Student Spotlight Dr. Zunir Chaudhry, MD SJSM Alumni

  It is possible to work towards your dream while living in paradise. That is exactly the experience of Dr. Zunir Chaudhry.    Dr. Chaudhry hails from Nashville, Tennessee and he went to Middle Tennessee State University for a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry. Dr. Chaudhry chose to pursue medicine after he shadowed a neurologist in high school. He was impressed with the vast knowledge and understanding that the neurologist had when evaluating and treating patients.    Patients putting their health and life in the hands of a stranger was a concept that was completely foreign to Dr. Chaudhry before that. That was how medicine sparked his interest and he continued to pursue it ever since.    He first came across SJSM while researching medical schools online. Dr. Chaudhry read just about every online review for every medical school that he could find. He ended up choosing SJSM because of the low tuition and accelerated program of 16 months of basic sciences.   What Dr. Chaudhry enjoyed most while attending SJSM was studying while in paradise. According to him, studying on an island is a once in a lifetime experience that he will never forget. Even now,  he would still pull out pictures of the island to show people how beautiful it was. He fondly remembers sitting on his patio, with a view of the ocean, the sun setting in the distance, with a textbook in his hands.    For him, it was an unreal experience. He realizes that once he starts practicing, he might not get a chance to live that kind of life again, He’s glad he made the most of it while he was there.   He matched into Neurology at the University of Central Florida. After finishing residency, Dr. Chaudhry is considering a fellowship, but he hasn’t decided which direction to go yet. He has plans on moving back to Tennessee.   A lot of pre-medical students have asked him for advice on what they should do or where they should go. First thing that he tells them is that medicine is not easy and that they need to have a deep passion for the field because the road is tough and there will be days when they might want to give up. The only thing that will get them through those days is their passion for the craft. They have to truly want it.   He recommends SJSM to students because it presents an opportunity to live on an island for a year and a half, all the while studying to make the dream of becoming a physician a reality.    Now that Dr. Chaudhry is in residency, he is more thankful for the low cost of tuition. He came out of medical school with no student loans or any debt. He realizes that he is blessed, especially when he hears his colleagues talking about their 200-300 thousand dollars of loans.    If you’re passionate about medicine, want a once in a lifetime experience of living on an island while working towards your dream of becoming a physician, Dr. Chaudhry recommends SJSM to any pre-medical student.