Former students in Biology 107: Kevin Finkel
Last revised: Monday, August 12, 2002

Kevin Fikel
Kevin's web site
When I came to Uconn, I was scared out of my mind. I had no idea what to expect academically and socially. Luckily, there were plenty of things to help ease my fears. On the academic side, I attended SI. Now I'm sure you've heard a lot about SI and you're probably saying to yourself, "hey, this guy is just saying this because he taught it." I live and die by SI. It was the biggest thing that helped calm my fears about my schoolwork. I attended every session of SI and, honestly, did not have to study for the exams. SI successfully spaced out the material by having bi-weekly sessions, but also allowed me to learn in an interactive fashion, and I still use this method to study today. I loved SI so much that, as I mentioned before, I decided to become an SI leader during my Junior year for Bio 107 and Chem 243. Teaching SI not only allowed me to give back to a program that did so much for me, but I learned the material better than I had ever known it. After all, teaching is the highest form of learning.

Besides being an avid SI lover, I also got involved in genetic research over the first two summers at Yale School of Medicine. I obtained this job by sending out personal emails to over 200 labs asking if they had any positions available. Keep in mind, this was before I knew anything about email and had to send out each letter individually on the old Uconn Mainframe (i.e. it was not fun). But my perseverence paid off when I received 1 positive response to work in a genetics lab. This internship was amazing because it taught me a great deal of laboratory technique that I probably wouldn't have learned for a couple of years. I also continued my genetic research at Linda Strausbaugh's lab at Uconn where I worked for three years and completed a seniors honors thesis. My experiences in the laboratory taught me many things. The biggest thing I learned was that I really don't like lab work and I needed a more socially interactive profession.

I also got involved with several social organizations with my fraternity, AEPi, and Hillel being the two to which I devoted the majority of my time. Through theses oraganizations I met tons of wonderful people and found an outlet to my studies. I strongly recommend getting involved with some social organizations on campus. However, try to avoid the temptation of joining too many because it's easy to spread yourself too thin.

During the summer before my senior year, I participated in the Uconn School of Medicine Summer Fellowship program. This was a tremendous step in the right direction into doing clinically related research and getting into medical school. I worked with the clinical skills department and my project entailed my observing and videotaping a team of second year primary care residents with their patients to critique their bedside manner. This fellowship solidified my decision to go into medicine and made me fall in love with Uconn Medical School as well. In addition to my project, I shadowed several doctors of various specialties. Plus, this program is looked very highly upon by the admissions committee at Uconn Medical School, so all you premeds out there who want to go to Uconn, I stongly suggest that you apply to this program.

After my med school interviews, my senior year was devoted to having fun. During this time, I designed my own web site and soon became addicted to it. Oh yeah, I wrote my thesis also. As I was waiting to hear from medical school, I accepted a summer job working at a biotech company, called Genaissance Pharmaceuticals. The company examined the genetic basis behind pharmaceutical resistance and I examined trace reads and determined which genetic variations were valid. But nothing could prepare me for when I received my acceptance letter (I received it in an email, actually) to Uconn School of Medicine, where I am currently attending. It's definitely challenging but I'm loving it.

I'd like to end with the following pieces of advice to offer:
  1. Work hard and follow your dreams.
  2. Don't study too much.
  3. Make sure you have at least one crazy story to tell every Monday about the past weekend.
  4. Don't ever let your studies make you forget the important people in your life (believe me, it happens).
  5. Devote yourself to a social or community service organization.
  6. GO TO SI.
  7. Move into South Campus as soon as you can. It's like living in a hotel.

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