ATSU-SOMA’s supportive environment provides students opportunities to thrive in medical school
Posted: January 29, 2025
Medical school is a challenging time, demanding the best from students as they prepare to become future physicians. It helps to have support, and Taylor Genera, OMS I, said there is no shortage of supply at A.T. Still University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA).
“I enjoy how inviting and how helpful everyone in my program is,” Genera said. “We are all working towards a common goal and I have not met a single person, student or faculty member, who was not willing to help me when I needed it.”
Student life is also a big part of that support system, with opportunities to connect with fellow students and establish strong bonds.
“Outside of school, there was a group of ATSU-SOMA students who also enjoy volleyball, so we signed up for a recreational league near school,” Genera said. “So we had a chance to enjoy our time together outside of school, and that is not something I thought would be possible in medical school with such a rigorous workload.”
Genera is from Norwalk, California, and has a bachelor’s of science in cellular and molecular biology from Chaminade University of Honolulu. She was immediately impressed by ATSU-SOMA during her interview process, finding a welcoming environment and true commitment to the University’s mission of service to the underserved.
“I hope to become a well-rounded, caring osteopathic physician, and ATSU-SOMA has a particularly big emphasis on whole person healthcare,” she said. “Following the school’s mission should prepare me to become just that.”
In her free time, she enjoys baking, cooking, volleyball, Legos, and watching scary movies. She’s also a highly engaged student, serving as a member of the Ultrasound Interest Group, Emergency Medicine Interest Group, and Taylored Excellence.
“I joined both the Ultrasound and Emergency Medicine Interest Groups because they are both tied to the specialty that I am interested in pursuing in the future,” Genera said. “The Ultrasound Interest Group gives more time scanning early in my education here at ATSU-SOMA, which is beneficial for my future in clinical settings. I enjoy both of these groups because they are helping guide me in deciding what specialty fits my interest the most.
“I joined Taylormade because it was introduced to me as a safe space for students who needed help finding a place in medicine, and being a first-generation student in medicine I thought it would be beneficial to me.”
Genera also serves as a student ambassador, sharing her experiences as a first-generation student with other students who may also not have had a background in medicine.
“I think that by sharing my personal experiences it can help future students understand what it is like to attend ATSU-SOMA’s program and the academic workload that will be given to them if they end up attending,” she said. “I enjoy this role because I get to see all the excited faces of interviewing students and I am reminded of the opportunity I was given when I was accepted to ATSU-SOMA.”