Christophe Simpson

Why medicine?

One night when I was in middle school, I dropped a glass bowl in the kitchen and a glass shard flew into my left index finger. My mom took me to the ER where the nurse patched up my finger. The nurse asked me if I knew the amount of stitches she had placed; I correctly guessed six because I had been looking in amazement at how she had stitched up my finger. As I left the ER, the nurse instilled confidence in how I could be a doctor someday, and that confidence has stayed with me ever since that night. 

What made you join MAPS?

I joined MAPS because I was at a crossroads in my college career because I bounced around a few clubs and I failed to fit in anywhere else.

I was worried because I had not participated in many events in the past that I would be looked over. It was the farthest thing from the truth. Although I was not perfect as a Newsletter Chair, the E-board accepted me for who I was and allowed me to grow into my position. I am forever grateful for that and all of the memories from my two years on the E-board. 

Did you hold any eBoard positions while in MAPS? If so, what was that like for you?

I was the Newsletter Chair for two years.It was a challenging experience because writing has never been my strong suit. The first year was especially tough because I spent an unimaginable amount of time with outdated formatting. In my second year, Diana Rodriguez showed me the website Canva and I was able to create a more consistent template thanks to that direction. 

How did MAPS help and or shape you/ the decisions you went on to making?

MAPS had a massive influence on me because I met my mentor Dr. Adrienne Morgan. Dr. Morgan was one of the first people I met at the U of R who was extremely honest with me and cared about my success as a doctor. I also went to AMEC in San Francisco and connected with different students and medical professionals across the country I would have never dreamed about. I thank MAPS for allowing me to believe that I could become a doctor no matter how long my road was. 

If you can give any piece of advice to any of the undergraduate students of MAPS, what would it be? 

I know this seems extremely obvious, but the connections you make here will last for the rest of your life. I became an E-board Member going into my Junior year at the U of R and it limited the experience I had because I only had two years left in my undergraduate career. If you have issues dealing with academic, social, or familial stress, find help as soon as you can. Whether it’s going to CETL for BIO 111, or UCC for therapy, the stress this school puts on its students is too much for any one person to handle alone. 

What are some of the things you are doing now? (Whether they are in med school, in their gap year, coming right out of their gap year, finished med, doing residency, etc.) 

I work as a Medical Scribe at the UR Imaging Radiology Clinic. I will be working there full-time and I apply for graduate programs with the intent of applying to Medical School soon after that.