After graduating with a B.S. in Psychology and minors in Cognitive Science and Social Science Quantitative Data Analytics, Joshua Pierce ‘24 is now a second-year medical student at MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. After medical school, he plans to complete a residency in psychiatry. He’s also currently working on psychosis research as a research assistant in the MSU Department of Psychology.
Read on to see how a research lab helped him find community after transferring to MSU and what advice he has for incoming PSY students.
What do you love about psychology today?
It's hard to summarize what exactly I love about psychology. People (including myself) often do not realize where their own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors come from. The human mind is very complex, and the methods used to study it are constantly evolving. It's also very important on a humanistic level, as so many people suffer from psychological and mental health issues. I think psychology/psychiatry research is a perfect fit for me because I'm fascinated by it intellectually and also recognize the importance of improving our understanding and treatment of mental illness.
What groups, labs, or activities helped you find your place at MSU?
I transferred to MSU as a junior after completing an associate's degree. I found that getting involved with a psychology research lab was a great way to meet other people that are serious and passionate about psychology.
What were your favorite PSY classes and why?
My favorite psychology class was PSY 493, Neuroscience of Psychopathology. The format of 493 allows students to think more deeply about a specific topic in psychology and appreciate what it's like to critically analyze research papers. This topic in particular allowed me to further explore animal neuroscience research in the context of psychopathology, which is very relevant as an aspiring psychiatrist.
Would you like to give a shout out to anyone that's helped you in your journey?
Thank you to Dr. Carlos Navarrete for being my first real mentor and teaching me so much about psychology research, to Dr. Dale D'Mello for supporting myself and other students with independent psychiatry research projects, and to Dr. Henry "Raffles" Cowan for being a great P.I. and research mentor. Also, thank you to the professors at MSU who helped with my medical school applications, and to the many professors who were willing to meet with me (sometimes for hours) just to chat and discuss things that I was interested in.
What advice do you have for first-year students who are just starting their MSU journey?
Explore as many classes and majors as you can early on. You might be surprised by what topics you find interesting. Also, no matter what your major is, look for opportunities to get real-world experience, whether that's getting involved in undergraduate research, applying to internships, or shadowing individuals in a career that you're interested in. Reaching out to professors directly can be a great way to find opportunities and make connections.
