A day in the life of a med student

The stroke that struck Katelyn Snyder’s great grandmother was unexpected and hard to understand. Now, Snyder knows exactly what happened. And she got the chance to explain it to her parents. 

It’s not every day that Snyder gets to show her parents the things she sees, touches and studies in her first-year classes at the UF College of Medicine, but on Saturday, Feb. 18, she gave her family a glimpse into her new world.

“It was great to have them see what we as students deal with on a daily basis even though it was so out of their norm,” Snyder said. “They were really interested in everything they saw and heard.” 

The Snyder family was among the 400 people who attended the college’s 34th Annual Family and Friends Day, hosted by the Office of Student Affairs

“Now that our first-year students have established a routine, we have their families come and see a day in the life of a medical student,” said Patrick Duff, M.D., associate dean for student affairs and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the UF College of Medicine. “It’s also a great opportunity for the families to meet the leaders and faculty who play such an important role in the students’ education.”

Michael L. Good, M.D., dean of the UF College of Medicine, welcomed the students’ families before the guided tours began.

“Thank you for allowing us to take your children on this incredible journey,” Good said. “We are going to help them become great physicians.” 

The day’s activities included an overview of the new curriculum, presentations on diversity and the admissions process, and sessions on clinical human anatomy, simulators in education and the human brain. 

During the sessions, students and families had an opportunity to examine a human brain together. Having recently finished their medical neuroscience course, the students eagerly showed off their knowledge of the intricacies of the brain and spinal cord. 

“When my parents were with me in the lab, I described the effects of a stroke on the brain,” Snyder said. “I thought it was cool that my parents had the privilege to see the brain and know what happened to my great grandmother.”