Many physicians have told me that I have already accomplished the hardest part of medical school… GETTING ACCEPTED. And honestly, I think that is true in many ways. Applying to medical school is a complicated and competitive task. I felt a lot of pressure during my undergraduate years. I needed to get good grades and amazing test scores. I needed to have experience in scientific research, dedication to community service, hours spent shadowing multiple fields, and leadership credentials. I needed to practice for my interview, boost my resume with teaching assistant hours, and get great recommendations from professors along the way. These are the things I was told to do at every pre-med meeting I went to and every website I looked at. Oh! And one more thing! I needed to stand out among the applicants!
It was very overwhelming to have so many people tell me what I was expected to do to get accepted. It was important for me to stay true to myself in my undergraduate years, while achieving the goals expected of me before medical school. I tried my best to excel both inside and outside of the classroom, while enjoying the hobbies that I always cherished. I needed to live, make friends, enjoy life, and remain wholesome.
I am writing this post for other pre-med students to reference and find hope in their passions for medicine. Needless to say, I did not do everything I was told to do. I do not think anyone is capable of everything! I did what was right for me. Therefore, my story is not a template for other ambitious pre-med students to abide by. It is just my story. Every medical school is different. They are each looking for unique qualities specific to their mission and values. So, if you have a dream school, you should look at their requirements and the profiles of their students to know how to end up in their shoes.
So, let me start at the beginning.
Why did I choose West Virginia University for my undergraduate degree?
First and foremost, I wanted to get a great education. I knew that West Virginia University (WVU) could give that to me. I had hometown friends who pursued degrees in Biochemistry at WVU and gotten right into medical school after graduation. That sounded like an ideal timeline for me. I also chose WVU because I wanted lots of opportunities to grow as a student and young adult. I went to a very small high school and was looking for a change to a large university for college. I was intrigued by the opportunities to meet new people and attend many sporting events. I wanted a school where students stayed on campus during the weekends because there was always an event going on. But I also wanted to go somewhere that was not too far from home. It was a perfect fit for me.
Since I am spilling it all here, it was important to think about the price tags of the education I wanted to receive. Staying in state was an economical choice for me in both undergraduate and medical school. I knew that medical school alone would come with a large price tag. According to the AAMC’s Tuition and Student Fees Report for 2019-2020, the average cost of medical school tuition, fees, and health insurance for an in-state resident at a public institution was $37,566. The average cost almost doubled for an out-of-state student at a public university to $62,194. If these numbers seem a little frightening or discouraging, medical school for many students is made possible by loans and generous scholarships from alumni. For me, it was important to take advantage of as many scholarships and financial aid opportunities as possible during my undergraduate years. I found scholarships through local Elks groups, hospitals that I volunteered at, and other community partners in my hometown. The price was something important to think about, but not something to discourage one from their dreams of helping others through medicine someday.
Why did I choose BIOCHEMISTRY as my undergraduate degree?
Many people told me that Biochemistry was not the easiest way to get to medical school, but I wanted a challenge. In high school, I found a love for biology. I loved dissections and was fascinated with the concepts of the cell. On the other hand, my chemistry background was not very good. But I enjoyed chemistry because there was always a right answer with some math involved. Chemistry was like solving a puzzle. Additionally, I wanted to stand out as an applicant, so I thought Biochemistry would set me apart from other Biology or Chemistry majors. The Bachelors of Science Biochemistry program at WVU was very small. I noticed that when I first toured the school. Professors wanted me to succeed and were prepared to help me get to medical school from day one. I graduated with about 35 Biochemistry classmates. We all knew each other by name and spent lots of good times together. Each of us had our own interests and the Biochemistry program gave us the flexibility to pursue what we liked. For me, I enjoyed nutrition and upper level biochemistry courses. I was able to take graduate level courses in nutrition and prepare myself extremely well for the MCAT and the first semester of medical school. Biochemistry was a great fit for me.
When did you start studying for the MCAT?
I knew from my previous history of taking standardized exams that I would need to prepare well for the MCAT. I started studying about 6 months prior to my exam date. I began reviewing material over the winter break of my Junior year. I assessed what I subjects I was weak in and developed a plan to review and asses my progress. My biochemistry course work had prepared me well to handle biology and chemistry sections, but I was lesser prepared for the reading comprehension and psychology/sociology sections. I spent Saturdays in March and April taking full length practice exams and reviewing them thoroughly the next days. I had a particular score goal in mind that I wanted to reach. I ended up pushing back my exam date until the end of May. I wanted my practice scores to reflect my goal in mind before I took the exam. In only wanted to take the test once. Stay tuned for a more thorough blog post about how I prepared for the MCAT.
What kind of research experience did you have?
