The road to med school
A lego hospital at age 8. The "When I grown up" speech in year 4. Dressing as Florence Nightengale for Halloween. Medicine has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. I don't know if I could separate the rest of my identity from my desire to be a doctor; I've never been without it.
And thus I started in earnest in 9th grade. I got myself onto a fast track in the bio courses, joined a summer research program, and did whatever I could in terms of volunteer work at the hospital. (I won't lie here, my Mom working there for 30 years definitely opened some doors.) I started making myself the best college applicant possible. College was my way to get to Med School. I received Gray's Anatomy as a graduation gift.
It came down to Kalamazoo College versus Albion. 95% and 98% acceptance rate into medical school, respectively. I sacrificed the 3% for a better study abroad program. I got myself into the freshman "weeder" class (Evolution and Genetics, for you non-K folk) and memorized my grade point average to the nearest 1000th.
I interned with a family medicine doc and completely screwed up the first time I tried to take a blood pressure.
I spent my spring break of my junior year studying for the MCATs. I took my first cadaver course in Australia and learned why one should always tie long hair back when there are open abdominal cavities around.
I did a clinical SIP with an orthopedic surgeon to get more observation hours in. I wore heels and stood in cold exam rooms until my legs ached. I saw more x-ray film than a radiologist, every single one of them dedicated to one of about 5 joints. I sat on the floor of Borgess' medical library, sifting through stacks of journals, hoping in vain for treatments for Ostoarthritis that even mentioned alternative medicine.
I applied to 10 schools with a 3.579 GPA and a 31 MCAT. Wrote primary application essays, secondary application essays. Entered my relevant course history no less than seven times. I checked my email and post box complusively for 6 months straight. I got the interview at Wayne, after two schools had rejected me outright.
I got the interview at Wayne. It was my first-choice school and the one I had the best shot at getting into. I talked to a doctor that knew my hometown and was going to send her daughter to K. On December 14th, I sat in La Guardia International Airport and hit redial on my phone until I got through. My Mom cried when I got the news, I was too shocked to.
I honestly don't know if I would have gotten into the other medical schools. Thankfully, I don't have to think about it anymore. I turned down any other interview from any other school because Wayne felt like home. And the fact that Detroit Receiving (level 3 trauma center) is across the street.
And I'm not even half way. Ahead of me is my first year of med school. Anatomy and Physiology. Histology. Step exams. Assuming I get through that and don't collapse under 150 K of student loans, I get to look forward to being an intern, and then hopefully a resident. And then maybe, just maybe, I can rely on getting 8 hours of sleep at night. Maybe having a family.
This entry brought to you by the new ABC show, Gray's Anatomy. My mom's been taping it for me. It reminds me of what I'm working toward, why I'm working for it.
And thus I started in earnest in 9th grade. I got myself onto a fast track in the bio courses, joined a summer research program, and did whatever I could in terms of volunteer work at the hospital. (I won't lie here, my Mom working there for 30 years definitely opened some doors.) I started making myself the best college applicant possible. College was my way to get to Med School. I received Gray's Anatomy as a graduation gift.
It came down to Kalamazoo College versus Albion. 95% and 98% acceptance rate into medical school, respectively. I sacrificed the 3% for a better study abroad program. I got myself into the freshman "weeder" class (Evolution and Genetics, for you non-K folk) and memorized my grade point average to the nearest 1000th.
I interned with a family medicine doc and completely screwed up the first time I tried to take a blood pressure.
I spent my spring break of my junior year studying for the MCATs. I took my first cadaver course in Australia and learned why one should always tie long hair back when there are open abdominal cavities around.
I did a clinical SIP with an orthopedic surgeon to get more observation hours in. I wore heels and stood in cold exam rooms until my legs ached. I saw more x-ray film than a radiologist, every single one of them dedicated to one of about 5 joints. I sat on the floor of Borgess' medical library, sifting through stacks of journals, hoping in vain for treatments for Ostoarthritis that even mentioned alternative medicine.
I applied to 10 schools with a 3.579 GPA and a 31 MCAT. Wrote primary application essays, secondary application essays. Entered my relevant course history no less than seven times. I checked my email and post box complusively for 6 months straight. I got the interview at Wayne, after two schools had rejected me outright.
I got the interview at Wayne. It was my first-choice school and the one I had the best shot at getting into. I talked to a doctor that knew my hometown and was going to send her daughter to K. On December 14th, I sat in La Guardia International Airport and hit redial on my phone until I got through. My Mom cried when I got the news, I was too shocked to.
I honestly don't know if I would have gotten into the other medical schools. Thankfully, I don't have to think about it anymore. I turned down any other interview from any other school because Wayne felt like home. And the fact that Detroit Receiving (level 3 trauma center) is across the street.
And I'm not even half way. Ahead of me is my first year of med school. Anatomy and Physiology. Histology. Step exams. Assuming I get through that and don't collapse under 150 K of student loans, I get to look forward to being an intern, and then hopefully a resident. And then maybe, just maybe, I can rely on getting 8 hours of sleep at night. Maybe having a family.
This entry brought to you by the new ABC show, Gray's Anatomy. My mom's been taping it for me. It reminds me of what I'm working toward, why I'm working for it.