During my Senior year in college I applied to medical school as an MD only candidate. It was a change from my initial plans of applying MD/PhD, but while at NIH during a summer internship, I had a change of heart. I made the snap decision to apply MD only to very few schools around home. I was told that I would go to Madison, so I didn't even think about the possibility of not getting in.
My interview day at Madison was amazing, I was in awe of the realization that I would be attending medical school. I saw what he was achieving and was so impressed with the caliber of physicians UW-Madison was creating. My blood was pumping so hard in my chest as I walked down the hall to meet my interviewer. I felt as though we had connected as we talked about why I wanted to stay in Madison. Although, I could barely talk due to nerves...
A few weeks passed, and we were dressed in red and ready to rumble! I was walking up the stairs to my seat when my phone rang, it was my home calling. Mom said alternate list. It was a terrible whirlwind of anger, frustration, doubt, and heart break. I picked myself back up and began searching for how to pull out of it. I met with my mentors and decided to work for another year in the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, a place that I absolutely adore. It couldn't have worked out any better really, but I guess hindsight is always 20/20!
I was in Florida on vacation when AMCAS 2010 opened and I decided to apply MD/PhD. I was too under confident the year before and I knew I would regret it if I didn't apply to the research program, so I put my fears aside and applied. Luckily, Paul and I had the opportunity to apply together due to my year off. This puts us a solid four years apart, which in medical training, is the lucky number! I applied very broadly to almost all the schools with MD/PhD programs in the Midwest in an effort to be close to Paul. I avoided Chicago and New York City to find a program where I could live and be comfortable for 8 years. It was very expensive, and the secondaries were extremely time consuming, but I knew it would be worth ever minute...
Time passed slowly as I waited for interviews. I wanted to interview as many places as possible to earn an acceptance and possibly more so I could be next to Paul. We were very skeptical of our own plans. It's too complex, two very competitive programs, and just down right scary. Paul anesthesiology, me MD/PhD.
But, we made it! Paul and I matched to University of Pittsburgh!
 |
| UW-Madison 2010 Graduation - Biochemistry & Nutritional Sciences |
