Student Spotlight: Thea Domadia
Originally from Hyderabad, India, fourth-year clinical student Thea Domadia entered Trinity’s Pre-Med program straight out of high school—an unconventional yet increasingly common path for international students seeking U.S.-based medical education. Now based in Baltimore and preparing for USMLE Step 2, she’s just days away from beginning her elective rotations, with her sights set on a career in general surgery. What makes Thea’s story especially compelling is her commitment to growth both inside and outside the classroom. From navigating online pre-med courses during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to immersing herself in island life on St. Vincent, Thea has embraced every phase of her medical training. She credits Trinity’s small class sizes, early clinical exposure, and faculty mentorship for shaping her into a confident, well-rounded candidate for residency in the U.S.—and ultimately, the kind of physician she always aspired to be.
What term are you at Trinity, and where are you located currently? I’m a fourth-year Trinity medical student about to take Step 2. I’m currently in Baltimore and will start my elective rotations in a week.
Where are you from? I’m from Hyderabad, India. What’s unique about my journey is that I didn’t pursue an undergraduate degree; I started Pre-Med with Trinity right out of high school before entering their MD Program. That’s the case for a lot of us who come from India and other Asian countries.
How did you hear about Trinity, and what made you interested? The first time I heard about Trinity was through one of my agents, which was called GlobeMed. They were trying to find medical school options in the Caribbean, and of course, we came across all the big names. What I was really looking for was small class sizes, a school that could cater to my academic needs, so I could be successful.
A lot of things stood out to me about Trinity School of Medicine. First, current students told me how Trinity felt like family. The class sizes are small, the community is tight, and the professors know every student in the classroom. The early clinical experience was also a big factor for me. Coming out of high school, I was short of any early clinical exposure. The fact that Trinity exposes you to clinical and community medicine early on was what attracted me to their program. Other than that, I really liked how approachable everyone was. Dr. Jack and some other professors made the time to speak with me before I joined Trinity to tell me how they believed the school was a successful way to get your foot into the U.S.
Going to Trinity’s pre-med program as an international student saves you some of those MCAT years, which I know some people struggle with. It’s even harder when you know there aren’t enough seats in the medical schools in your own country.
What brought you into medicine? I knew from a very early age that I wanted to do something to serve my community. I wanted to have a base of knowledge that I could apply, and medicine seemed like a good career option where I could spend a lot of time acquiring knowledge and then use that knowledge in a hospital setting to treat people. Biology was also my favorite subject in school.
What made you consider studying medicine outside of India? Choosing to pursue medicine outside of India was really about the kind of doctor I wanted to become. I was drawn to the U.S. medical education system because it was very centered on patient care. The approach towards medicine is more holistic. In India, the medical training is excellent and rigorous, but it often starts with a very exam-driven approach. What attracted me to Trinity was the U.S. system overall, the integration of clinical content from the beginning, the class atmosphere that allowed you to connect with your professors, and open discussions about innovation in medicine. I wanted to study in an environment where I could combine a solid foundation of science with hands-on experience. Even in India, where you do get hands-on experience, it’s not necessarily with a good foundation of clinical knowledge. You’re exposed to it, but you’re not sure what you’re doing, especially in the first two years. You’re sort of thrown into it and are expected to navigate your way through it. The U.S. system is so focused on patient care; they teach us exactly what we need to know to be a good physician.
My family knew that I would eventually need to travel outside of India to pursue medicine. Even if I had taken med school in India, I would’ve applied to residency in the United States. Taking into consideration all the options we had, including the Philippines, Russia, and the country of Georgia, it always felt like the Caribbean medical schools would be a more direct way to get into the U.S. model. They were promising something other medical schools weren’t, and that was U.S. clinical experience. What matters most for every IMG that’s applying to the NRMP is the USCE, which is U.S. clinical experience.
What was the transition like moving from India to St. Vincent and then to Georgia? I grew up in Hyderabad, which is a metropolitan city in South India. The island to me was very unique. It was very exciting because I was on an island. Settling down and starting my studies was different because I didn’t have my family, and at the time, I was 18. I was really young, but I had some great friends on the island. My roommates were amazing. The island is also not as touristy as Barbados, which is one thing I liked. It was quiet and really pretty, and there weren’t many crowds. At the same time, there was so much to do on the island. We had some beautiful beaches, so I was at the beach all the time. There are some amazing hikes. I went on a volcano hike. I was part of the dive club, and I learned how to scuba dive. We also started an art club, had a lot of orphanage donation runs with Operational Healing Smiles, and participated in community service projects. It never felt like I was missing out on anything. It was actually nice to be doing something more than just medicine. There is a hospital on the island, Milton Cato, where students would complete their ICCM program, which stands for “Introduction to Community and Clinical Medicine.” That’s where I got some hospital experience and was able to apply what I learned in our textbooks. Overall, the island was a very wholesome place.
