To help you get to know more about the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and its Student Senate, as well as the city of Birmingham, your Vital Signs Student Co-Contributors interviewed the MS1 Student Vice President, McKinley Williams, and Class Treasurer, Hemant Srivastava.
McKinley Williams - Class Vice President
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am from Albertville, a small town in North Alabama where I spent all of my childhood. I am a first-generation college student, and attended UAB for my undergraduate degree to obtain my bachelors in immunology. I have always been passionate about medicine and public health, and came straight through to medical school after graduating in spring 2021. My current interests are trauma care, both surgical and non-surgical. Outside of school, I’m an avid cat mom to two little kitties, and a plant lover!
What made you apply to be the class VP?
Honestly, I just love connecting with people and feeling a sense of serving those around me. Being the vice president has given me the unique opportunity to build relationships with a large portion of my class. I also get the BEST job of working with the Learning Community reps. The representatives for each LC are such an essential part of the community experience in medical school, and they are a ton of fun. It is such a fun position, and they have such influence over everyone’s experience. I love being indirectly tied to each person within our class and helping to make everyone happy and comfortable.
What is something that surprised you about medical school?
Something that surprised me is the amount of support that is available for all medical students in all aspects. There is an office, a person, or a piece of advice for almost everything. There are also multiple layers of community and support in place to help everyone feel as if they always have someone to turn to when things get hard. Everyone struggles at some point in medical school, and the way that UAB Heersink has it structured, it makes it easier to feel comfortable asking for help when you need it.
Why UAB?
I fell in love with UAB and its community in high school when I first toured here for undergrad. It was obvious to me that the people here were who I wanted to surround myself with for my training. The faculty at UAB make the medical school as great as it is by genuinely caring for and wanting to help the students. Not only this, but I love Birmingham and the city, and knew that it would be a great place to learn medicine and become the best physician I can be.
What are some things you’ve done so far (or that are in the works) as senate members that you’re particularly proud of or excited about?
As the senate, so far we have had the opportunity to work on multiple things. The thing I am most proud of is that we were able to work with the executive board from all years to bring back the first social since the beginning of COVID. This took a lot of meeting and planning, but we were able to host a holiday party with a great turnout from all 4 years. It is so exciting to see the work we put in come to fruition.
Hemant Srivastava - Class Treasurer
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Dubai, and throughout my childhood, I have lived in several cities including Memphis, Nashville, and finally Hoover, where I spent most of my time. I went to UAB for my undergraduate studies, and I majored in Neuroscience. Conducting research with UAB’s Departments of Nephrology and Neurology during my undergraduate years, I was fascinated by the medical sciences, and thanks to the incredible mentors I met at these programs, my ambitions are to become a physician-scientist. Outside of school, I enjoy flexing my cooking skills and exercising whilst attempting to find new restaurants around Birmingham to try out.
What made you apply to be the class treasurer?
Throughout my undergraduate years, I developed extensive experience managing money for organizations that I was part of, and I’ve always enjoyed being able to put on events for my fellow students, organize budgets, and ensure events go well. I love being able to communicate with my peers about aspects of medical school they’d like to see and being part of the team that can implement these changes is incredibly rewarding!
What is something that surprised you about medical school?
Throughout most of my time as an undergraduate, I was able to get by without using external support, but coming to medical school, I initially felt overwhelmed by the content’s comprehensiveness and volume. However, I appreciate all the services that are provided to the medical students to support us in our journey to become doctors. Everybody is very supportive, and I appreciate that faculty—and even fellow students—are willing to always go the extra mile to help out.
Favorite Birmingham Spot?
As someone who values health and enjoys exercising, my favorite spot is the UAB Rec Center! I love how it is right next door to Volker Hall, making getting a workout in between classes easily feasible and allowing me to have an excellent mental health break. In addition to being a great place to get some exercise, it’s also an excellent place to spend time with friends outside of studying. The games of pickup basketball are exciting to engage in, and the experience is an excellent way to recharge!
Why UAB?
UAB has been my home for the past 6 years and I have grown to love the institution. Truly, I bleed green and white (with accents of gold, of course). Every day, I am fascinated to learn about the amount of groundbreaking research that goes on at UAB and one of my favorite aspects of campus life is being able to work in a lab and be on the frontlines of that cutting-edge research. I love the faculty at UAB, and it’s easy to see their dedication. Throughout my time here, I’ve met many inspirational individuals that have served as incredible mentors. Additionally, with UAB’s excellence in health care, I am excited to come to class every day to learn from professors that demonstrate excellent clinical skills and are researchers that are up to date on the most recent innovations in the field.