Alumni Spotlight: Jose Osteria
Medical student at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Major & Concentration:
B.S. in Biological Sciences: Cell and Developmental Biology, 2020
What are you doing now?
I am currently in medical school at a doctor of osteopathy school.
What were you involved with at Cal State Fullerton?
One of the things I was involved in at CSUF was a project called Bio2Bio where I was interviewed for the purpose of giving advice to incoming first-year biology students.
How did you choose your career and what role did CSU Fullerton play in finding your career?
I always knew that I wanted to work in healthcare after my father was sick. Initially, I was going to become a nurse like my sisters. I worked as an EMT to get my feet wet and one day, someone asked me, “Why don’t you become a physician?” I did not realize it was something that I could do. Over time, my experiences working as an EMT showed me how amazing medicine was and I wanted to explore other options. There were several semesters where I asked myself, “Why do I need to know this?” only to realize, it is all part of a much bigger picture. Every class taught me something fundamental that I see over and over again in medical school. For instance, I took an intermediate biology course that was very detailed in cell biology processes. Fast forward to medical school, we had an entire lecture on microfilaments and I remembered a lot of it, which helped me get through the material quicker. Additionally, the Biochemistry and Microbiology courses helped a ton early on. I remembered concepts such as regulation of oxygen binding to hemoglobin, as well as how several antibiotics worked, which made things a little easier.
What are the pros and cons of your career?
Pros:
I love medicine and giving back the care that was afforded to my father.
The income down the road will give me a comfortable life.
Cons:
Medical school is very rigorous, and residency will probably be even more so.
The debt and loss of income from spending 7+ years in school and training is tremendous.
What was your work/life balance like at Cal State Fullerton and what is it like now?
When I was at CSUF, my life skewed much more on the work side of things. I worked throughout my time there, some semesters more, some less. And when I was not working, I was studying. After exams, I spent my time with family, friends, and my now fiancé’. I am no longer employed, but medical school takes up that time and more. The only breaks I have are on the weekends between exams, which are about every two weeks. Then, I spend time with the people who matter most to me.
What advice would you give current CSUF Biology students?
Nothing beats hard work. Yes, there are incredibly talented people, and it seems like everything comes easy to them. But, for regular people, like myself, you must put in work, energy, time, and love. Grades matter, but worry about the work you’re putting in first, it will show not only in your grades but your character as well. You will be tired, worried, frustrated even, and when you are there, reach out for help. That will keep you going. More specifically, go to office hours! The professors at CSUF are amazing and if you go early, no one else will be there. Do not wait until the week before the exam to try to figure things out. Any handouts that are given, any homework or lab reports assigned, handle as early as you can. They will not be easy and they will not be able to be done in a night. If you think so, it may be a very difficult night and you may fall asleep and forget to submit it before the deadline (speaking from experience). And most of the time, you’ll be lucky if they give you half credit for late work. Finally, don’t forget to have fun, make friends, and make memories. Enjoy.
