Jen Xiong- MD at Medical College of Georgia
Jen was a former HKSN’s Vice President of Finance. After her successful academic journey at McGill, she is pursuing her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) at Medical College of Georgia.
Tell us about what you studied at McGill.
I majored in Anatomy & Cell Biology. Many of the courses I took for my major ended up being helpful for some of my med school lectures, so I’m glad to have gotten that exposure while in undergrad.
What have you been currently working on after graduation?
I’m currently an M2 at the Medical College of Georgia. Besides studying 24/7 for school and preparing for my upcoming medical board exam, I spend the rest of my time sleeping, eating, and working out (you know, the riveting stuff).
Most regretful thing you’ve done at McGill?
Not taking full advantage of the incredible city that is Montreal! I’ll be the first to admit that I let myself get stuck in the McGill bubble and didn’t push myself to experience all there was to the city while I was there. Now, when my friends who are still in MTL post pictures of all the awesome cafes, restaurants and brunch places around town I kick myself for not having taken the opportunity to explore the city more.
I think that’s a common thing about regret though, eh? Most people end up regretting all the things they didn’t try to do…
Proudest thing you’ve done at McGill.
Looking back on my undergrad experience, I couldn’t tell you 99% of the things I ended up learning at McGill (no offense to McGill, haha), but what I do remember are all the personal moments outside of academia that I will take with me forever.
Many of the moments that I cherish most are a result of my decision to apply for and become a part of the HKSN family;
I’m thankful for having put myself out there to apply for HKSN, a choice that helped me gain not only a network of hardworking, driven, intelligent colleagues, but also a real family of caring, compassionate friends who I will be connected to for the rest of my life.
What advice would you give to current undergraduate students at McGill?
Never underestimate the power of great time management!
If you study efficiently and utilize your time wisely, you’ll gain so much time in your week that you can use for yourself
— whether it be for other hobbies, exploring the city, gettin’ swole, volunteering, anything that makes you happy. If you know you literally cannot sit through a class without browsing Facebook or falling asleep, don’t waste your time by making an appearance when you know you’re only gonna get 30% out of it. Download and watch the lecture at 1.5x-2.0x speed, and do it when you know you can focus with no distractions at all, give your 100%. Think of all the time you could save in the day if you just did this — if ‘future you’ didn’t have to go through learning the lecture all over again because you already did it the right way the first time around…
Do this and you’ll see just how much free time you truly have while in undergrad (a whole lot!) and cherish that time and really make it count,
because you’re not gonna get many more opportunities like this after you graduate.
TL;DR — Work hard and study efficiently so that you have more time to carpe diem while at McGill. Seize every opportunity to appreciate Montreal while you can, as those are the memories that actually stay with you after you graduate.
