Two Wednesdays a month, the Medical Club draws a sizeable crowd in Room 122. One of the most informative clubs at Granby, members hear from professionals who visit and offer helpful career advice. Recently, Dr. Jonathan Mann spoke to them about picking the right medical school, paying off student loans, and focusing on what’s important.

Mann said his medical aspirations began when he volunteered at the food bank. There, he was inspired to continue helping people in medicine.

For those already on the medical track, Mann recommended Eastern Virginia Medical School. “It’s an excellent place to get experience with patients and understand the relationship between doctor and patient”.

A community-based program, EVMS provides plenty of experience for students. EVMS personnel have the shared responsibility of stopping healthcare-associated infections from spreading by following the guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting, Mann said.

Mann shared his experiences of going to a four-year university as well as completing a graduate degree. “Often people assume that to get into the medical field you have to go to a four-year college,’’ he said. “That just isn’t true… when you go to a four-year institution, you have to be prepared for the debt.”

Medical school graduates owe an average of $250,990 in total student debt—that’s seven times as much as the average college graduate’s. Nearly three-fourths of medical school graduates have educational debt. Overall, 70% of medical school students use loans specifically to help pay for medical school (as opposed to undergraduate or premed debt).

Mann received his medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean and his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University. He advised students to keep an open mind about where they want to go to college, and that the most popular and expensive school isn’t always the best.

“You have to learn to manage your time,’’ he said, “I have a wife and three children. I have to divide my time with my family and with my work.”

Most importantly, he advised members to “love what [they] are learning’’ and don’t chase a profession for the money. “Choose it for the joy.”