Episode 31: Cydney Nichols
October 18, 2018
I grew up in DC and moved, halfway through 8th grade, to Los Angeles for 10 years, through high school and college. After undergrad, I went to Nicaragua for a year to work for Global Brigades. At the time, I felt like it was silly to show up in a Spanish-speaking country knowing only a little of the language, but selfishly, it was a very good personal growth experience and I learned so much about non-profit work and the paralleled public health needs between different countries.
After that, I moved back to DC and loved it. Going back as an adult, I realized that I didn’t really appreciate it growing up. Not everyone gets access to the nation’s capital with the Smithsonian museums and nightlife, the federal government and the NIH all in one city.
I especially loved working at the NIH during my second gap year, because I feel like it’s a microcosm of what US health care could be and a good example of what is possible. It’s wonderful to see when basic science and clinical science unite so well. Patients there aren’t confined to cost constraints. Everyone benefits when you have all the pieces (research and clinical applications) under one roof. The patient gets access to cutting-edge research and researchers get access to the patients.
We all have our interests in what we want to do in the future, and I feel like that’s the beauty of an MD — there’s so much flexibility. There’s a lot of nuance in patient care and science; I would love to work at the NIH and be involved in basic science or clinical research. I feel like it’s so important to bridge the gap between both fields.
From living in DC, I’ve learned to appreciate history and politics. And during high school, I lived in a beach town in California. So I feel like I got the best of both worlds. But when I first got back to DC, I went for a run at the end of summer when the sun was setting, and the fireflies came out. I totally forgot that was a thing and stopped to stare at the fireflies in amazement. It seems silly, but I think that was an indication that the east coast is where my heart is.
I think I struggle with the “home” concept. My dad lives in Florida, and I have spent a lot of time there. My mom moved to Alabama after I graduated college. My grandparents moved to Boise, Idaho. I went back to LA this summer, and people were saying things like, “you went home!”. But really, I subletted an apartment, and it wasn’t the same.
I feel like the more places you experience, the more perspectives you add to your repertoire. With my mom in Alabama, I had some preconceived notions about the South — not that those are necessarily invalid, but after spending time there, I realize it’s just a place, too. In every place, people have similar basic needs and values, and there are so many parallels in different cultures — whether that’s the east coast, the west coast, or another country.
Now, I feel fine about not having a home-base. I think it’s nice to have flexibility going into residency applications. I see the value in a lot of places, and I feel open minded about finding a good fit, rather than going “home” to a particular city.
What are your 5 Most Recently Played Artists on Spotify?
Tom Misch, James Blake, Mickey Blue, Usher, Honne
If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose?:
Not needing sleep — it’s such a weakness for me
Pick something or someone from NYMC go give out a shout of to!:
Parker Lewis for emotionally reliving med school each year with me.
And the Ladiez of 1409!
If someone wanted to talk to you, they should lead with…:
Should we get coffee? The answer will always be “Yes!”