Megan Clark

Hometown: Muncie, IN 
Undergraduate Institution: Ball State University
Current year at KSUCPM: Class of 2024

Why did you pursue podiatric medicine?
Having many family members who are healthcare workers, I had always wanted to work in the medical field. I originally thought that I wanted to be a dentist. When this did go as planned, I started looking into other fields in healthcare. My grandfather, who was a podiatrist for 40 years, suggested I look into podiatry since he had really enjoyed it. I knew very little about what he did as a podiatrist since he had retired when I was 7. The more I learned about all the different aspects of podiatry and the scope of practice, the more interested I became. Touring the school ultimately convinced me that podiatric medicine was what I wanted to do. 

Why did you choose KSUCPM?
I toured the school and got such a sense of community from meeting the students and staff. It gave me a feeling of family and like the faculty genuinely wanted me to succeed. 

What is your favorite aspect of Kent State now that you are a student?
There are so many different resources if you need help. If you need academic help, there are tutors for almost every class. If you need advice, you have a Big you can contact, and most students are willing to help if you ask them.  

Have you begun to prepare Boards yet?
I have started using the USMLE book to study for classes like pharmacology and pathology. I wish I had started using it sooner since it is very helpful with grouping information. I am an anatomy tutor, so I consider the preparation and studying I do for tutoring every week as boards prep. Over winter break I’m going to make a boards study schedule for spring semester and get my resources together that I’m going to use to study. 

How do you strike a balance between class work, studying, and social activities?
I definitely struggled a lot the first year to find a balance between classes, studying, and having a social life outside of school. It takes some time to figure out what you're comfortable with in terms of how much you feel like you need to study. If you feel like you can take a day off of school and still be okay, then do it. There’s always more studying to do and grades are important, but you need to take a break every once in a while for your mental health. I try to hang out with my friends outside of school at least one day a week. This is a break for me and helps to re-energize me for school. This doesn’t always happen especially as exam week gets closer, but I do try to take time for myself and take a break from school even if it is something as small as taking an hour to watch a show I like. I highly recommend having a hobby outside of school or something you can do outside of school to relax and take a mental break. 

Do you have any suggestions for prospective students on building/maintaining a balance?
Getting good grades is great, but it shouldn’t define who you are as a person. You shouldn’t be putting your mental health on the back burner for the sake of making straight As. My personal philosophy is I’m going to try my best and if I get As that's great. If not, at least I tried and learned the material well so when boards comes around I’m prepared. If you need to take a day off to decompress and reset, that's perfectly fine and normal. Don’t feel guilty for not studying if you need a mental break. Also, don’t compare how you study and the amount of time you study to other people. Do what works for you. 

What one word describes you best?
Determined

What are some activities you are involved in at KSUCPM?
I am an anatomy TA and an anatomy tutor. This gives me the opportunity to meet first years and other fellow second years while also studying for boards. Having started at KSUCPM during Covid, I really didn’t know that many people in my class. Being a TA and a tutor has really helped with getting to know more of my classmates. I am also the secretary for the Healthy Minds and Soles Association. We hold events every month that promote mental health in medical school. In my opinion, mental health is something that gets looked over or pushed to the side quite often among medical students. Healthy Minds and Soles likes to bring awareness to this, and provide students resources on how they can better their mental health. 

What are some of the challenges you faced while transitioning into medical school? 
At the end of fall semester of my first year, I got really homesick and I was feeling burned out from school. I had put a lot of pressure on myself to study all the time and get good grades at the beginning of the semester. By the time it was November, I was very unmotivated to study or get anything done. I really missed my family and friends as I really hadn’t seen them since July or before Covid. I became closer with some of my classmates at this time and started opening up to them more. I realized that I wasn’t the only one who felt burnt out or homesick. Having a group of classmates who are close friends is great, especially since they are going through this with you and they understand how you feel. You need a support system, and they are a great one because they are living this experience alongside you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them if you feel like you need someone to talk to. 

What one word describes KSUCPM?
Welcoming

What advice would you offer to any prospective students wishing to attend KSUCPM who are in the current application process:
If you are able to, I highly recommend taking a tour of the school. You can see the classrooms, labs, and meet current students. I took a tour of the school before I applied because I was unsure if podiatry was what I wanted to do or if I would like the program. Talking to the current students helped me to realize that KSUCPM was a good fit for me. I really felt like I was welcomed at KSUCPM and the faculty here really wanted to succeed. 

What do you think is the most challenging course and why?
I feel like every class is challenging in its own way, and you have to adapt to how each professor teaches. However, the most challenging course for me was cardiovascular. Cardiovascular is part of organ systems, which you take in the spring semester of your first year. It was difficult for me because it was only a 3 week class and there was a lot of material to cover. It started after the end of Neuro, so I was mentally spent and it was hard for me to get motivated for that class. 

How did you hear about KSUCPM?
My grandfather was a podiatrist and had looked into the program. He thought it was something I would be interested in since he really enjoyed working as a podiatrist. The more I learned about podiatry and KSUCPM, the more I realized this was what I wanted to do. 

Favorites
Movie: The Birdcage or Mama Mia. It's a tie.
Song: Any Taylor Swift song
Starbucks Drink: Iced Caramel Macchiato 
Book: Me Before You
Season: Fall
Cleveland Activity: Trying new restaurants with my friends and going to the Cleveland Metropark Zoo
KSUCPM Class: Immuno/ Microbiology with Dr. Dalman
TV Show: The Office or 90 Day Fiance