Dedication, practice, corrections, and repetition – these are components that Adeste Sipin, director of academic support services for the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV's Office of Student Affairs, believes are needed to improve. His advice is the same whether you're playing the piano or trying to complete medical school.
Born and raised in Southern California, Sipin started learning the piano at 7 years old. The instrument is a way for him to channel his emotions. It's comforting and therapeutic, Sipin says, and allows him to communicate without words.
“Learning the piano taught me that mistakes are a natural part of the journey towards mastery. This lesson has been invaluable in my work with students,” says Sipin.
Sipin moved to Las Vegas after completing his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He also obtained a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies focusing on life coaching and sociology from Liberty University. After working at Nevada State University for eight years, Sipin joined the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine and has been helping the school’s students for seven years.
“I think the piano is perfect. It really represents the themes in which I work with students,” Sipin says. “No one starts playing piano and is amazing right away. In fact, they struggle and then get better. Just like getting through medical school.”
Sipin likens his work to being an academic success coach, but at times he can also act as an accountability partner and cheerleader for students. “I encourage them to view setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities to refine their approach, much like how a pianist revisits challenging pieces to improve their performance. This mindset helps students navigate the rigorous demands of medical school with resilience and a positive outlook.”
While Sipin works to equip students with the means to succeed in medical school, he also makes sure that students feel welcomed and free to be their authentic selves.
What inspired you to get into your field?
For as long as I can remember, I have been a counselor to friends and family. During my undergrad, I took that innate desire to help others and started a job as a peer counselor for the Student Retention Center. That experience brought me into higher education as a profession.
Tell me about an a-ha moment in your career.
In my quest to support students, I constantly develop tools that they might find helpful. I am quick to share these tools with our professional network (with permission to make a copy of them) so others can make it their own if they think the tool can help students. The a-ha moment came early in my third year as a learning specialist. I went to an annual meeting, and colleagues who I had never met before told me they were fans of my emails and tools. Many shared that they look forward to my emails on the [Medical Education Learning Specialists] listserv and that the tools have helped them as learning specialists and have helped their medical students.
The a-ha was that the littlest acts can have ripples beyond what I could imagine, and that was beautiful to see. Since that moment, I have joined the planning committee and am now in my second year at our professional network’s Steering Committee – Medical Education Learning Specialists. These opportunities provide me a greater avenue to help develop learning specialists so they can, in turn, support and help more medical students become doctors.
What about your job brings you happiness?
Seeing students overcome doubt, work hard, and experience many successes. The road to success is often paved with failure. Sometimes they’re small stepping stones; other times, they can seem insufferable. Working with students to get past those stones and experience success is such a privilege and honor.
What advice would you give to prospective students who are undecided about pursuing a career in medicine?
My advice to prospective students who are undecided about pursuing a career in medicine is to really think about the why. Why do you want to be a physician? What are your motivations? Go so far as writing a short letter to yourself about why you want a career in medicine. This strong why will help any student get through the difficulties and setbacks that can often occur during medical school. If a prospective student is undecided, I encourage them to continue to explore the medical profession until they can have a very solid why. If the why is superficial and shallow, it can make pursuing a career in medicine much more difficult. The sentiment that medical school is tough is an understatement. Having a strong why helps students break through walls and overcome obstacles because the why is that much more important. To sum it up in a quote, “A person who has a WHY can suffer any HOW.”
What was your greatest day on campus? And your toughest?
The greatest day on campus is Match Day! It is one of the culminating events where students get to reap the rewards of hard work throughout the past four years as they find out what specialty and which residency program will launch the next chapter in their lives. There is so much joy, pride, relief, and excitement on Match Day.
The toughest days on campus are any days when a student experiences failure, whether it’s on an exam, a national board exam, not matching in their preferred choice, or having to repeat a part of the curriculum, etc. I always try to remind students that “a failure is a comma, not a period.” In other words, this just puts a pause on your plan and does not mean it’s the end. This is why the why is so important, especially in these moments. Reminding students that they can still reach their goals and dreams and having them reflect on their why helps them get through the temporary setback.
What drew you to UNLV and the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine?
The ability to build a new program. Before coming to UNLV, I worked at Nevada State [University]. I started there when it was 4 years old as an institution. It was exciting to be able to build and develop programs and policies that were centered on students and helping them succeed. The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine has given me that same opportunity.
What is even more exciting is that medical education is constantly evolving, so the need to adjust and respond to student needs is always present. What keeps me here is that it is a school that truly cares about supporting students and their dreams. I would not be able to implement programs and resources that help students if it were not for the culture that we have here that is student-centered.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
That I was born an extrovert but have grown to be more introverted over the last 15 years. I love working with people and getting to know them one-on-one. Large social events and mingling are really not my cup of tea (anymore). I know that my personality and energy give off “social butterfly,” but I am much happier and more relaxed in small settings or at home with my furbabies.
What’s your favorite question to answer?
"How old are you?" I am turning 42 this year, but I don’t look it. It’s my favorite question to answer because people assume that I am younger than I am.
Tell us about a moment in life you’d like a “do-over” on.
I would love to “do-over” high school but with the cultural knowledge of now. What I mean is, it was much more difficult to be gay when I was in high school during the 90s. I wanted to do dance and color guard, and I was good at it! I know because I would practice with my girlfriends but never had the chance to perform because guys were not part of those types of things at the time. Instead, I was in marching band; I took a girl to all of the formals, including prom, etc. In honor of Pride Month [June], I appreciate the greater awareness when it comes to sexuality, and I think I would have enjoyed high school much more if I had been able to truly be myself and comfortable in my own skin.
Is there anything that stuck out to you when you were growing up?
America Online (AOL) sticks out to me very vividly and fondly. It was my outlet to exploring my sexuality. It gave me an opportunity to have an alias and just explore building relationships and getting to know other people. As a young gay person, this is important because oftentimes, we are stunted in our interpersonal relationships due to fear of rejection and/or lack of access to others who could be friends or potential partners. The heteronormative culture and the pressure to fit in rather than stick out is even more pervasive in middle school and high school. While straight people are able to explore and experience the idea of having girlfriends or boyfriends as young as elementary school, LGBTQ+ people often do this at much later stages in their lives. For this reason, AOL really sticks out to me because it was the first time I was able to experience developing both friendships and relationships.
Who is your biggest role model?
I cannot think of any one person at the moment. What I will say is that I am inspired by people who are authentic and genuine because, in a world where societal expectations often dictate our actions and behaviors, staying true to oneself requires immense courage and strength. Many times, we find ourselves conforming to cultural norms and perceived expectations, which can lead to silencing parts of our identity and thoughts. This pressure to conform can result in inauthenticity and a sense of "fakeness" that can be deeply unfulfilling and even harmful to our mental and emotional well-being.
What advice would you give your younger self?
My advice to my younger self would be to value yourself more. You are great at taking care of others and being there for them, but oftentimes, you do so at your own expense and neglect. Maybe it is because you questioned your self-worth, so you strived to be important and helpful to others, but know that you are worth more than you give yourself credit for. Be selfish! Put yourself first!
