I was glad to see the summer finally end and my final year of college begin. As my senior year began, I had so many questions and so few answers.
On the first day of classes, I saw Lori again, and at least for a brief moment, the world seemed to make sense. It was obvious from our first conversation she spent the summer doing some thinking of her own. She shared many of my frustrations and uncertainties.
The first item on the agenda in my senior year was sending out my applications to medical school. I thought about my meeting with Father Flecker all summer, and I was looking forward to the day when I could show him my letter of acceptance to medical school.
Completing each of the individual applications was time-consuming and expensive.
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Totally aware of what I was doing, I began to build a psychological wall around myself, and at least on the issue of medical school, the sign on the wall read, "No Visitors!"
With each succeeding letter of rejection, I wrote a follow-up letter to the appropriate medical school, requesting a review of my application and the opportunity to meet with representatives of the admissions committee to discuss my application. As before, I received prompt replies from each medical school, informing me my application was once again reviewed, the decision on my application was unchanged, and interviews were by invitation only.
With each new letter from a medical school, I felt more helpless. Because I received all my rejection letters early in the school year and a few months still remained before the application deadline for most medical colleges, I decided to apply to an additional number of
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My agony was prolonged, savings were further depleted, and misconceptions about southern and western medical schools were corrected. Of considerable less utility was the fact I was once again rejected from all of the schools to which I had applied.
It's amazing how everyone always seems to have the perfect solutions to everyone else's problems. Hearing of my difficulty getting into medical school, friends, neighbors, and complete strangers advised me to do everything other than the one thing I wanted to do.
These people advised me to go away to a foreign medical school, go into osteopathy or chiropractic, and even have my congressman or family doctor “pull some strings” to get me into medical school via some alternate admissions route. All of the suggestions were well-intended, but they were all unacceptable alternatives.
While I continued to set new world land speed records for medical school rejections, other students in my class were beginning to receive their letters of acceptance into medical school. If being rejected was difficult to accept, watching certain students flaunt their acceptance letters was
Succeeding in medical school will require a tremendous amount of perseverance and passion. No one gets into medical school without demonstrating perseverance and overcoming the challenges that occur throughout the journey. I have persevered through being denied admission during a previous application cycle and throughout difficult coursework while pursuing a master’s degree. Not only did I overcome the challenges that I faced, but excelled academically, at my job, and in extracurricular activities. By continuing to pursue my dream I was exposed to numerous experiences and underwent significant personal development. I understand that medical school will present very difficult material and more frequent challenges, but my goal is to be a physician
Dr. Winner received her undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree from Stanford University in 2001, and then took an astounding three year break before even beginning medical school. Interestingly, she decided to enter onto the pre med track later in college and so she applied later as well, which accounted for one year of her break. However, being from Alaska, one of her desires was to go to the University of Washington in Seattle, as it was considered a state medical school because Alaska did not have one. She applied there, but was rejected. Columbia University, however, did accept her, but she did not want to go there, as she viewed it as being “halfway across the country from her.” So she asked to defer her enrollment and surprisingly, they allowed it. So, in that year
In her passage “The Chem 20 Factor”, Ellen Goodman uses a prudent tone coupled with numerous rhetorical devices such as word choice, repetition, and metaphors to assist in explaining the effect of rigorous coursework on rising medical fees to concerned patients. She analyzes the grueling competition, emotional stress, and eventual workaholism and entitlement medical doctors experience throughout their years of schooling to demonstrate how these factors translate into the seemingly excessive prices they charge.
As I pushed through college and it became time to do research on potential medical schools, my eyes were opened to much more than my initial findings of the
I decided to pursue a career in medicine when I was an adolescent. I scheduled a science-heavy course load in high school. Pursued a degree in Honours Biological Sciences. Shadowed a physician for two months. Graduated with distinction. Applied to medical schools and received my acceptance. My academic and professional career was already planned at the ripe age of fourteen. As the years progressed, my passion and interest in medicine waned. I was left feeling deeply unfulfilled. The career I was pursuing had ceased to be reflective of my interests. I struggled to procure the enthusiasm to apply to medical school, putting it off until I was in my final year of university. Every time I broached
Allan Bakke applied twice (in 1973 and 1974) to be accepted into the Medical School at the University of California at Davis, but
Studying to be a physician requires lots of effort and time. To an immigrant like me, I tried to manage my studies, volunteer work, and adjusting to a new culture at the same time. I like to stick with my plans, and it has always been my plan to enter medical school on 2018. However, my road to entering medical school didn’t come as easy to me. After transferring to University, two of my close family passed away.
