Send us Fan Mail She was a national champion swimmer in Slovakia with a full-ride scholarship to America. Her first-generation parents, who don't speak English, were terrified to let her go. Her dad almost didn't sign the papers. She came anyway, at 18, with two suitcases, and figured it all out on her own. Then the sport that brought her here started to break her body down. After a shoulder injury forced her to stop swimming, she leaned fully into the dream she'd carried since high school, becoming a doctor. This is Alexandra's story: leaving home, building a life alone in a new country, losing the thing that defined her, and holding on to what she was really after. She also credits Dr. Andrew Reisman, MD, the physician who treated her shoulder and helped shape the kind of doctor she wants to become. Made by an international student, for international students, your practical and emotional guide to not just survive, but thrive. Watch Part Two, her full step-by-step guide to getting into med school as an international student. Time Stamps : 0:00 - Getting Recruited to Swim in America 5:46 - Culture Shock, Language, and Living Alone 13:15 - Her Parents Almost Didn't Let Her Go 15:41 - Arriving With Two Suitcases 19:50 - The Injury That Forced Her to Stop Swimming 24:04 - How Losing Swimming Led Her to Medicine Guest: Alexandra Misikova, from Slovakia, former national champion swimmer and Division I athlete at the University of Delaware, first-generation college student, and this August she starts medical school. TikTok: @a_misikovaa Instagram: @a_misikovaa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-misikova-medstudent New episodes every week. Subscribe and let's get into it, and if this inspired you, share it with someone chasing something big. Also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Amazon Music TikTok - @ISEPodcast Instagram - @ise.podcast Support the show 🎙 International Student Experience We share real stories from international students who have lived this journey before you — so your path can be easier. Every guest opens up about what they wish someone had told them. The mistakes they made. The lessons they learned the hard way. The wisdom they gained from navigating life, education, careers, and identity in the United States. If you are an international student or about to become one — these conversations exist to make your journey lighter, clearer, and a little less lonely. You don't have to figure it all out alone. Learn from those who have already walked this path. Watch full video episodes on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalStudentExperiece Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio Have a story to share or want to be a guest? Email us at yourstory.oie@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @ise.podcast TIKTOK : @ise.podcast YouTube: International Student Experience Subscribe for new episodes every week If this episode helped you, share it with another international student who needs to hear it. We are still not reaching enough International students, please help us reach to more people by reviewing the podcast and sharing with other International studen...