COM student of the month — meet Jen McCarty

Name: Jen McCarty

Hometown: Omaha

Program/Year:  College of Medicine/Class of 2018 (third-year student)

Education: B.S. in biology from University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

Activities: 

COM Class of 2018 Co-Philanthropy Chair

Gold Humanism Honor Society Secretary 

Staying Balanced: 

I'm very lucky to have the support system that I do – my family, boyfriend, and friends are incredibly supportive and encouraging. Spending time with them always recharges me. Also, I can't forget to mention my dog, Ted. He keeps me studying even when I'm burnt out. His relentless need for treats would be financially impossible to maintain if I quit now. 

List three things people may not know about you:

I love to paint. This hobby mainly just leaves me with random pictures of my dog strewn about my apartment, but it's still a nice way to relax.

During my first two years of med school, I was a bit of a hypochondriac. My significant other at the time kept a secret list of all the maladies I had self-diagnosed myself with. One day he shared the list with me, which included rabies, naegleria, and botulism to name a few. I've been more reasonable during my third year.

Hopefully, people do know this one, but I really admire my peers in my COM class! They never cease to amaze me with their intelligence and kindness, and I can't wait to see all the amazing things they do after medical school!