My grandfather, a pediatrician for forty years, was the first college graduate in his family. His home office was my daycare. From my earliest memories, education and medicine was often a topic of discussion when my family gathered. I heard the conversations about college applications and essays and saw the anticipation awaiting acceptance. I saw the excitement of “getting in” multiple times throughout my life. As professionals, passionate about their careers, I hear conversations of patients and students. The UCONN graduates in my family are a testament not only to the high quality of education UCONN offers, but the quality of people it forms and the contagious, positive experiences they want to share from college and
I made myself available to prospective students. I believe people are more likely to carry out a plan when it is written down and with expected timeline for completion. My motto is that actions speaks louder than words, and when a young person approached me about a career guidance, usually I give out an empty binder with sheet protectors. They need to write down their goals with timeline of when to accomplish that goals. They are required to bring the binder to our future meetings. Some appreciate my style, others are intimidated. My goal is to continue to reach out and mentor young minorities and help develop their interest in medicine. When I tell my stories of relocating to the US, being a medical student, a wife and a mother of two and everything that I have had the privilege of doing, I do not want to impress anyone but rather for them to see that anything is possible with determination and planning. As a DO physician, I will be in a better position to continue my passion which is to give voices to the mute and allow the minority student once told that he/she can’t to say “I actually did” and I hope that the person can then move on to impact the next person – a chain
Last Saturday, November 18th, I attended the Region IX Student National Medical Conference at the City College of New York. This was my first medical conference so I did not know what to expect going in. Upon arrival, I was amazed at the sight of doctors, medical students, research presenters, pre-med students, and even high school students gathered together to gain and share knowledge and make connections. The conference consisted of a host of enriching events, of which I attended six: “Unique Journeys to Medicine”, “Demystifying Medical School Admission”, “How to Become An Excellent Applicant”, “Standardized Patient Encounter”, “New MCAT Test-takers Panel”, and “Embodying Black Female Physician Excellence: Panel Discussion”. While I am
When planning my pre-medical schedule at the University of Iowa, I found a first year seminar titled “Journey to Medical School.” All of the fears, ambitions, and everything I could think of regarding my journey to medical school was covered in the seminar. I left the class feeling terrified, but more than that, excited and prepared for what was to come within my next 8 years. One of the class periods was filled with the intellect of students who currently attend Carver Medical School. During that class period, I was mesmerized by the way the students carried themselves. They talked with poise and grace. Listening to them talk about how their journey was going made my heart putter – I was terrified, yet excited to continue on my own
I am what would be considered a non-traditional applicant for medical school. As an undergraduate I did not know I wanted to be a physician, and I chose to major in electrical engineering. I have spent several years out of school employed in a professional environment working as a team member and utilizing my critical thinking skills. I have had experiences both professionally and personally beyond what the typical medical school applicant may have had. Therefore, if admitted, I would be able to contribute a unique perspective as someone who has walked an atypical path to a career in medicine.
For a split second I caught myself reconsidering my future that I have thought for so long I had all figured out. As the President of the Ole Miss chapter of AMSA began the meeting, I found myself starting to relax a little. I listened to all the things that most medical school reviewers look for on a transcript and application, and all the things she talked about were offered through this organization or were made much simpler with the aid that it provides. The speaker went on to say that AMSA was not simply a “medical school prep”, but it was heavily involved in community service. Following the speech by the President, Dr. Gray got on stage to tell us about his experience as a member of the review board at the University of Arkansas Medical School, and he shared some of the things that he, as a reviewer, found as positives and negatives in an application. When the meeting was coming to an end, we were encouraged to join the national chapter of AMSA as well as the Ole Miss
If there was anything I learned last year as a freshman is that the path towards medical school can be mentally deprecating. The classes I took last year challenged my intelligence and mostly challenged my confidence. It is easy to give in to pressure and your own insecurities, especially as an African American entering a career field that is underrepresented by people who reflect you and your struggles. It is trying and a constant battle to empower yourself.
“Don’t worry, you’re still important too,” my aunt facetiously proclaimed as she then went on to admiring my brother’s acceptance into medical school. This was an astonishing accomplishment, causing my relatives to view my brother in awe. They bombarded him with praise and respect once they discovered the news at the Thanksgiving reunion. I too, was immensely proud of him; however, I was constantly belittled by my family due to his growing success. It was then up to me to prove them wrong and show them what I was capable of.