Med School and Beyond: How a First-Year Medical Student Uses her Smart Alec 2.0

Meet Anna, a Houston, Texas native, University of Washington graduate, microbiology enthusiast, equestrian, and now a first-year medical student!

After our Synapse 25 was featured on HBO’s The Pitt, we found ourselves thinking about the real people behind the stories of medicine — and what daily life looks like for someone in medical training. That led us to Anna, a real-life medical student and former TOM BIHN model.

Anna has been carrying the Smart Alec 2.0 for a while now. Since modeling for the Smart Alec 2.0 lifestyle shoot last year, it’s become her everyday carry. From early morning exams to after-class horseback riding, the backpack hasn’t left her side. Now, her bag follows her into the next chapter of her life.

In this Q&A, we chat with Anna about med school, daily carry, and how the Smart Alec 2.0 remains part of her everyday routine. 

Can you introduce yourself and tell us where you’re at in med school right now?

 Hi! My name is Anna, and I am a first-year medical student! 

What do you usually carry with you on a typical day?

My everyday essentials include my iPad and laptop, along with a textbook or two, depending on the day. Hand sanitizer is a MUST, and my charger and Anki remote live in the side pocket of my bag. The inner water bottle pocket is a godsend because it makes me feel so much safer knowing that it's safe inside my bag and not being exposed to all the germs around me!

How did the Smart Alec 2.0 become your go-to bag?

I miss Seattle so so much, so having it with me is a constant reminder of the city I’ve come to consider my home and my best friend, who is the fantastic writer of this blog. I also love that when I wear my black scrubs, I feel like Dr. Robby from The Pitt, and embarrassingly enough it's really effective for getting me in the zone. 

Med school days can be long—how does your bag fit into that routine?

Honestly, carrying a lot of bags is super overstimulating for me, so I love that my backpack is so spacious and I can fit everything I need for my classes, from my lab coat to my instruments (is that what you call them???), without the need for multiple bags.

What’s one item in your bag you’d be lost without?

That's a hard one. In terms of school, definitely my netters anatomy flash cards. They have beautiful illustrations and help me so much when in the hot seat. Outside of my school supplies, I always carry around a lip balm, probably glossier, because I can not focus if my lips are chapped, and if there’s one thing I learned as a microbiology major its that having a nice smelling chapstick around is a necessity when there’s smelly things like bacteria and dissection specimens around. 

Where does your bag go with you outside of school?

My backpack goes with me everywhere! I travel a lot, so the luggage pass-through sleeve in the back is incredibly convenient, and since I use it pretty much everyday it stays packed with my essentials so I can just grab it and go!

Do you pack your bag the same way every day, or does it change depending on what’s coming up?

It depends! My side and inside pockets stay packed with my everyday things, but the main compartment changes depending on what's going on. Sometimes I just carry my electronics, but other times I carry my scrubs for hospital visits or my white coat for lab. But one thing that doesn’t change is that I always pack my bag the night before to maximize my sleep time in the morning!

What’s something about med school people don’t really talk about—but you feel every day?

Even though it's really exhausting and draining at times, it's also incredibly fulfilling because I know I’m working towards something that I love. 

 Do you have a favorite subject or field of study at the moment?

My favorite field is microbiology, and even though I love all the amazing new things I'm learning, I don't think anything will ever top my first love. Microbiology, more than any other field, affects everybody. Everyone comes face-to-face with a microbe at some point in their life, and most, if not all, people will experience a cold, whereas not everyone will have a heart attack, for example. It’s incredibly vast and amazingly complex, and I deeply enjoy learning about each organism and how to most effectively treat them in each patient.

Be honest: which character from The Pitt is most likely to carry the Smart Alec 2.0?

I may be biased because he's my absolute favorite, but I think that Whitaker would get the most use out of it! The bag is so versatile that I feel like a country boy would love it — I’ve definitely taken it to the barn a couple of times myself!

Med school is built on long days, small routines, and the in-between moments that keep everything moving forward. Listening to Anna talk about her daily carry gives a glimpse into that rhythm — the quiet systems that make demanding days feel manageable. The days are full, the mental load is real, and having something reliable at your side makes a difference.

The Smart Alec 2.0 has followed her from a lifestyle shoot into real life, evolving right alongside her path into medicine. It’s there for early mornings, late nights, and everything beyond the classroom — carrying the essentials, adapting to whatever the day throws her way, and showing up without fuss. 

Thanks to Anna for sharing a glimpse into this chapter of her life. We’ll be cheering her on as she heads deeper into med school — Smart Alec 2.0 right along with her.