from software engineering to medical school acceptance: my journey to medicine
Last week, I was accepted to medical school! It was a surreal moment, as I’ve spent the last two years working towards an acceptance. I am a non-traditional applicant, and I wanted to share my journey to medicine.
When I was an undergraduate student, I majored in Computer Science and minored in Mathematics. I developed a deep love of math in high school and felt that Computer Science would be a practical application of math. I had always been interested in healthcare and medicine, so I took pre-medical courses when I was in undergrad, but had no intentions of applying to medical school.
After graduation, I started working as a software engineer in NYC. I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world: I learned a lot while I was there, met fantastic people, fell in love with the city (which I’d previously taken for granted, having always lived at most 45 minutes away), and met my husband, Kyle. But if I’m honest with myself, I was restless and unfulfilled, and realized early on that I didn’t want to settle into a career where I was working. There was a lack of interpersonal connection, certain talents of mine went untapped, and I had nostalgia for an earlier time in my life when I felt freer to dream. In lieu of fully appreciating my present reality, I allowed myself to wish I could repeat a previous stage. At the time, a friend of mine gave me valuable advice that I would never forget: the yearning for a time past indicated that some desire I had was currently going unfulfilled. I needed to figure out what I was longing for and explore how to meaningfully satisfy it.
In the meantime, I was cultivating my blog. It started as a way for me to document my own health journey and began evolving into a space where I shared how one could live a truly healthy life. I pored over books on health, nutrition, personal development, and medicine, always thumbing through something on my commutes to and from work. I felt strongly about how powerful lifestyle changes could be, and slowly came to the realization that I wanted to be the expert. I wanted to learn the science, work one-on-one with patients, and make a public health impact. Memorial Day weekend of 2017, I faced my fears and started researching what I would need to do to apply to medical school. I already felt daunted by the MCAT and the prospect of taking Organic Chemistry, which I gleefully skipped in undergrad.
Later that summer, I emailed some programs I was interested in to find out if I could take classes while working!
So began that journey. I decided to take any missing classes at Harvard Extension School, and planned to finish labs at my alma mater, Rutgers University. I completed Organic Chemistry in my last few months as a full time employee, which was an extremely challenging experience. In addition to working 40+ hours a week, I was commuting for three hours a day, which left me little energy for studying. To maximize what available time I had, I almost always studied on the train.
A friend took this photo of me while we were commuting into the city together. This is probably what I looked like every day, ha.
In May 2018, the end of Organic Chemistry coincided with my resignation from work. I expected my last day to feel more bittersweet than it did, but I walked out for the final time full of resolve. All I could think about was the year ahead, which would be jam-packed. I needed to finish my classes, get valuable clinical experience, and take the MCAT. Of course, part of me was full of fear, and I strove to keep my attention focused on what I stood to gain by using my time wisely.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I am currently a medical assistant at Ethos Health, the first farm-based primary care practice in the country. I had previously seen Dr. Ron Weiss present at the Plant-Based Nutrition in Healthcare Conference in September 2017. It turned out that his practice was only an hour drive from me, and I was dying to shadow Dr. Weiss and see how he incorporated lifestyle medicine into his work. I called the office and was asked to send my resume and a cover letter. I couldn’t believe my luck: their current scribe was on her way out, and Ethos offered to hire me! I started training that summer and felt intimidated by the new experience, but I loved working with patients. At times, Dr. Weiss would turn to me and ask what I thought about a particular case. These moments used to make me nervous, but Dr. Weiss remains one of the most incredible mentors I’ve ever had. I’ve been fortunate enough to be directly involved in patient care, and I cherish the relationships I’ve established at Ethos.
Over the last academic year, I completed any missing coursework, and successfully took the MCAT (see how I scored in the 99th percentile here). I have been fortunate enough to be invited for multiple interviews and recently, as I said, received an acceptance.
If I could go back and do it again, I wouldn’t change my choices. I’m proud of the path that I took and feel that my experiences have been extremely valuable in shaping my worldview. I feel a lot more mature than I was a few years ago, and am grateful that I got the chance to sample a different career. The hesitation and uncertainty I felt in the beginning forced me to introspect about my purpose, which was extremely uncomfortable at times. In fact, as I write this, I’m just now remembering that when I first met Kyle, I was unable to have conversations about my future - I felt an inexplicable panic, sure that I was wasting my time, that I was moving aimlessly through the world. I realize now how important it was to navigate those emotions and decide what mattered to me.
I can’t emphasize enough how essential it is to find purpose and meaning, and continually refine your personal “mission statement.” Don’t stumble through your life feeling half-empty. Don’t fall into the trap of romanticizing the past or future and ignoring the power you have in the present moment. The time you have is precious, and each of us have gifts that we can harness to make the world better. It isn’t easy to examine our beliefs and figure out what we care about, what we can be good at. However, time and energy invested in that can make the difference between a purpose-driven life and an empty one. This doesn’t mean your goals will always remain exactly the same. I expect mine to evolve as time passes, but these past few years have taught me how to honestly grapple with my uncertainties, fears, and dreams. I hope sharing my journey has given you some insight into your own experiences and emotions. My next challenge is medical school, and I anticipate growing through that experience too. I hope you stick around for the ride!
