Healthy Bruins

By Emily Bagdasarian
Emilyme52001@yahoo.com

There seems to be a contagious rumor circulating… a rumor exhibiting the most common of symptoms, for it is grossly false and feeds on a prevailing negative stereotype. It is the rumor of the over-competitive, cutthroat, pre-medicine undergraduate. As early as high school, I recall hearing horror stories of “pre-meds” who will go to any length to sabotage the chances of others for that most coveted of goahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifls: Medical School. The truth is, pre-medicine is mentally and emotionally taxing; we pre-meds often go to great lengths to stick together and support one another.

Consider, for example, one group of four lovely room-mates who, over a lunch period, came to the realization that their lives would have been much easier if they knew during their freshmen year at UCLA what they know now. Elizabeth Grigorian, Marie Hovsepian, Mary Kandaharian, and Nareh Keshishyan immediately set out to offer to other pre-health students the very guidance which was missing from their own experience.

“Healthy Bruins,” a collaborative, peer-mentorship organization was officially established on campus November 7, 2009, with the express purpose of assisting other pre-health students succeed. Fourth year founder Mary Kandaharian explained, “We pulled all the resources each of us acquired over the years at UCLA and started to find ways to present it to students that would be the most helpful and practical.”

Among these resources include a thorough test bank, as well as knowledge of professors, counselors, and volunteer opportunities. The founders hope to transfer such information to the younger members through one-on-one mentoring and general meetings. Meetings began Winter Quarter of 2010, and all UCLA pre-health students are welcome, not simply those involved within the Armenian community.

It is true that the journey to medical school may be fraught with some competition and stress. However, in reality, ample opportunities exist to alleviate any struggles involved with the process. Healthy Bruins co-founder Nareh Keshishyan said it best when she suggested, “At the end of the day, you can have all the resources you need, but you need to take the effort to use them.”