Kristopher D

Q&A With Kristopher D.

• What is the most memorable moment of your program experience?

  The camaraderie with like-minded young and energetic students from around the nation was both enriching and energizing. It was eye-opening to realize that so many people from so many different places and walks of life were out there with similar goals and aspirations. 

• How has your program experience helped you succeed in your career?

  The program experience helped me succeed professionally in very tangible ways. The suits my family and I invested in are still the center of my professional attire today! It was my first glimpse, while I was young and impressionable, of a formal setting that allowed me to overcome being intimidated by business-like appearance and behavior. This opened doors for me later as I found myself interacting naturally with academic and administrative leaders in college. It also helped me perform leadership roles that later translated into more prestigious opportunities.

• What key insights did you gain as a result of attending?

  The road to becoming a physician is a long and challenging one, and, in order to achieve it successfully, you need to step on it early and confidently, realizing that everyone else started somewhere similar. Along the way you have to remember to engage yourself in the type of activities that translate directly into becoming the type of person and practitioner you want to be. 

• Does your network of friends and colleagues include other Envision alumni?

  Yes, coincidentally, my current program director is a supporter of the NYLF Medicine program. I didn't know this until after I began working for him, and it has become a great shared experience to talk about. I also kept in touch with my group facilitator from NYLF Med into college.

• How did your program experience impact your life?

  NYLF Medicine gave me insight and confidence in my pursuit of a career in medicine. As a first generation college graduate from a small town, the opportunities one must seek out to become a physician were not readily accessible to me. It took participating in programs like the NYLF to make these dreams a reality. That may sound cliché, but the friends and contacts you make create lasting memories that allow you to envision a future in medicine as more realistic. And when you later meet others with similar goals you can understand both what motivates you and them in order to work together toward these common goals. It's a great opportunity for young people to explore their dreams and aspirations in a supportive and stimulating environment.

• What would you tell other students who are interested in attending an Envision program?

  Do it. I wasn't sure if I was qualified or "special" enough, if I had anything to contribute to the program or whether I would achieve anything significant from it in the future. But it was well worth it. Envision programs can have a lasting impact on your future. I know there are all sorts of doubts in the pursuit of professional careers, like: will I even get in to medical school?!?! Don't worry about it! This isn't that choice. It's an opportunity to get real-life exposure and can help you be sure of what you want and how to get it.