Rewriting the Timeline: Pursuing Medicine After 20+ Years in Military Service with Mark Buford

God Didn’t Call Me to Medicine to Lose Myself: Faith, Identity, and the Pressure of Medical School with Naa Dromo Korley

Medical school has a way of testing more than just your intelligence — it tests your identity, your resilience, and sometimes even your faith. In this episode of Becoming MD, I sit down with fellow medical student and content creator Naa Dromo Korley for an honest conversation about what it means to stay grounded in Christ while navigating the pressure, comparison, and uncertainty that can come with pursuing medicine. We talk about faith in the middle of academic stress, trusting God through setbacks, avoiding the trap of tying your worth to performance, and learning how to pursue excellence without losing yourself in the process. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by pressure, struggled with comparison, or questioned how to balance ambition with a deeper sense of purpose. 🎧 Tune in for a conversation about medicine, faith, identity, and becoming the kind of person you want to be while chasing the career you’ve prayed for. Connect with Naa Dromo Korley: * Instagram: @korley_naa00 [https://www.instagram.com/korley_naa00?igsh=c3BiN3A1emhndWhh] * TikTok: @naa_dromosdiary [https://www.tiktok.com/@naa_dromosdiary?_r=1&_t=ZT-96AoQgwfrJ8] Connect with host Caitlin Calland: * Instagram: @becomingmd_podcast [https://www.instagram.com/becomingmd_podcast/?igsh=MXhqdDl1aTVsOGF0Yg%3D%3D#] * TikTok: @caitcalland [https://www.tiktok.com/@caitcalland?_r=1&_t=ZT-91uhmfY8WQ1] * LinkedIn: caitlin-calland [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-calland-898b38236/] * Email: becomingmd.cc@aol.com

The Athlete Mindset That Doesn’t Turn Off: From D1 Basketball to Medical School with Nehaa Sohail

What does it actually look like to take the discipline, structure, and mental toughness from Division I athletics and apply it to one of the most demanding paths out there—medical school? In this episode, I sit down with former D1 basketball player Nehaa Sohail, who didn’t just compete at a high level—she challenged cultural expectations and carved her own path in the process. Now a third-year medical student, Nehaa shares how she’s translated the habits that made her successful on the court into success in the classroom, on rotations, and beyond. We talk about identity shifts, parallels between sports and medicine, and what it means to walk into spaces that weren’t necessarily built for you—and still show up with confidence. This conversation is for anyone who’s ever felt like they had to choose between different versions of themselves, or questioned whether their past experiences could carry them into a completely different future. If you’re an athlete considering medicine, a student in the grind, or someone learning how to evolve without losing your edge, this one’s for you. Connect with Nehaa Sohail: * Instagram: nehaasohail [https://www.instagram.com/nehaasohaill?igsh=NWpmcDBpenVha3kz] * TikTok: @nehaasohail [https://www.tiktok.com/@nehaasohaill?_r=1&_t=ZT-960EyeiTUeE] Connect with host Caitlin Calland: * Instagram: @becomingmd_podcast [https://www.instagram.com/becomingmd_podcast/?igsh=MXhqdDl1aTVsOGF0Yg%3D%3D#] * TikTok: @caitcalland [https://www.tiktok.com/@caitcalland?_r=1&_t=ZT-91uhmfY8WQ1] * LinkedIn: caitlin-calland [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-calland-898b38236/] * Email: becomingmd.cc@aol.com

