Jon Messerschmidt, Current MD/PhD Candidate
BU Major and Graduation Date:
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, May 2018
Current School/Program:
Duke University School of Medicine, MD/PhD, Matriculated 2020
Preferred Pronouns:
He/him
Hometown:
Malvern, PA
What school are you attending and what you are studying? Why did you choose to apply to this school? What do you think makes your school unique?
I am attending Duke University School of Medicine and I am in the MD/PhD program. I applied exclusively to MD/PhD programs because I wanted the experience and understanding that comes with doing an immunology PhD. I was very interested in Duke’s program because they have structured the program such that our clinical year comes right before starting the PhD portion of our training. From older students in the program and what I’ve seen so far from my second year, these experiences greatly inform graduate school department selection and provide key insights into future career possibilities in various medical specialties. The trend of having a clinical year earlier and before the PhD has been taking off around the country in recent years, but Duke has been doing it for decades—and they do it so well. The first year is busy but it is so good to have such a wide overview. The first year has allowed me to keep learning on the wards and link clinical understanding to patient cases which greatly improves information retention.
Is there a specialization and/or specific population you are interested in? Why? How did you get into it and/or learn more about it?
I’m particularly interested in pursuing pathology. Entering my first year I was primarily interested in internal medicine, but seeing tissue architecture and how things can change under pathophysiological conditions is fascinating to me. This newfound interest also pairs exceptionally well with my interests in immunology. Considering that T cell infiltration into a tumor was recently found to be predictive of therapy response, the study of the physical manifestation of immunological response to tumors is bound to improve patient responses in the future and will yield novel insights into the immunological mechanisms that determine tumor rejection. This interest was only found through my first year experience. Given my interest in therapy development, discussion of the underlying pathological mechanisms is particularly interesting to me.
What are one or two of your favorite experiences/activities and why?
I didn’t realize how a school badge grants you essentially limitless access to shadowing experiences in the hospital. I took the opportunity to sign out cases with surgical pathology for three days and received personalized teaching from a chief resident and the attending, which was incredible.
Did you take gap years?
I took two gap years and worked as a research technician in an immunology lab at Mass General Hospital. It was a great experience that I wanted to understand if the MD/PhD and immunology route was for me.
What was your favorite BU course and why?
One of my favorite classes was RNA structure and function. In the course we talked about how ribozymes are functional, RNA structure and how it determines transcription, viral RNA structure, etc. I had an understanding of the relationship between structure and function, but this class offered a completely novel way to think about biological systems. It was also a topic that is rarely covered in other classes since the primary focus is on proteins, understandably. However, the class greatly expanded the breadth of my biochemical understanding.
Were you involved in any clubs/groups at BU?
I was the VP of the Premedical Society for two years and involved for all 4. The main goal of the group was to expand student’s understanding of the medical community and I certainly achieved that. We routinely brought in specialists that described their daily responsibilities and it helped me greatly to learn more about fields I had only known from the outside. So often, students, myself included, think that we have an understanding of how a specialist’s day goes, but these opportunities really taught me a lot—and you will learn SO MUCH more in your clinical year of medical school.
Have you always known you wanted to be a doctor? What/who has been your biggest inspiration?
I have wanted to be a physician since I was very young. My family is very service-oriented and we also have a deep love of science. Our dinnertime conversations were centered around medicine and science almost all the time. Being a physician incorporated everything that I loved from my childhood, college experience and young adulthood—service, hard work, science and medicine, and innovation.
What resources at BU did you find most helpful or want to spotlight that others might not know about?
The Pre-Professional Advising Office was the most helpful to me. I met with my advisors at a minimum of once a semester to check in and make sure I was on the right track. Their help with time management, class selection, career planning, and so much more made the experience applying to medical school so much less stressful than I anticipated. I can’t recommend them enough!
What are your hobbies/What do you like to do for fun outside of the classroom?
I’ve always loved the outdoors, so this was a major factor in my decision of where to attend medical school, especially for a longer program. Specifically, I love to hike, camp, rock climb, and walk with my dog. All of these activities are widely available in Durham, NC which has made medical school much less stressful. I love to spend my weekends in a hammock reading my textbooks whenever I can!
Are there any tips/advice you would like to share with current pre-health students?
I would try to really find what you’re most interested in and dig deep. Some of the best advice I received from the Pre-Professional Advising Office was to follow your passions for your application instead of trying to check boxes. I noticed that my interest was well received when I was interviewing. More than anything, I think medical schools are looking to find passionate individuals that want to make a difference in one way or another. For me, this is in immunological therapy development. Find what your difference will be.