Journey to Medical School

Everyone has a different path to medical school. Some students matriculate straight out of completing undergrad, while others may take several years to pursue other degrees, gain research experience, complete a post-baccalaureate program, travel, work, relax, start a family...the list is endless! As a freshman in college, I would always hear everyone talking about how it's so important to stay on top of our pre-med requirements so that we could be set to apply and hopefully start medical school immediately after undergrad. As I started learning more about the application process, spoke with upperclassmen who were planning to pursue medicine, went through the application cycle myself, and learned about the different paths taken by my current peers and classmates, I realized that what I was told was the "traditional path" to medical school was quickly becoming "nontraditional" as more and more students are now matriculating into medical school a year to several years after they complete their undergraduate degree.

My own path to medical school was just the same. In undergrad, you balance so many different commitments all at once and I felt as if I wasn't really able to take the time to do many of the things I had hoped to do. I decided to take a year to explore some of my other interests and to prepare for the MCAT exam. About 5 weeks after graduation, I moved back to my hometown to complete my final weeks of prep for the MCAT, took the exam, and started my AMCAS application before moving back to Cleveland for the year ahead. As an undergrad student, I worked with a research team in a Cancer Biology lab and gained invaluable biomedical and bench work research experience. Hoping to explore other aspects of the research process, I worked as a Clinical Research Assistant in the Pediatrics Division during my Gap Year and found my passion for clinical research. In High School, I used to love volunteering with nonprofit organizations to help coordinate and organize local events for fundraising and advocacy. To continue this interest, I reached out the the local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and worked with them to help organize the Silver Spoon Awards, an annual food and wine benefit event. As a person who loves exploring cities and trying new cuisine, I also finally had the time and means (thanks to my parents who drove my car all the way over to me) to really learn more about the city I spent some of my most formative years in by.

In November of that year, I received a call with my first acceptance to medical school and I knew I had to use the rest of my time to do all the things I truly loved while prepping for this new chapter of my life in the years ahead.

So as I said earlier, everyone has a different path to medical school. And now you know mine.