Newest Faces of McGovern Medical School - Amanda Bean
Amanda Bean

What inspired you to want to pursue a career in medicine?
There was not a single event in my life that made me turn to medicine, but I truly fell in love with learning all there is to know about the human body throughout middle school, high school, and then college. As I gained more experience volunteering and shadowing, I came to truly value the physician-patient relationship. My experiences in the Naval Junior Reserves Officer Training Corps heavily inspired me to aim to be a leader of a healthcare team in the future.

Why did you choose McGovern Medical School?
Attending McGovern Medical School has been a dream of mine for a long time because its mission aligns with my ideals of who I want to be as a future physician. McGovern has created a culture of academics that is welcoming, and collaborative, and everyone I have met so far has matched my expectations and more! I also love the energy of the TMC and being surrounded by such hardworking people.

What motivates you?
I am motivated by the many patients I met while volunteering in the hospital during undergrad. I will never forget their faces and they are who motivate me to study medicine and become the best physician I can be. I am also motivated by my Catholic faith to serve others and provide dignity to those who are ill.

Who is your hero?
My hero is my mother who is a role model for how I want to serve others in my life, since she has given me so much of her time and support to see me flourish so that I could see my dreams become reality. She has shown me what it means to work hard in life, and she always pushes me to be the best version of myself.

What is your ultimate goal for your career in medicine?
I have many goals for my career in medicine, but they all revolve around two things: leaving a positive influence on the many lives I will touch as a physician, and advancing medicine for the betterment of patient outcomes.

What kind of emotions do you feel as you’re beginning medical school?
It almost feels unreal that I will be starting medical school, and I feel excited to start in-person since I started college in the middle of a global pandemic where all of my classes were online. This feels like a new beginning in my life, and I want to make the most of every moment.

What are you looking forward to most about medical school?
I am most looking forward to exploring as many specialties as I can through different organizations, shadowing, rotations, and research! I am also looking forward to meeting my classmates and embarking on this great journey together.

If you had to pick a medical specialty right now, what would it be and why?
I would pick rheumatology since it focuses on an interesting combination of musculoskeletal and autoimmune conditions. I also really enjoyed the patient population as well as the longitudinal patient care.

To meet all of the Newest Faces of McGovern Medical School, click here.