Why This Columbia Med Student Refuses to Play It Small | First-Gen Unfiltered Alex Hernandez EP. 54

Alex Hernandez is a second year medical student at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. However, his journey began with loss, because his grandfather succumbed to COVID-19 as a result of the language barrier between EMTs and him and later his uncle died of glioblastoma. In this episode of The Defying All Odds Podcast, Alex describes his experience growing up in the first generation Latino household in Seattle, watching his dad work in construction and aerospace and his mom working as a healthcare administrator. That's where Alex attributes his work ethic to which he applies as a medical school student. We also discuss the issue of racial and institutional biases at academic conferences and the way doctors treat him as soon as they learn that he is from Columbia. Alex reveals how he has managed to create the public persona as a medical student, as well as the backlash he faces from his fellow students for being open about neurosurgery, research and his own startup Solentra, which creates artificial intelligence-powered flashcards. Moreover, Alex prefers to keep it real instead of presenting a highlight reel. We also touch on Alex's transition from the liberal arts curriculum of Brown University to the competitive medical program at Columbia, the reasons behind teaching himself everything about startups (APIs, Stripe, backend etc.), using his Ivy League connections, the importance of mindset "input one, output ten" for growing fast and the straightforward attitude toward success. 🔔If this story motivated you, don't just scroll past it — like this video, drop a comment on which part hit hardest, and subscribe for more stories on defying the odds.🔔 Alex Hernandez Instagram:   / ale.hernxndez   TikTok:   / alex.hernxndez   As always, thank you for listening in and be sure to check out The Defying All Odds Podcast On YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, FaceBook, Threads, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music and contact us via email. LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/thedefyingalloddspo... ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Alex Hernandez, Columbia Med Student 01:00 - Alex’s Motivation for Pursuing Medicine: Family Loss & COVID-19 Impact 03:00 - Growing Up in a First-Generation Latino Household in Seattle 05:00 - Latino Work Ethic and Family Influence on Alex’s Medical Journey 07:00 - Research Experience and Future Medical Career Goals 09:00 - Importance of Honesty and Authenticity in Medicine and Social Media 11:00 - Balancing Medical School and Content Creation: Professionalism & Criticism 14:00 - Handling Criticism and Feedback from Mentors and Peers 16:00 - Transition from Brown University to Columbia Medical School 19:00 - Challenges of Medical School: Competition and Self-Reliance 22:00 - Overcoming Impostor Syndrome and Finding Purpose in Medicine 25:00 - Cultural Background: Life in Seattle, Oregon, and Latino Identity 28:00 - Differences Between West Coast and Northeast Lifestyle 31:00 - Alex’s AI Startup Solentra: Revolutionizing Medical Learning with Flashcards 34:00 - Combining Medical Knowledge with Tech Skills and Networking 37:00 - Expanding the AI Flashcard App Beyond Medicine to Other Fields 40:00 - The Power of Networking and Leveraging Ivy League Connections 43:00 - Managing Medical School, Research, and Social Media Content Creation 46:00 - Adaptability and Growth: Lessons from Diverse Experiences 49:00 - Current Projects and Collaborations Outside Medicine 50:30 - Final Words of Motivation: Sacrifice and Success in Medicine Keywords: first generation medical student, Columbia medical school, neurosurgery, med student entrepreneur, AI in medicine, hidden curriculum in medicine, overcoming adversity, first gen doctor, medical student mentorship, Solentra AI learning platform #MedSchool #FirstGenDoctor #Neurosurgery #ColumbiaMedicine #MedStudentLife