First-generation medical student: Listening matters in uncharted waters

For Brianna Scivinsky, OMS II, osteopathic medicine was never just a career choice—it was a reflection of who she has always been.

Growing up, she learned early what it meant to care for others. Neither of her parents had attended college. Her mother worked as a hair stylist and her father spent many years working at an oil refinery before becoming disabled. In many ways, she became a protector within her family, someone who instinctively stepped into the role of caretaker. That mindset stayed with her, quietly shaping her future long before she ever set foot in a medical school classroom.

Today, she is a second-year student at A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) and a first-generation DO candidate. When she first shadowed osteopathic physicians, she noticed something that immediately resonated with her: the depth of their relationships with patients. These physicians didn’t just treat symptoms; they knew their patients, their families and their stories.

“It felt familiar,” said Scivinsky. “I want to see my patients as my family, and osteopathic medicine gives me a framework to do exactly that.”

Her journey into medicine, however, was not mapped out for her. With no family background in higher education or healthcare, she entered the process without a roadmap. She didn’t know what boxes needed to be checked, which experiences mattered or how to prepare for each process. Much of what she learned came from digging up information on her own—searching online forums, asking questions and reaching out to peers who were just a few steps ahead of her. Trying to figure it out on her own was confusing and often overwhelming, but it forced her to become resourceful and resilient.

“It’s important to find the resources and necessary mentorship to understand the journey through medicine,” said Scivinsky. “It can put you at a great disadvantage when you don’t know what to expect upon entering medical school.”

This interview with Scivinsky is part of the AOA’s new video series highlighting first-generation DOs and osteopathic medical students. Watch Scivinsky’s full segment below.

Scivinsky draws strength from her family’s history. Her great-grandparents immigrated from Poland after World War I, arriving in America without a plan, support system or certainty about what awaited them. Their leap into the unknown mirrors her own journey into osteopathic medicine. Like her great-grandparents, Scivinsky is navigating uncharted waters, fueled by hope, grit and determination. Through that connection, she is channeling the same well of strength they once relied on.

Rather than viewing challenges as barriers, Scivinsky sees them as teaching experiences. Each obstacle has helped her better understand herself and ultimately how she will care for future patients. She hopes to make the path easier for those who come after her—especially other first-generation students—by helping create clearer guidance, mentorship and support. She wants to be the reservoir of information and encouragement she once needed.

At the heart of her story is a simple belief: listening matters. By understanding one another’s journeys and recognizing that no one comes from a “cookie-cutter” background, future physicians can become better colleagues and better doctors. And by listening more closely—to each other and to patients—medicine itself becomes more human.

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