EPISODE 21: ROMY PEIN
AUGust 21, 2024
INTERVIEW BY PRIYANKA GERA
Edited by Amar Gopal
Photo by Daniel Furhang
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Harrison, which is around 15 minutes from here. I was actually born in New York City, and we lived five blocks away from the Twin Towers. But then, once 9/11 happened, we moved to Westchester, and I grew up there. I was also in Dallas for two years.
Why were you in Dallas?
My mom actually was the first female head rabbi in Plano, Texas, so we did a little stint there. It was awesome.
Is that something she's still doing nowadays?
Yes! She's had a few different types of roles in the Jewish community, but right now she's a Rabbi up in Croton.
How is it like living at home with a rabbi? Is it stricter? Is it a little more lenient?
Honestly, it makes for very interesting discussions. My mom, being a Rabbi, is very morally guided and thinks a lot about the ethical implications of world events and stories we tell. My dad's an engineer, so he's very guided by logic. So you definitely get both perspectives on anything going on. And when I talk about things in my life or things I see in the hospital, it's interesting to hear both sides.
And how do you think growing up with those two completely different perspectives influenced the way you think and handle situations?
I think it’s guided me well, or at least I hope so! I always try to understand where the other person is coming from, even if I disagree or have a different opinion. I think about why they would have that view or make that choice. If I had their background and experiences, maybe I’d think the same way. My dad’s influence helps me be decisive—you can’t overthink for too long. Some things are binary, you have to decide and move forward.
Who else is in your family?
I have a little sister. She’s the darling of my life! We’re very close, and since I moved back home she’s been home from college for the summer. We’ve gotten to spend a lot of time together. I treasure her very deeply.
I feel like we’ve had a conversation before about her being Gen Alpha.
Yes, I think so. She was born in 2005, so she’s probably Gen Z.
So, she’s got all the latest trends?
Oh, definitely. She knows all the trends before I do, the vocab, the fashion. Half of what I wear is from her closet!
Are you going to be the first doctor in your family?
My dad’s uncle was a doctor in South Africa, but I’ll be one of the first in the U.S. med school pathway.
Congrats! Are you already getting family members asking for medical advice?
Yes! The other night, my grandparents were visiting, and my grandma started asking me about a skin issue. Then suddenly, everyone had questions. I’m still a student, so I can’t give professional advice, but they were excited. They asked, “When are you going to start doing Botox?” I’m like, “It’s going to take some time. We’re not there yet!”
I love that you're already facing the front of all of it.
Hopefully, one day I’ll be able to answer all their questions. But yeah, it's nice. I’m looking forward to it.
In an alternate universe, if you weren’t a doctor, what do you think your profession would be?
Oh my gosh, I feel like I have five different answers for this. If I could be anything regardless of ability and skill, I definitely would have been a professional athlete.
Oh, what sport are we talking?
Maybe track or rowing. I was never close, but ideally, I think competing professionally would be really cool. I love sports, and to do that for the rest of my life would have been amazing and so fun. More realistically, I think I would have been a teacher or professor.
And you did rowing in college, right?
Yes!
So tell me about that, because that's amazing. I feel like that's a lot of upper body strength that I don't have.
First of all, I’d recommend anyone try it. It’s an amazing workout. It’s good for you and so much fun. But a big misconception is that it’s an upper-body sport when it’s actually a leg sport. Your leg muscles are the most powerful, so when you have to move something as heavy as a boat with nine people in it, you want to use your strongest muscles first. Otherwise, you’ll tire out. You can really tell who has a lot of rowing experience. Some people try to muscle it out with their arms, but your arms tire before your legs. There’s a skill to it—you have to train yourself to be patient, use your legs, and get the form down because it’s a sport that’s prone to injury, especially in your back. If you do it right, it gain a lot of strength, but if you don’t, you can get hurt.
There's a whole science behind it!
Yeah. It’s a good mix of strength and cardio, but also finesse, especially when you’re on the water. You need to balance and use your core to stabilize the boat. But it’s so much fun.
Is it something you've continued with or was it just a college period thing?
I wish I could continue. We don’t have a rowing team on campus, which makes sense—it requires a lot of equipment and a body of water, and people to row with. Maybe one day I’ll join an adult team. I coached for a year after college, which was a nice way to wrap up my experience.
Were there tournaments or competitions? How does that work in rowing?
Yeah, at my college it was a club sport, but we competed with a lot of D3 teams. It’s a year-round sport. In the fall, you have longer distances, and in the spring, shorter distances. But you’re training year-round. We had two weeks off after nationals, and then it was back to training. Not much of a break, but it teaches you to keep going.
Besides rowing and having really strong leg muscles, what’s one of your hidden talents?
I’m really good at listening to a song, even if I’ve never heard it before, and finding another song that has the same chords.
The best thing that's happened to you this week, or your favorite moment from this week?
It’s Tuesday, so I’ll talk about last week. I had ice cream twice on Friday, which was awesome. I love ice cream, and in the summer, I want to eat it all the time. It was nice to have it twice. On a deeper level, I got involved in patient care in ways I hadn’t experienced before, and I resonated with it. I had that moment I’ve been waiting for in med school where I was like, “This is what I want to do.” It was so rewarding. It was relieving to finally feel like I found my place and the niche I want to invest in. I love med school, but you go through moments of doubt. I was in a bit of a phase where I was wondering if I’d like anything enough or if I liked everything too much. That moment on Friday really solidified things for me.
What would your advice be to people currently facing imposter syndrome, whether they're M1s, M2s, or even M3s?
