“My path within Family Medicine is guided by the desire to be a practicing primary care doc, who is able to provide competent and longitudinal care to patients living with HIV.”
Alexis Halyard, 2020 MD candidate, Emory University School of Medicine, is from Myrtle Beach, SC and went to Yale University for undergrad majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology. Atlanta’s weather helped to boost Emory SOM to the top of her list of medical schools.
“Emory had the distinction of being a well-renowned institution and is invested in its surrounded community. Emory’s commitment to the community shone through during the interview with our tour through Grady, and when the time came, I knew I was lucky to be admitted. I’ve learned so much and I made friendships that will last a lifetime. Nearly four years later, I am still certain that I made the right decision,” said Alexis.
When she first arrived, she was active in the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and spent her first year coordinating with my classmates and planning events centered on culture and identity. Many of her fellow students were new to Atlanta and became better acquainted with the community through facilitating barbershop blood pressure screenings and health fairs.
“Outside of SNMA, I was similarly drawn to notions of culture and identity, attending the Emory University James Weldon Johnson Institute’s Race and Difference Colloquium Series over lunch on Mondays,” said Alexis. As time passed, she became more aware of how constructs of identity could intersect with medicine, and what role that would play in her future career. “I was fortunate to find a wonderful mentor, Dr. Sophia Hussen, who took me on as a student researcher during my Discovery Phase,” said Alexis. In working with the Atlanta population living with HIV, Alexis learned about the barriers they faced – socially, medically, psychologically – and the role that primary care could play in mitigating these barriers.
Alexis hoped to match with UNC Chapel Hill for Family Medicine training and she got her first choice, finding out on virtual match day that she is headed to UNC. “My path within Family Medicine is guided by the desire to be a practicing primary care doc, who is able to provide competent and longitudinal care to patients living with HIV,” said Alexis.
Emory helped Alexis realize she had to be intentional about protecting her own mental health while in medical school. “Early on, I was directed to Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services by my “big” in the class above me. I was comforted knowing that there were resources available to me within the Emory network,” said Alexis. She addressed wellness by purposefully spending time with friends and family. A long day on campus, whether in class or at the hospital, could be made better by going to Cox Hall or the new student center, or visiting an Atlanta restaurant or Botanical Gardens with friends. “Although my family doesn’t live in Atlanta, I was able to keep in touch with them via nightly video chats – even on some of the more taxing rotations, like surgery. Although they were only able to visit me a handful of times a year, I felt their support every second of every day of these past nearly four years,” said Alexis.
“Emory had the distinction of being a well-renowned institution and is invested in its surrounded community. Emory’s commitment to the community shone through during the interview with our tour through Grady, and when the time came, I knew I was lucky to be admitted. I’ve learned so much and I made friendships that will last a lifetime. Nearly four years later, I am still certain that I made the right decision,” said Alexis.
When she first arrived, she was active in the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and spent her first year coordinating with my classmates and planning events centered on culture and identity. Many of her fellow students were new to Atlanta and became better acquainted with the community through facilitating barbershop blood pressure screenings and health fairs.
“Outside of SNMA, I was similarly drawn to notions of culture and identity, attending the Emory University James Weldon Johnson Institute’s Race and Difference Colloquium Series over lunch on Mondays,” said Alexis. As time passed, she became more aware of how constructs of identity could intersect with medicine, and what role that would play in her future career. “I was fortunate to find a wonderful mentor, Dr. Sophia Hussen, who took me on as a student researcher during my Discovery Phase,” said Alexis. In working with the Atlanta population living with HIV, Alexis learned about the barriers they faced – socially, medically, psychologically – and the role that primary care could play in mitigating these barriers.
Alexis hoped to match with UNC Chapel Hill for Family Medicine training and she got her first choice, finding out on virtual match day that she is headed to UNC. “My path within Family Medicine is guided by the desire to be a practicing primary care doc, who is able to provide competent and longitudinal care to patients living with HIV,” said Alexis.
Emory helped Alexis realize she had to be intentional about protecting her own mental health while in medical school. “Early on, I was directed to Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services by my “big” in the class above me. I was comforted knowing that there were resources available to me within the Emory network,” said Alexis. She addressed wellness by purposefully spending time with friends and family. A long day on campus, whether in class or at the hospital, could be made better by going to Cox Hall or the new student center, or visiting an Atlanta restaurant or Botanical Gardens with friends. “Although my family doesn’t live in Atlanta, I was able to keep in touch with them via nightly video chats – even on some of the more taxing rotations, like surgery. Although they were only able to visit me a handful of times a year, I felt their support every second of every day of these past nearly four years,” said Alexis.