struggles and challenges and take things seriously. Aside from them, honestly, the list could go on, but I am leaving it at those gems.

Q. Any other tidbits, any other pieces of advice you would like to convey to students who will be looking to apply to Baylor and particularly into prehealth, some kind of science major or non-science majors who are also prehealth? What would you give them? What kind of advice would you give?

A. First and foremost, I would say join MAPS. And I say that as the former president. But I say that as a president who four years ago was a general body member, the organization is large, but there was not once where I didn't feel seen and that I wasn't heard in every general meeting and every outreach and every service project really spoke to me, not even as a student, but as a minority and as a female, as an aspiring physician, as someone interested in health care. They do not know how they do it. And I should because I am the president. But there's something about us in the team that we have that makes sure that everyone's needs are truly met. We have people who are economics majors and have no interest in medicine whatsoever who come to our meetings for the community and just to be around people who are genuine and authentic. So I do advise people to join MAPS. The biggest thing, however, I would say is networking.

Networking will get you into rooms where grades never will. And that's even if you have a 4.0, learn how to network if that's something that makes you uncomfortable, I encourage you to be uncomfortable because at the end of the day, that might be the difference between you having to be on a wait-list and you getting an interview without even sending an application. And aside from that, your grades are always important. They are not everything, but your grades and your MCAT are factored into the holistic process of medical school applications.

So I would encourage you to do that, focus on that. And if you do take a nosedive at the beginning and/or middle of your academic career, do not let that discourage you. If medicine or health care is where your passion is, stick with it. There are Post-Bac programs, Master's programs designed to help students in those situations and designed to help them pipeline into medical school. However, another important thing that I would suggest is getting a mentor. And it does not have to be just one. Get someone that you can relax with, get someone who will be on you academically, get someone who will motivate you. And then also find you someone who you aspire to emulate and how they carry themselves and where they are professionally and things of that nature. If you do those things, I mean, you cannot go wrong. And then also just remember to always invest in yourself and others, because who are you if you are not giving back? Yeah, that is all I have.

Final Regards: Veronica Prince

Prospective students should take heed to Veronica’s words here. She is the epitome of determination in synchronization to time management. She networks exceptionally well and has been able to generate relationships with students and faculty here at Baylor as well as beyond our campus into the surrounding community. She has been as motivated a student as she has been as passionate about her future. Her discipline to get work done has proven to be next to none but most importantly, she continues to reach back and elevate the next generation of diverse leaders. She has continued the legacies of those before her and has worked hard to ensure their