Introduction: Perspectives from a Medical Student

Photo Credit: Google Images

This blog will function more or less as an extension to my personal journal, which will document my journey through medical school and shed insight on the unique pre-medical experiences and opportunities that paved the way to acceptance.

A little background on me, I graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2016 with a bachelors of science in Nutrition & Food Science minoring in chemistry with a concentration in pre-medical studies. My university, like most, did not have a "pre-med program" rather it was a pre-med pathway consisting of academic advisers who make sure you're taking all the prerequisite classes needed for admissions into medical school. When I started undergrad I knew medicine was the route for me because of my interest in anatomy and biology in high school as well as my love for working with and serving people. What really solidified my calling to medicine was experiencing medicine firsthand in Mexico on a gap year mid-term missions trip after high school. I ended up contracting typhoid fever from bad tejuino and witnessed the realities of clinical medicine in a third-world developing country. Before I even returned to the U.S. in 2012 I applied and got accepted to MTSU. 

As a college freshman, and being an ISFJ personality type, I immediately began shadowing physicians, developing my personal statement, building relationships for letters of recommendation, getting involved with student government, and healthcare organizations on campus. I read the book, Get Into Medical School: A Strategic Approach by Kaplan and did everything I possibly could to make myself the best most competitive candidate for medical school by being involved on campus, my church, and logging hundreds of shadowing hours. Amidst the business of my social life and classes I thoroughly enjoyed the process and made some amazing friendships with many other like-minded pre-med students. 

My senior year in college I took the new 2015 MCAT, now the MCAT had not gone through any major updates since the 1990s so I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. Basically the MCAT was now 7 hrs. long, had new bell-curve scoring system (472-528) with a greater emphasis on 4 new subjects, Biochemistry, Critical Analysis and Reasoning, Psychology, and Sociology. After 3 attempts over 3 years, disappointment, and personal crisis I came to terms with my standardized test taking abilities and personally accepted rejection from every medical school I applied to in the U.S. Instead of giving up or reconsidering my career in healthcare all together, I sought counsel and was advised to consider Caribbean schools as an opportunity to achieve my calling to medicine.

In January 2019 I applied to the "Big Four" Caribbean schools landed interviews and got accepted to all four and chose to attend the best one (in my opinion), Saba University College of Medicine. Since I just accepted a management position at an optometry practice I decided to start in January 2020. It's now October 2019, 80 days before I ship out to the Dutch Caribbean. I am so beyond stoked to start this next chapter of my life and career!!

Over the next few posts I want to address some ideas, experiences, and perspectives I had during my pre-med and gap years before medical school starts, I hope it is useful to other pre-medical students, prospective Caribbean students (Saba U.) or individuals considering medical school.