Month: July 2015

Marissa Lipton

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Marissa Lipton
University of Connecticut School of Medicine MD Candidate 2014

Although I had earlier considered a career as a physician, I was not ready to make a commitment while in college and I embraced the liberal arts education offered to me at Tufts University. As a psychology major, working with mentally ill patients taught me that I really enjoyed the doctor-patient relationship. My research on the neurobiological processes involved in psychopathology showed me the importance of a medical education in order to fully understand how the human body thinks and works. As college graduation approached, I investigated ways I could reach my goal of becoming a physician. I applied only to UConn’s post bac program. Raised in Connecticut since the age of four, it was natural for me to return to the state to pursue a career in medicine . The program provided a rigorous pre-med curriculum to prepare me for medical school and to make me a competitive applicant. UConn faculty’s mentoring helped me gain acceptance into medical school and I entered UConn School of Medicine in the fall of 2010.

I was proud to promote UConn’s post bac program in a New York Times article published in April 2012, in which I highlighted the program’s unique reputation for placement into medical school. I look forward to my future career as a pediatrician, an honor I would not have been able to achieve without the post bac program.

Monica Gran

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Monica Gran
Pennsylvania State College of Medicine

I am currently a 4th year medical student. I graduated UConn in 2010 and after receiving an MBS, matriculated at PSCOM in 2011. Medical school can be hard and I think when it comes to deciding what school to go to or where to apply, any advice can be helpful. My experience over the past 4 years have been unforgettable and very rewarding. First off, Hershey is such a safe place to live and although it isn’t a city, it is less than 2 hours from a few of the surrounding major ones. You will find something to do so don’t let that deter you. I think a very prominent thing about my school is opportunity. There are plenty of opportunities for each student to pursue research, to do volunteer work, to further their education. The faculty here are very receptive to working with students. All it takes is a little motivation on your part
What I can say about 1st and 2nd years is slightly irrelevant as the curriculum of those years continue to change. What I can say is education is what you make of it and if you work hard you will be prepared for when you begin clerkship and your step. In regards to 3rd and 4th year, rotations can be a very rewarding experience. Again, it’s all about seeking the opportunity, showing enthusiasm, and working hard. If you have those three things, you will find these years to be the best parts of medical school! I have loved my past years here at PSCOM and I honestly couldn’t see myself having gone to any other medical school.

Mackenzie Goodrich

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Mackenzie Goodrich
University of Connecticut, Post-Baccalaureate Program 2013-2014
College of the Holy Cross, Psychology (B.A.), 2013

After living in Somers, CT, for the first year of my life, my family and I relocated to Bristol, CT, where we have remained .  My brother is sixteen, and a junior in High School; and my eighteen-year-old sister, a freshman at UConn, is pursuing a teaching degree in Special Education. After graduating from Bristol Eastern High School in 2009, I went on to attend the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, where I received a BA in Psychology in 2013. I was accepted to the UConn Post Bac program in the spring of 2013, and began the program in the fall of 2013.  I am currently in my second semester, with the hope of finishing my Post Bac work after the completion of fall 2014 semester. From a young age I have been determined to become a physician. As a child, while my peers watched the Disney Channel, I watched Trauma: Life in the ER. In High School, I volunteered at Bristol Hospital, eager to be in the hospital environment even if it meant spending my time filing paperwork.

After my freshman year of college, I began working as a Student Technician in the operating room at the University of Connecticut Health Center, where I continue to work during my school breaks. After gaining admission to Holy Cross’s prestigious Pre-Medical Program, I was certain my path to becoming a physician was clear. However, during November of my freshman year, my medical school dreams faced a serious threat when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.  My studies were frequently disrupted by trips to the Emergency Room. I was hospitalized for seven days during my freshman year and two weeks during my sophomore year, but I managed to persevere and finish my semester coursework on time. As school continued so did my hospitalizations. I found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the demands of the Pre-Med program while frequently absent from classes.  My family, professors, and friends advised me to change my career plans, and so, I put my science requirements on hold, in order to focus on my health and completemy BA in Psychology on time.
Throughout my junior year, I explored alternatives to becoming a physician, yet I continually felt disappointed and unsatisfied. Though my health had gotten in the way of my co0ursework, it had not diminished my dreams of medical school.  In January 2012, determined to gain control over my disease once and for all, I underwent small bowel resection surgery. I had over three feet of my small intestine removed. My disease was finally in remission.  After consulting with my Pre-Med advisor and sharing my continued desire to become  physician, I learned about post-baccalaureate Pre-Med program opportunities. I was elated to discover that after all my setbacks my dream was still an attainable reality.

