Learner Profile
Shervin Rezaei
HMX Courses
After graduating from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2015, Shervin Rezaei has been working as a clinical research assistant at Boston Children’s Hospital in the division of allergy and immunology. Rezaei viewed HMX courses as a way to fill in the gaps in his knowledge and prepare for the next step in his medical education.
What got you interested in HMX courses?
I’m applying to medical school, and I read student perspectives from current medical students as well as opinions on different kinds of learning formats in medical school. So I was really interested not only in how this new potential online format would feel, but I also just wanted to get a taste for the kinds of learning that could go on in medical school where I’m pairing medical or biophysiological information directly with helping to treat a patient or helping to better understand a disease.
What kind of exposure did you have to course topics before studying with HMX?
I did not get the chance to take a physiology or immunology course in college, however I did take a lot of courses in the same vicinity – general genetics, biochemistry, kinesiology. I felt like [HMX courses were] helping to fill a gap in my knowledge that I hadn’t received course instruction in. I was somewhat familiar with the topics from studying for the MCAT, so this helped solidify that information as well.
What was your experience in HMX courses?
I felt that the sequence of moving through reading about the information, answering multiple choice questions, and then moving on to the case report sections was incredibly helpful. I felt that there was a very smooth and very intuitive transition from learning about a topic to soon afterwards applying that. I liked how tightly knit those concepts were throughout the course.
Are there any particular topics or lessons that stick with you from the courses?
I did really enjoy the immunology lesson on B cell proliferation. Working as a research assistant in food allergy and immunology, I try to keep up on the literature, but oftentimes there are small gaps in my knowledge here or there. Being able to learn about immunology in a way that slowly and gradually walks you through the entirety of the process, I felt at the end of the course that I had a very complete understanding of the basics.
How has taking these courses impacted your perspective on your future?
I think it gave me some foresight into one way that medical education could look. That in itself was incredibly helpful. I think I’d compare it to what I felt like when I was first shadowing a physician – not really having a clear sense of what I was getting into, but then after observing and daily practice it became something that I was more accustomed to. I felt the same way with these courses where now I feel like I have some grounds for comparing future medical coursework.
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