Roscoe Bell ’23

First year Med student WFU School of Medicine

Winston-Salem, NC
WFU Class of 2023
Major: Psychology – pre-med track
Minor: Music

Career

Tell us about your journey from graduation to where you are today:

I knew I wanted to be a physician since I was a kid. I chose Wake because I went to a private school with a college counseling class where we played a school description association game and Wake’s description was the most appealing to me. My first year at Wake, Covid hit. My best friend and I started a self-improvement program as a project to keep us busy. We worked to track personalized data between counseling sessions and partnered with local counselors. Suddenly, we were in the start-up/entrepreneurship space. I did an entrepreneurship accelerator right after graduation. Then, I was a Leadership & Character Fellow at Wake Forest. I really liked the direct impact of that role and the opportunity to mentor students. As I reflected, and considered a bunch of career options, I landed on medical school as the next step for me. I continued to work for the Fellows program and later the Leadership & Character program as a Program Coordinator, and now I’m now in med school!

How did you apply to med school?

I knew I wanted to stay in Winston-Salem, so I only applied to Wake. 

My advice would be to utilize silence and reflection. I would have periods of discernment to figure out where my talents/gifts and the world’s needs align. Everyone wants purpose andfinancial stability, but during my Fellowship I was really working to find where I was needed. I had incredible mentors in Ann Phelps, Dr. Michael Lamb, Dr. Jeff Williamson, Donna Boswell, Dean Corey Walker, Steve Lineberger, and many more who helped me in this process. I’m very grateful for them. Trust your gut. Introduce yourself in person when you can; allow people to get to know you and know that you’re applying. Try to connect and understand others’ stories.

What is your favorite part about being in Med School at Wake?

I love that it’s under the same mission of Wake Forest (Pro Humanitate). Also, I love Winston; It’s a great place to live.

What and where is next for you?

I have no idea. I will let life take me wherever. I probably want to stay in North Carolina long-term. I want to land wherever I’m needed and where I am able to grow.

Home 

What is your favorite part of living and working in Winston-Salem? What is the most interesting thing going on in the art scene there at the moment, in your opinion?

I love the local ecosystem. I love that you can learn about various restaurants and discover that a lot of them work together. I love the community. Winston-Salem has the money and talent of a big city, but it’s small enough to know a lot of people and get substantially involved in the community if you choose to do so. Some of my best mentors are people who have been here for 25+ years and they seem to know everyone. 

Shoutout Foolish Mortals (local improv group)! I used to be part of it before Med School became too much work to do both. Arts for Arts Sake is a great non profit in town. Sawtooth is a great resource for people to take public art classes. In general, there is an artistic nature in Winston-Salem. There are a lot of complex problems we face as a city, and our creative culture seems to contribute to the creative solutions we’re seeing.

Wake/Advice

How much did your studies and general experience at Wake inform or drive your career path?

The main thing I’ve taken from Wake is my curiosity. Wake does a great job exposing students to a lot of disciplines and fostering holistic people. There’s a brilliant ecosystem, cultivating individuals’ humanness, especially if you search for it. While at Wake, I became a better all around person and developed more moral integrity. Music in particular really expanded my mindset about how to approach complex issues (breaking it down, repetition, going at a reasonable pace, practicing, always trying to learn more, etc). 

What advice would you give to a student reading your profile?

If anything you read here is intriguing, please feel free to reach out to me! And any Wake alum! The Wake network is awesome because there are people ahead of you in your career and there are holistic individuals who really love Wake Forest. Try to make as many genuine relationships as possible. Ask questions about their careers and lives. Allow yourself to learn from unsuspected teachers and people you want to emulate. Find mentors you can be honest with and cultivate long term relationships with. It’s important to share questions, setbacks, and vulnerabilities with your mentors and friends.