The Long and Short of It

Always knowing he’d pursue a career in medicine, Agbai Kalu, CMS ’28, instead found himself doing data analysis at Google, where he worked with life science and healthcare companies. He enjoyed business and technology, but his passion stayed in patient care. Inspired by frontline workers during COVID, he decided it was time to make a change and dive into health care.

“Now, my day-to-day is totally different,” Mr. Kalu says. “The 9-to-5 life I used to live is no longer a thing in medical school. I have to go with the flow — some days are gonna be long; some days are gonna be short.”

Mr. Kalu is also a self-described social media influencer, so we asked him to use those skills to show us a day in his long and short life as a medical student.

6:19 a.m. Starting the day with strength and discipline! Lifting weights before heading to class ensures both my mind and body stay strong throughout the rigorous medical school journey.

10:35 a.m. Made it to class where we are learning all about cystic fibrosis and its impact on pulmonary function during our CPR block lectures.

1:30 p.m. Celebrating my good friend Iris’ birthday surrounded by some of the best people I have gotten to meet throughout my med school journey. Grateful for the laughs, love and moments like these.

3:30 p.m. I had the privilege of leading a Parent/Hero Academy session, where we are helping parents empower their Black sons to explore careers in health care. Representation matters, and it starts with conversations like these.

5:45 p.m. Pulled up to support my classmates at their last intramural basketball game. They won!

9:20 p.m. To end the day with consistency and discipline, I use Anki for active recall, ensuring I retain key medical concepts before going to bed.