Transitioning to Georgia was quite effortless. Warner Robins isn’t a major city, but it has everything a student could need. The Medical Education Center offered study space and a sense of community. You’d always run into your classmates there. We also had our deans, Dr. Manahan and Dr. Geisler, and they helped us prepare for Step 1. Since they had all of us in Georgia getting ready for the exam, it felt like we were all in it together. This propelled students to succeed in those exams.
Did you find a sense of community on campus as an Indian student? 100%, I made some amazing friends on the island. I used to live right on campus, and I had a couple of roommates, and our professors’ offices were pretty much right under our apartments, so we could just walk in during office hours. They would have dinner with us sometimes, we’d have long walks in the evening, and we’d even play basketball games with them. Sometimes, they’d come to the beach and party with us, which was very cool.
Can you tell us about your experience with Trinity housing and security? We did have a wide variety of housing options on the island. We could choose to live on campus or off campus. The security was really great. We also had a shuttle system that would take us from campus to the apartments and the markets.
In Georgia, the security at the Lofts was also really great. I never experienced a security breach and always felt safe. I was also very happy that there was a gym at the Lofts apartments. Everything I needed was right there.
What was your experience with classroom learning at Trinity? Classroom learning on the island was really great. The professors used PowerPoint slides to deliver lectures. All of them were really well-versed in what they were teaching us. They always kept in mind that we were prepping for the USMLE. After every term, we took subject NBME exams, which would ensure we weren’t going ahead without a good foundation. All the quizzes, midterms, and finals were always created in a way that we would answer board-style questions. This way, we had early exposure to answering long STEM questions. They were teaching us things that would be important moving forward. Shout out to Dr. Dragan, our pathology professor on the island, who integrated theoretical and clinical medicine for us. Sometimes, I would be rounding in the hospitals and I’d see something and get reminded of his lectures. The way the faculty taught us and made us apply certain concepts would stick with us, because they would integrate their own medical experiences from when they were in the hospital. They made sure we had everything we needed to move ahead.
How well do you think Trinity is preparing you for the Match? I’m currently in the process of building my application and applying. Because of how the Trinity core clerkships are set up, I was exposed to various specialties. Now I’m sure what I want to apply for, which is very important to know for the match cycle. Another big part is how the faculty and administration are helping us navigate through the process. They help us identify what our strengths are and help us prepare strong applications based on what would look best. They also focus on guiding us to identify and build professional networks. Especially during core rotations in places like Baltimore, they make sure that we make connections for residency, and they do everything they can to help us get available electives. We’re also helped in terms of research. Trinity funds some of our research projects, and we get to present at conferences, which also helps us build a network. Overall, it’s not just them helping us pass exams, but also becoming a well-rounded candidate and future physician. From start to finish, Trinity is really supportive throughout our entire journey.
What specialty are you hoping to match into? I’m hoping to match in general surgery in Maryland, New York, or New Jersey. By completing my cores in Maryland, I’ve been able to build a CV, and I have preceptors and residents who already know about me and how I work.
Was Trinity a good choice for you? Yes, a 100% Trinity was a good choice for me.
What advice would you give to other Indian students considering Trinity? My biggest advice would be to come with an open mind and adapt, not just academically, since that’s probably something everyone expects, but culturally and personally. I feel like studying medicine outside of India, especially in a U.S.-focused program like Trinity is very different from what most Indian students expect. There’s a strong emphasis on critical thinking, communication, and patient-centered care. It’s not just about regurgitating textbooks and being able to pass academically; it’s more so about growing. Growing into this physician culture.
Second, take advantage of everything Trinity has to offer outside of the classroom. Join the clubs, get involved in community service, make sure our CV says you were part of Operation Healing Smiles, and most importantly—build relationships with the students and faculty. You build those relationships for life because you will cross paths with those who started med school with you. You will come across them eventually. Never hesitate to ask for help. Everyone in medical school is hoping someone helps them.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. It’s normal to feel homesick and overwhelmed at the idea that you’re pursuing medicine outside of your country on an island. You need to understand it’s part of a bigger picture. It will make you a better medical student and an even better physician.
What has been your favorite experience so far at Trinity? The color fest on the island. The carnivals are hands down the craziest experience I’ve had in my life. There’s nothing like it. You can be someone who’s partied at the best places in your life, but have never witnessed something like a Caribbean carnival. Everybody is so happy in these great costumes. I think that’s something that will always stay with me. You would feel serious FOMO if you weren’t part of it. You could hear the entire island coming alive with the music. It’s a great experience.
If you’re interested in learning how Trinity can support your dream of becoming a doctor, we invite you to reach out to our admissions team today! Contact us here.