How to Keep Your Identity Outside of Medical School with Avery Wooten

Medical school has a subtle way of shrinking your identity. At some point, many of us stop introducing ourselves as people and start introducing ourselves as students. Your wins become exam scores. Your losses become evaluations. Your sense of worth starts rising and falling with things that were never meant to define you in the first place. And that’s a dangerous place to live. I sat down with fourth-year medical student Avery Wooten to talk about something that doesn’t get discussed enough in medicine: How to build a life outside of medical school — while still pursuing excellence inside of it. We talk about:  • What it actually looks like to lose yourself in the grind  • How hobbies, friendships, and life outside of medicine can protect your identity  • Why waiting for “the next phase” to be happy is a trap many of us fall into  • And how redefining success can make the journey far more fulfilling If you’re a medical student who feels like your entire identity lives inside your academic performance… this episode is for you. Because becoming a doctor shouldn’t require losing who you are. Connect with Avery Wooten: * Instagram: aves.the.ms4 [https://www.instagram.com/aves.the.ms4?igsh=MWM1ZjUxZzdoaml4NQ%3D%3D] * TikTok: @aves.the.ms4 [https://www.tiktok.com/@aves.the.ms4_?_r=1&_t=ZP-94OZsgLuAVa] Connect with Caitlin: * Instagram: @becomingmd_podcast [https://www.instagram.com/becomingmd_podcast/?igsh=MXhqdDl1aTVsOGF0Yg%3D%3D#] * TikTok: @caitcalland [https://www.tiktok.com/@caitcalland?_r=1&_t=ZT-91uhmfY8WQ1] * LinkedIn: caitlin-calland [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-calland-898b38236/] * Email: becomingmd.cc@aol.com

How to Pass Step 1 (Even If You Feel Behind) with Jarrod Shuck

In this episode of Becoming MD, I sit down with a TikTok-famous Emergency Medicine resident Jarrod Shuck to break down what Step 1 really demands — and how to navigate it without losing yourself in the pressure. This conversation isn’t about cramming harder. It’s about becoming process-oriented. It’s about eliminating emotional studying. It’s about trusting UWorld when you’re scoring 30% and feeling behind. It’s about building systems that work — long before dedicated. We break down:  • Why “just passing” is the wrong mindset  • How to map out your timeline strategically  • When and how to start practice questions (hint: earlier than you think)  • How to use multiple resources without drowning in them  • Why thousands of questions = confidence  • And why getting things wrong is exactly the point If you’re in pre-clinical, approaching dedicated, or somewhere in the messy middle of boards prep — this episode will reset how you think about Step 1. Because the goal isn’t to survive the test. The goal is to become the kind of student who can’t be shaken by it. Trust the process. It’s supposed to feel hard. Connect with Jarrod Shuck: * Instagram: jarrodshuck [https://www.instagram.com/jarrodshuck?igsh=MWZsOTE1dThraWQ4ZA%3D%3D] * TikTok: @jarrodshuck [https://www.tiktok.com/@jarrodshuck?_r=1&_t=ZT-94GB8jaISrt] Connect with Caitlin: * Instagram: @becomingmd_podcast [https://www.instagram.com/becomingmd_podcast/?igsh=MXhqdDl1aTVsOGF0Yg%3D%3D#] * TikTok: @caitcalland [https://www.tiktok.com/@caitcalland?_r=1&_t=ZT-91uhmfY8WQ1] * LinkedIn: caitlin-calland [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-calland-898b38236/] * Email: becomingmd.cc@aol.com

Rewriting the Timeline: Pursuing Medicine After 20+ Years in Military Service with Mark Buford

What does it look like to start medical school after an entire lifetime of discipline, leadership, and service? In this episode of Becoming MD I am joined by Mark Buford, a first-year medical student at Ross University School of Medicine, whose path to medicine began long after most. After serving more than two decades in the military, Mark made the bold decision to trade one demanding career for another — stepping from structured service into the uncertainty of medical training. Key points of this episode: * How military discipline translates to medical school success. * How life experience can transform pressure, stress, and failure into perspective rather than panic. * What it truly feels like to rebuild your identity when you become “the beginner” again. Whether you’re a non-traditional student, a veteran, or someone quietly questioning if you’ve missed your moment — this episode is for you. Connect with Mark Buford: * Instagram: @fitness4fanatics [https://www.instagram.com/fitness4fanatics?igsh=a294eTlrOTc3YWt4] Follow along for episode updates, behind-the-scenes content, and community conversations:  Connect with Caitlin: * Instagram: @becomingmd_podcast [https://www.instagram.com/becomingmd_podcast/?igsh=MXhqdDl1aTVsOGF0Yg%3D%3D#] * TikTok: @caitcalland [https://www.tiktok.com/@caitcalland?_r=1&_t=ZT-91uhmfY8WQ1] * LinkedIn: caitlin-calland [https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-calland-898b38236/] * Email: becomingmd.cc@aol.com