Healthcare Interview Series- Terry Everett (Incoming VCU Medical Student)
Furthering our healthcare series, we will be featuring Terry Everett, co-founder of B The Movement and incoming VCU SOM student.
Terry Everett will be attending VCU's school of medicine this upcoming July. Born and raised in Newport News, Virginia he saw the dire need for representation in the healthcare field, seeing that many of those in his community did not have access to medical attention. Furthermore, he realized the strain put on youth growing up with the absence of positive role models. Subsequently, he has devoted his life to attacking both of these issues with the non-profit organization that he co-founded, B the Movement. From motivational raps to speaking engagements and commercials, he has served as a positive figure for the minority youth.
Summarized Transcript of Interview
Could you discuss your undergraduate experiences?
Terry Everett's reply:
"VCU was great, when I first came for preview day the atmosphere was really nice. We previously visited VCU through Project discovery in high school, which gave minority students the ability to visit colleges and venture out in places they wouldn’t necessarily get the option to. LSAMP centralized all of my efforts into the stem and finding black people in the stem. I’m still very close with a lot of engineers and chemistry majors who have matriculated into their careers."
Could you discuss background and what encouraged you to pursue medicine?
Terry Everett's reply:
"My mom was a nurse, and we would help her study terminology. Watching her go through the process of becoming an RN was very motivating to me. This got me interested in science, even though I didn’t know where exactly I would fit into the healthcare field. Ultimately, the main reason I wanted to pursue medicine was autonomy and being able to make that final diagnosis."
What impact do you believe you have as a future African American physician?
Terry Everett's reply: :
"When we have patients who share the same stories as us, and we are of that culture, we can relate to them a little bit better."
Ultimately as an African American Physician, I can be a better translator to people who share my story.
What do you believe the medical field is lacking?
Terry Everett's reply: "The medical field is lacking compassion. Some people may be in it for the wrong reasons, and may just want validation. If you are becoming a physician for the wrong reasons because it becomes a detriment not only to the patient but the entire healthcare system."
Could you discuss your journey to medical school, including any obstacles you overcame?
Terry Everett's reply:
"My mantra is “How well can I sacrifice myself, to bring out the betterment of other people”. I have a standard for myself and for the expectations that I want to put out into the world. Everything that I have done has followed a contingency. The application process to medical school was not as bad as everyone says it is. The application process is tedious but is not as bad. It was difficult for me because I took a gap year, then tried to go back and study everything."
What did you do to set yourself apart from your classmates in regards to applying to medical school?
Terry Everett's reply:
"During my gap year, I prepared for the MCAT and I also served as a scribe."
The purpose of the process is who can endure the most if they really want it.
We saw that you and your brother have created "B The Movement", could you explain more about this?
Terry Everett's reply:
"Freshman year, my brother, my friend Jonathan, and I did a 30-second rap video called the Geeked Up Challenge. It got a lot of attention. My parents decided to establish an LLC to make it a non-profit so we can receive donations provide financial support for underrepresented youth in certain impoverished communities. This is something we’ve always done we just never recorded it. When our parents came up with “B The Movement” it was perfect. We had a healthy balance. Some weekends we would do speaking engagements in different cities and in the car we’d study than at the hotel we’d run through flashcards to ensure we did well on upcoming exams. Going to schools and seeing kids who are in similar situations as we once gave us purpose. We knew the importance of providing a strong image for them."
B The Movement pushed me to be better. It's one of the best things that have happened to me, literally!
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Terry Everett's reply:
"I don’t think I would tell my younger self anything. I've learned a lot from every failure I’ve made. We make uneducated decisions that lead to either our demise or something positive. Overall, I became someone I always knew I should’ve been. I even have a picture on my wall reminding me of who I once was to remind me to push forward. The key to success is mental time travel. You have to avoid repeating mistakes and look in the future to know what you’re aiming for. "
