Anne Sidamon-Eristoff ’20 | MD/PhD | Yale

Pursuing an MD/PhD at Yale School of Medicine, entering class of 2022

Undergraduate Major: Spanish and Portuguese with a certificate in Neuroscience

Significant college activities: Peña Lab, Princeton Sailing Team, Student Volunteers Council: El Centro, Volunteer at Hospital for Special Surgery, Fashion Speaks, Cottage Club, Princeton in Spain

Post-college activities: Clinical Research Assistant at Boston Children's Hospital (2020-22)

Words of wisdom about being prehealth at Princeton: I had a more unusual path than most premed students, since I took Advanced Standing to waive my sophomore fall semester. Consequently, I took orgo outside of Princeton. I was a humanities major and didn't join a lab until my junior year. I think premed students feel a lot of pressure to follow a seemingly prescribed path in order to be successful. I hope my story evidences that with determination and hard work, many paths can enable you to ultimately attend your top choice medical school. I am so glad that I majored in Spanish -- my sociolinguistic and art classes, as well as learning to conduct research through a humanities lens, pushed me intellectually, laid the foundation for the way I think, and continue to shape the questions I ask in my scientific work.

My point is that it's really important to allow yourself to explore your interests both within medicine and science and outside of it, and that it is ok to deviate from what you may consider the normal premed path. Had I not been premed at Princeton, I might not have chosen to pursue an MD-PhD. Princeton is unique in its focus on undergraduate research, presenting an incredible opportunity for premed students to take ownership of a project. My two SPO JPs, my senior thesis, and my time in the Peña lab fostered a love for research that propelled me to consider the dual degree.

Perhaps of the greatest impact, I developed strong relationships with incredible mentors across the University from these experiences who continue to support me and to serve as sounding boards. I highly recommend you think carefully when selecting your research questions and mentors, and that you really dive into your thesis work on a topic about which you are passionate.

Finally, I encourage you to take advantage of all the resources at Princeton. Apply for funding to do field work, study abroad through a summer course or a global sem, go to office hours, develop relationships with faculty, go to HPA events, contact Princeton alums for shadowing and informational interviewing, and take classes outside of your comfort zone. A single meeting I had with a learning consultant at McGraw completely changed the way I study, improving my information retention and making me more efficient. I know these things can be daunting, but it's worth it.

Please feel free to reach out to me for anything: [email protected]