Right Fit, Right Time: Lessons in Perseverance and Timing
We’re highlighting our Class of 2024 students in advance of Match Day 2024, taking place on March 15. Stay connected with the Miller School of Medicine on social media for more student profiles and to follow along for live Match Day coverage.
When Breanna Boggan stepped on to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine campus for her medical school interview, she sensed that it would be the perfect place to start her journey in medicine. Four years later, she is poised to embark on the next chapter of her career, putting all she’s learned into practice. But, like many medical students across the nation, her path to this juncture was anything but straightforward.
“I firmly believe that everything happens the way it should,” said Boggan, part of the Class of 2024. “Even if things don’t turn out as originally planned, it’s important to have no regrets, to learn from your experiences and move forward.”
Initial Spark for Medicine
Boggan can vividly recall discovering her passion for medicine at a young age and shifting her career aspirations from teaching to medicine.
“I just fell in love with science and thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Boggan recalled. “I was trying to figure out how to best pursue science while still incorporating that teaching aspect. Medicine just made sense.”
Boggan set her sights on the Miller School after graduating from the University of Maryland. She loved Miami’s weather and the Miller School campus. Florida, where her father lived, felt like her second home.
Lessons on Timing and Shifting Direction
The excitement of pursuing her dreams was abruptly halted when Boggan learned she didn’t secure a medical school spot. Undeterred, she took a two-year break to refine her skills, working in various clinical capacities and gaining insight into the business side of medicine. She also cultivated personal connections with coworkers, doctors and patients, which gave her a glimpse into the human side of medicine.
“I felt one year wasn’t enough of a difference in my application to stand out and show who I am as a person,” Boggan said. “I wanted to take the additional year, which ended up being perfect since I was able to grow as an individual and a future physician.”
The Miller School Difference
Her diligence paid off. Boggan earned a spot in the Class of 2024, the first set of students who experienced the new Miller School curriculum, NextGenMD, for all four years of school.
“Being a part of the new curriculum allowed me to be a more adaptable and flexible physician,” Boggan said. “I enjoyed being in a clinical setting way earlier than many other traditional programs. In fact, through these early clinical rotations and clerkships, I discovered my passion in internal medicine with a future focus on cardiology.”
Extracurricular activities are a mainstay among Miller School students, and Boggan was no exception. She volunteered regularly with the Wolfson Sr. Department of Community Service (DOCS) program, a student-run initiative that provides essential care to underserved communities throughout South Florida. As executive director, she actively manages and supervises annual health fairs and outreach activities. She also contributed to the Child and Adolescent Motivational Enrichment Program, assisting young dialysis patients with homework.
Getting Ready for Match Day
Boggan is approaching Match Day, when the Class of 2024 will find out where they will be attending residency, with a mix of nervous anticipation and excitement. She is hoping to match in an internal medicine program.
“I’m a little nervous but mainly excited to open that Match Day envelope and see where I’ll end up,” Boggan said. “I view internal medicine as the gateway to so many different specialties, including cardiology, and couldn’t have imagined myself on this path without the opportunities provided at the Miller School and having an open mind to pursue areas in medicine that interested me early on.”
Tags: Match Day, Match Day 2024, Miller School of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine Class of 2024