Orientation 2023 - Get to Know Your Lead Advisors

Kristina Borger

Campus: South Bend

Hometown: Lansing, MI

Advice for first year students: Congratulations and welcome! You have worked hard for acceptance to medical school and belong here.  Be patient with yourself and take it one day at a time. Do not hesitate to talk with faculty, mentors, and advisors and utilize available resources including tutoring. Listen to study tips given in orientation and from mentors and faculty and work to find what methods are best for you. Take time for yourself along the way and get to know your classmates and others you are working with. There is an incredible team at IU School of Medicine prepared to help and support you. 

Favorite stress management technique: I try to stop, breathe, and think through why I am feeling stressed. Usually, I break things down mentally or create a list of the top stressors on my mind. I then sort through the items/worries that I can control and determine what I need to do/where I can start. Sometimes it can help to physically step away and focus on my breathing/refocus, go for a walk, or talk things through with someone I trust. 

What I like to do in my free time: I am married and have three daughters and enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I like to read, cook/bake, and spend time outside.

Kristen Heath

Campus: Indianapolis (EAST)

Hometown: Bloomington, Indiana

Advice for first year students: Choose one thing that you love doing and promise to keep doing it! It will become your first instinct to neglect everything in your life to pursue a life of studying 24/7, but this will be detrimental to your success. Self-care is preservation!

Favorite stress management technique: Exercise and naps!

What I like to do in my free time: Dance… followed closely by Netflix.

Tiffany Holmes

Campus: Indianapolis

Hometown: Metro Detroit

Advice for first year students: Be open to new experiences and learn to lean into your community!

My favorite stress management techniques: Baking and FaceTiming with my friends and family. 

What I like to do in my free time: Travel, reading when not for school, and I love baking. 

Mark Mach

Campus: Bloomington

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Advice for first year students: Seek advice from students in classes above you in almost everything. They have been through this before. Remember that medical school is a marathon and not a sprint. Tap into all your resources. Create a study and time management plan early on and try to stick to it. Lean on family and friends frequently for support and encouragement. Do not neglect the hobbies, interests, and passions that you brought with you into medical school. Care for self and others.

Favorite stress management technique: I love taking walks as it clears my mind. I try to get outside nearly every day, even in the coldest weather. I am known for taking midday walks and often invite students to do the same. I try to remember the bigger perspective of life being a journey. I try not to get too wrapped into life’s constant dramas. For me, remembering the big picture is very important. Sleep well (7 to 8 hours), eat well (minimize sugar and have lots of vegetables), drink lots of water, and exercise frequently. Get outside at least 30 minutes a day.

What I like to do in my free time: Walking, spending time with family, traveling, reading, and eating my favorite foods. I like to wax philosophical and reflect on the meaning of life. I enjoy looking through old historical photographs of eras in history that I am especially interested in.

Iyabode O. Okoro (Dr. O)

Campus: Indianapolis

Advice for first year students: Keep your eyes on the goal.

Favorite stress management technique: Being quiet

What I like to do in my free time: Read

Stephanie Sachs

Campus: Indianapolis

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN

Advice for first year students: Believe in yourself and be your own biggest cheerleader! Celebrate the small wins along the way (passing your first exam!) as it will help you stay motivated for the journey that is med school. Remember that it’s more than okay to stumble here and there, just don’t be shy to reach out and ask for help when you need it!

Favorite stress management technique: Music—listen to it, play it, sing it, dance it, embrace it and lose yourself in the moment. Also, when I’m trying to let stressful things go, I do a visualization exercise where I literally let it go. I imagine the thing/person/responsibility that is stressing me out and picture it attached to my body. Then I physically do the motions of pulling it off of me, tossing it to the side and ‘letting it go.’ It often truly feels like a weight lifted off of my shoulders.

What I like to do in my free time: On an average week, you can find me snapping cute pics of my dog, trying new restaurants with my husband, and spoiling my one and only niece. I’m also probably planning my next trip to Disney World or looking forward to my book club with my best friends I’ve known since middle school. I’m always searching for the next grail to add to my collection of toys from the 1980s, most likely a Care Bear!