An Introduction Is Probably in Order

Colin Son -- It is a real pleasure to be writing for The Differential. Based on the example my fellow bloggers have set, I thought it proper to introduce myself with my first post.

I am a very recent fourth year medical student at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

I was born in east Texas and raised in San Antonio. I grew up in a family of physicians and, partly because of that, I actually had no interest in medicine as I hurried off to college. I loved screenwriting and making videos with my friends when I was in high school and so, like many who dream of being filmmakers, I headed off to film school in Los Angeles.

I imagine I’m one of the few current medical students the world over with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts, which I received from the University of Southern California. I loved film school but realized during my sophomore year that I wanted to do something more substantial with my life.

Searching for something meaningful to commit my life to, I was lucky enough to get to shadow several awesome surgeons. Granted, I had grown up around medicine but it was my shadowing experiences in the operating room that convinced me I wanted to go to medical school. Getting all the medical school pre-requisite classes and the MCAT completed during the last two years of film school was a bit of a challenge time wise. I made it though and now find myself a year from putting that M.D. after my name.

I’ve wanted to be a surgeon since the first day of medical school and now, with third year under my belt, I can say more specifically that I want to be a neurosurgeon.

Since getting to medical school I’ve been extremely involved in organized medicine and have held a whole bunch of leadership positions in my state medical society and at the national level. My major health policy interests lie in health care financing and access to care. If my school had offered a combined MD/MPH program when I entered, I have no doubt I would have been a part of it. Alas, formal policy study, while inevitable, will have to wait a bit.

Besides screenwriting, outside of medical school I am a big college football fan, I am a history buff (especially the American Civil War), I enjoy video games and I love to travel internationally.

Again, I am really excited to be here on The Differential and to be sharing my thoughts on medical school. I look forward to hearing back from all the readers and encourage y’all to drop comments frequently.