So far, my Post Bac experience at UConn, while challenging, has been an incredible experience. My fellow Post Bac students have stories as diverse as mine, yet we share in the aspiration to become future physicians. We care about each other’s progress, and support and encourage one another. The advisors have been so helpful, supportive, and available.I cannot say enough positive things about the UConn Post Bac program, as it has given me a second chance to pursue my dream.  After I complete the Post Bac program, my plan is to attend UConn Med school, and conclude my journey by beginning a career as an Emergency Medicine Physician.

Stefanie Gargano

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Stefanie Gargano
UConn School of Medicine MD candidate class of 2015

I am a third year medical student, going into ob/gyn, originally from Branford, CT. I attended Branford High school where I developed a keen interest in the sciences. I graduated from high school in 2005 and enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in health and societies, an interdisciplinary major combining biology, anthropology, sociology, and public health.  I really loved my public health classes and while I enjoyed science I wasn’t positive I was ready to commit to medical school.

In the summer between my junior and senior year I got an internship through the public health department working at a medical clinic in Honduras. While there I had the opportunity to work in the triage room as well as work with the doctors who were volunteering. It was there that I realized that I loved medicine. I was amazed at the things the doctors were able to do, the knowledge they had, and the way they were able to use it to help people and make a real difference in their lives. I graduated from college in 2009 and had not taken any pre med classes so, I applied to the UConn post bac program. I was enrolled in the program from 2010-2011.

I was then accepted into the UConn Medical Class of 2015. As a third year medical student, I am so happy with my decision. Both post bac and medical school have been very challenging but equally rewarding. Becoming a doctor is truly an honor and a privilege. I am so thankful for the UConn post bac program for giving me the foundation and stepping stones to become a great physician.

Margaret McCarthy

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Margaret McCarthy
Georgetown School of Medicine MD Candidate 2018

I was born and raised in Southeastern CT, and graduated from Ledyard High School in 2007. I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2011 with a degree in Political Science and Economics.  It was during my time as an intern in Washington, D.C., working on earthquake relief efforts in 2010, when I realized I was in the wrong career. As much as I enjoyed what I was doing in policy and government, I did not want to be in D.C. “directing traffic.” I wanted to be on the decks of the USNS Comfort, the hospital ship steaming into port in Haiti filled with doctors and nurses, beds, and supplies. A string of experiences in healthcare had lead to this moment, but it was the contrast I experienced sitting in Washington, which led me to return to school for a career in medicine.

Choosing to return to the Post Baccalaureate Program was not an easy choice, but selecting the Post Baccalaureate Program at UConn was very easy: the affordability, connections to UConn Health Center and UConn School of Medicine, and the small size of the program made it the most attractive Post Baccalaureate Program on the market. During the program, I made a sincere effort to get to know professors, to volunteer in healthcare, and to do research at a local hospital. Because I knew that I would pursue the military’s Health Professions Scholarship Program, I chose to take a glide year rather than transition directly to UConn School of Medicine. During the glide year, I found work in clinical research, considered many medical schools, and took the time to travel.

During the month of September of my glide year—just after submitting my applications but prior to interviews—I traveled to volunteer in a clinic laboratory processing blood and urine samples in Arusha, Tanzania. It was one of the most life-changing experiences, and I would recommend a glide year for the opportunity to do something like this alone. But my time spent in clinical research in cardiology at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine has also been incredibly valuable. I’ve been exposed to everything from bench work to clinic scheduling to electronic medical records, which I think will give me a bit of a jump start when it comes to clerkship and clinical experiences in schools.

Next year I will join the Georgetown School of Medicine’s Class of 2018. I will also be a part of the U.S. Navy’s Health Professions Scholarship Program. Though I certainly took a roundabout route to medical school, I have enjoyed each of the experiences I’ve had so far including my semesters in the Post Baccalaureate Program at UConn, and collectively they have begun to define the trajectory my career in medicine will take.