I am not going to lie; research was probably the weakest part of my application. I spent so much time in my mandatory wet labs as a biochemistry student, that I just did not desire to spend any more time in lab. I had one semester of research experience in all of my undergraduate years. My research was on genotyping chicken blood for the blue egg gene, which has no greater quality than white eggs but is more desirable by consumers. I am proud that my small research project was completed in a single semester, and I had the knowledge to speak about the results in my medical school interview. Please know that if you did research, be prepared to talk about your project at your interview! Even if you were just pipetting for 3 months, you contributed. You should be able to talk about the results and, more importantly, the significance of the overall project. Interviewers will ask!
If you are someone like me who does not enjoy laboratory research, then maybe shine through another part of your application. But some sort of research experience should be listed on your application. I didn’t realize how many other research opportunities were available to me outside of the biochemistry department. I thought that I had to do something super “sciencey”. If I could do it over again, I would get involved in more clinical or nutritional research the second time around. I liked speaking with people and understanding patients. There is a course at WVU that introduces students to clinical research. My friends who took it loved it and found projects to get involved in when the class ended. It is worth exploring options closer to your passions.
What do you think is the reason you got accepted to medical school?
I am not sure that there was one reason for why I got accepted. But I do think my ties to the state helped. Many state schools give preference to students from their undergraduate institution and students from their home state. I have always loved West Virginia and much of the community service on my application was in my home state. This showed a passion for helping the people of West Virginia already, which will translate to helping them through medicine someday as well.
I think it is important to look at the demographics of the schools you are thinking to apply to. It is important to understand their mission and values. I highly recommend looking into experiences and programs at your medical school of desire before applying. It is important that you fit to the type of student they are looking for. I got to know medical students and admissions committee members at the WVU School of Medicine by participating in the Pre-Medical Track. I attended events where I got to know the admissions committee, current physicians, alumni, and current students. Let me tell you that I was the calmest person in the room on interview day! I felt confidence in how I was going to answer all of my questions and knew many of the admissions committee members conducting the interviews. I was reaching out to calm down my fellow applicants. I was the only one who knew what to expect. On interview day, I found that I fit at West Virginia University, and I am so thankful that they thought the same.
Did you ever have any doubts about going to medical school?
Unfortunately, I did have my doubts about my goal of becoming a physician. My Freshman year, I struggled with the college transition. I was extremely homesick, stressed about exams, and struggling to make meaningful friendships. I lost a lot of confidence in myself that I could get through college and become a physician. I considered switching to education or nursing. School was tough, and there was a part of me that didn’t think I could handle it. I reached out for help, found friends to study with, and worked hard my first semester to do well. Once I got a few good grades on my transcript, I knew that I could accomplish my goal.
I also found it very easy to question my medical school ability while I was studying for the MCAT. Studying was mentally exhausting. It was so easy to lose hope when my practice scores were not reflecting my goals. The only thing that kept me motivated was shadowing physicians. I found one in Pediatric Psychology that I loved. She was so passionate about her work and so compassionate with patients. Her positive attitude made me excited for a future in medicine. Although I took time away from the books and practice questions to shadow, I rediscovered my purpose and boosted my motivation to keep studying. I would recommend scheduling some clinical opportunities into every MCAT study schedule. It helped me so much! It is important to keep your eyes on your dream when there are difficulties in the way.
Were you able to have fun during your undergraduate degree?
Absolutely! I went into college with the mindset that I was going to learn a lot. I was going to grow as a student, but more importantly I was going to grow as a person. Growing as a person did not come from studying all day. I loved attending all of the football games and basketball games with my best friends. I loved cheering on my Mountaineers, especially during seasons where we had great runs. I even found an opportunity to get on the sidelines for football games! I loved traveling to Pittsburgh on long weekends and breaks for dinner, brunch, an ice skate, or a musical. It was just a short drive from Morgantown and a worthwhile evening away from the books. The best thing I did for myself during my undergraduate years was apply for a job as an official WVU tour leader. This job challenged me to better my public speaking skills, interpersonal communication, and ability to work with a team. More importantly, this job gave me a boss who was like my mom and friends that would last me a lifetime. I worked this job because I loved it. It became my social life! Work was fun for me because it didn’t seem like a job at all. I loved being a student at West Virginia University. It was four years well spent in a place that soon became my new home.
So that is my story! I did it. I got accepted. It sure has been a crazy ride, but there is nothing else I could see myself working so hard for. Watch the video below to see me speak about my medical school excitement!
If you have any questions about what it takes to get to medical school or would like to know more about my college experience, please reach out to me. Use the Medical School tab to submit a question at the bottom of the page! You can also subscribe to my blog on my Home page and for monthly updates on new blog posts and recipes.
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