My medical school journey began during my senior year of high school. As part of the Allied Health Academy at Everett High School, I gained my first experiences of patient interaction. I rotated throughout multiple departments at Whidden Hospital, consisting of the blood bank, respiratory emergency, and geriatric psychology. That experience solidified my dedication to health and medicine and established the rest of my pre-med life.
Following matriculation at Salem State University, I sought research opportunities to show my commitment to medical science. I began conducting research with Dr. Brown during my sophomore year, where I began practicing basic laboratory techniques that were taught in my biology lab courses. In between my junior and senior year, I was accepted to participate in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at UMass Medical School. I completed the program with a poster presentation revealing research on polycystic kidney disease caused by a mutated human protein.
After graduating at the end of the fall semester of 2016, I spent the entirety of the spring semester studying for the MCAT. While I took steps to ensure my readiness for the exam, I decided to gain more clinical experience. I began as a greeter in the ER at Union Hospital in Lynn. Subsequently, I began my surgical services internship at Salem Hospital. My role as an intern was to prepare patients for the operating room, observe their procedure, and finally, prepare them for discharge with proper transportation home. This experience gave me insight on the internal mechanisms and the social facets of the hospital, where I learned how to care for patients and communicate in a team of providers.
Academic success and professional exposure were critical to my preparedness for the application cycle, but there were other attributes that were equally important. Playing rugby, being an E-board member, working as a server, and working as an administrative coordinator instilled personal skills that enhanced my character and strengthened my application. I applied to medical school in the summer of 2018, receiving two interviews and one matriculation into a pre-matriculation program at UMass Medical School. I spent the following year completing half of the medical school curriculum and conducting research in Quantitative Health Science looking into vaping cessation programs for adolescents. At the end of the school year, I received my official matriculation into the medical school class of 2023 in the MD/PhD program.