After earning her master鈥檚 from Barry鈥檚 BMS program in 2018, Nadira Lilman entered the most challenging phase of her academic career鈥攎edical school at the University of Miami. But despite the rigors of her new environment, she was well prepared. 鈥淪o far, about 60-70% of the material that I have seen in medical school is familiar to me because of Barry,鈥� she says. 鈥淢ed school is tough; the amount of material you get in so little time is very overwhelming, so being familiar and having already learned some of the information definitely comes in handy!鈥�
A Miami native, Lilman began exploring master鈥檚 programs shortly after completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida in 2016. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know much about Barry at first,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen I decided to do my research on different master鈥檚 programs that were offered, I found that Barry was one of the top programs in the nation.鈥� Her decision to begin the BMS Medical Track launched her onto an academic and career path that鈥檚 been both demanding and rewarding. 鈥淚 think my biggest challenge was trying to balance working as a full-time social worker and school,鈥� she says. But Barry鈥檚 students, faculty, and staff supported her throughout. 鈥淓veryone at Barry wants to see you win, and it really makes overcoming hardship so much easier,鈥� she says. (For the record, Lilman won big during her time at Barry, earning awards for Academic Excellence as well as Exceptional Achievement in both Immunology and Anatomy.)
Now at UM, Lilman incorporates the tools and skills she gained at Barry into her routine, studying every day, ensuring she makes every effort to understand the material (鈥渢rying to memorize things won鈥檛 be beneficial in the long run鈥�), and surrounding herself with positive, supportive people. Ultimately, she knows she wants to work with children, but she is keeping her career options open. 鈥淥ne thing I really love about UM is that the opportunities are endless."