Abhishek Chandra
Name:
Abhishek Chandra
Graduating Class:
Class of 2023
Undergraduate and Major:
St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN; Biology B.A.
Languages spoken:
Hindi, English
Favorite activities to do in the Twin Cities?
My favorite activities in the Twin Cities include walking Stone Arch Bridge, trying out different hole-in-the-wall coffee shops, and visiting the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Why did you choose the University of Minnesota Medical School and what do you like about it?
I chose the University of Minnesota Medical School because of the emphasis on collaborative learning during didactic instruction, the value placed on engaging with patients within their communities, and the opportunities to participate in research throughout medical training. The shift towards competency-based education further encourages students to engage with material for the sake of learning and not simply for rote-memorization in preparation for exams.
What would you change (areas of development) about the University of Minnesota Medical School?
I am heartened by the medical school's transition towards competency-based education. I am eager to see how assessments are adapted to become metrics of progress rather than exams of recollection at a single point in time. Maintaining students' mastery of the large volume of content while concurrently adopting more longitudinal means of evaluation is a challenging task that I am hopeful to see the University of Minnesota continue to tackle.
What is the relationship between the students and the surrounding community?
In the past two years I have witnessed how ingrained into the community our student body is. Students at the U of M are committed to learning from and caring for the diverse communities in the metropolitan area. The victories and challenges of our neighbors in the Twin Cities inspire us to activism, to community outreach, and ultimately, to ensuring that our caring is not confined to the hospital or clinic.