What's New With You?

First of all, Happy New Year! As I was scrolling on social media, I saw a post that said, "This will be the first new year where I won't think about starting over, but continuing, because I'm finally on the right path."

I resonated so much with that. I don't have any crazy resolutions or total 180s I want to do in life. Rather, I want to continue doing what I'm doing - but just do it better: serve God, love on my people, and prioritize my health!

The craziest thing about 2026? It's the year I become a ~real adult~. Right before I moved to medical school, I found this sign in TJ Maxx that said "I'm an adult, but not like a real adult" and it has been sitting on my NYC window ledge. Even though I'm technically an adult, I feel like I am in this weird limbo since I am still in school.

But 2026 is the year I graduate. I become Morgan McManus, MD. I match into residency. I move to a new city. And I really tackle this whole adulting thing.

I am so thankful for everything NYC has given me. As you read this newsletter, I'll be on my flight back to NYC - my last flight back to NYC to start a new semester. Tomorrow is my last first day of school (ever!).

So yes, 2026 has plenty of changes in store. But my plan is to trust in God's plan and enjoy the journey. Happy 2026!

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Chat soon!

- Morgan :)

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This week, I received a question in my DMs about research in medical school, so I wanted to share my experience.

I'll preface this by saying: I'm no expert in research and I am applying to a specialty that isn't research heavy. However, I think that hearing examples of how other students navigated research and how they got involved can be helpful.

I joined my first research project during my first year of medical school. It was a literature review, so very low stakes and a small(er) time commitment. Through Covidence, I reviewed articles weekly and met about once a month with the research team.

I heard about this project through an upperclassman, who was leading the research team in terms of assigning articles, identifying conferences, writing abstracts, etc. For me, this was a great opportunity to learn more about research involvement in medical school and get a few abstracts without a big responsibility.

Next week, I’ll share about my next research experience, which was more hands-on and came with a bigger responsibility.

There's ~ 12 weeks until Match 2026. Until then, I'll be sharing updates on my journey, what I'm learning, and things I'm struggling with along the way.

This week, let's reflect on where I'm at. I applied to Family Medicine programs, and I've completed all of my interviews. I ended up having one in person interview and the rest were virtual. It is currently second look season. Second looks are an opportunity for you to revisit the program in person, connect with more residents and faculty, and see if the program is a good fit. However, since most interviews were virtual, most of my second looks will be the first time I see programs in person. So my main goal right now is deciding what programs I want to visit during second look season and fitting them into my schedule!