I’m so glad you asked this. My rowing coach told me something I think about a lot. We were complaining because we saw other rowers who looked faster and stronger. He told us, “You don’t get to choose who you line up against. You don’t control what they ate for breakfast, how many extra workouts they did, or who their coach is. But you can control how you prepared for this race, your attitude going into it, and your actions during it.” I’ve carried that with me in med school because comparison is easy, especially with med school and residency applications. But focusing on what’s within your control really helps clear your mind and makes you more satisfied with your own progress.
Are you a window or aisle seat person?
Window, for sure. I always bring an extra sweatshirt so I can nap.
Speaking of window seats, what’s the last vacation you took?
I went to Nashville twice last year. One of my best friends lives there, and it was so much fun.
What’s your favorite thing to do in Nashville?
The food scene. One of my favorite spots is Big Al’s Deli. It’s a divey place, but the food is amazing. Nashville is growing, so there’s a lot of variety in the food now. A food tour of Nashville would be my dream vacation.
And did you go to school in Nashville?
I did! I went to Vanderbilt
What did you major in?
The major is called Medicine, Health, and Society. It’s kind of a mix of public health, basic sciences, and medicine with arts and humanities. Then, I was a physics and chemistry minor.
I’m personally not a big fan of physics 😬
I had some really good professors. Actually, one class was supposed to be physics, but because it was the fall of 2020, the professor turned it into a COVID class. Every day, we would discuss the latest papers and the difference between fact and fiction. It was a great source of information, and my family asked me a lot of questions that I could answer with evidence-based information.
Nice. Is that something you thought you’d be able to apply in the future, or was it just a passion you wanted to explore?
You know, I’m not sure where I thought I was going with it. I just really liked physics. For a while, I thought about doing a physics PhD. But then, I talked to my dad—he has a PhD—and he said it’s a lot of sitting in a lab and not much social interaction, depending on the field. I realized that wouldn’t be a good fit for me since I’m very extroverted. So, I decided to let that idea go.
Does being extroverted steer you away from something like pathology?
Oh! Absolutely. I don’t want to go into a specialty where I don’t see patients. I have to talk to people. I love chatting.
Which is a good thing!
It helps. Patients love to chat. As a third-year med student, you can only do so much. Chatting is one of those things you can do. So, if you need someone to come in and talk to the patient, I’m your girl!
Where do you see yourself in 15 years? Whether it’s professional or personal.
Hopefully I’ve graduated by then. And hopefully, I’m done with training. I mean, med school is long, but 15 years? Oh god. I don’t know of any residencies that take 15 years.
Let’s hope we don’t find one that takes 15 years.
Yeah. Hopefully, I’ll be in a situation where I’m heavily involved in the community. I don’t know exactly what, but I want to be the kind of doctor where, when you’re in the supermarket, you see your patients. Obviously, following HIPAA rules. I want my patients to be people that my kids go to school with. I want to be a real community person. When I was little, I saw doctors as part of the community, like in a children’s book you had teachers, bus drivers, the mailman, the policeman, the doctor, and the restaurant owners. Everyone had their role.
What do you want your legacy to be?
In general, a positive legacy. Opening up space for people who might not otherwise have had the resources to navigate the path to medicine. If I become a doctor, I want to be someone younger students—whether high school or med school students—can reach out to. For people who don’t know how to get started in medicine, I want them to feel like they can reach out to me, and I can help them. It could be someone who’s 25, thinking, “Oh, I do want to go to med school, but I don’t know any doctors or anyone in med school. How do I start?” I want them to feel like they can get connected to me, and I’ll help them with that.
So, something similar to a community mentor? Is that a role you’ve taken up in other aspects of your life?
Yes. I feel drawn to tutoring and mentoring. NYMC has some mentorship programs, and I try to get involved with that. I also did a Big Sister-type program in Nashville. It wasn’t Big Brother, Big Sister, but it was similar.
Yeah, and it’s nice to share your experiences with others.
Exactly! And it’s nice to let someone know, “Hey, before you make a mistake, learn from mine.”
Makes total sense. Speaking of mentoring others, who do you look up to? Who’s your role model?
I feel like I have a lot of role models. I’m lucky to have many people, especially in my family, that I look up to. My mom and dad for their own reasons. My grandparents on my dad’s side came from South Africa, and they have fascinating life stories. My grandparents on my mom’s side are from New York, and they were Jewish in certain areas during interesting times. They’ve seen a lot. When they talk about the things they worked on and how it led them to build their lives and family, it’s inspiring. Also, my head coach from college is someone I look up to. He always had good advice and a strong moral compass. He wouldn’t even think of cutting corners or rushing things just to get home faster. It was annoying sometimes because it meant we’d be there longer, making sure every detail was done right. But that’s what you have to do to reach a high level of success and respect your work.
What’s the most impressive thing you’ve ever made?
I haven’t built anything from scratch, but I’m pretty good at finding things on the street and fixing them up. There’s a lot of DIY furniture in my house!
If flowers could talk, what would they sound like?
I think roses would sound like an old British butler—very classy. Dandelions would sound like kids because children are always picking them and making wishes.
What are three foods you dislike?
Corn on the cob, olives, and shishito peppers. Shishito peppers are either flavorless or super spicy, and I always seem to get the spicy one.
Words of advice to the current M1s?
Don’t force yourself to be interested in something just because it’s competitive or because it’ll make a lot of money. You’ll know in your heart if something is for you. If you’re not genuinely interested, it’ll be a hard road trying to pursue it. Focus on what comes naturally and what excites you—those are probably the areas you’ll do best in. If you don’t wake up thinking about neurosurgery all day long, that’s okay. You don’t have to be a neurosurgeon, even if your grandma wants you to be. It’s okay not to know in the first two years, because you’ll figure it out. Everyone does, and you will too.
Contact Romy at rpein@student.nymc.edu.
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