I have been writing this paper for years in my head. I had so many hooks I could have chosen from to start it... I could write a novel about how much I want to be a doctor. Instead I’m going to write about why I deserve it.
I have dreamed of becoming a doctor my entire life. Yet, three years ago when a cute boy asked me why I wanted to be pre-med major, I replied “I don’t know how to answer that.” As soon as those words came out of my mouth I regretted it. In that moment I decided that I wasn’t ready. I was afraid of failure. Concentrating on pre-med meant that I would have to face the rigorous challenges of medical school admissions. I read countless admissions board requirements. I researched admissions and I gave up on my goal.
The month after, I decided to enroll in the 6-year Doctor of Pharmacy program at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS). I spent two years there, living my Plan B. I was not happy. I was not healthy. I was not myself and Albany was not where I was meant to be. ACPHS is full of people who are passionate about and dedicated to becoming pharmacists. My lab partner was a thirty-something accountant who had come back to college to finally work at a job he could be happy with. It hit me that I was settling when I had the opportunity to do otherwise.
I transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University to pursue pre-medicine. My first semester here was not my brightest moment. Now there was no backdrop of a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. After next year I will graduate with a Bachelor’s in Biology. Many of the people I knew in Albany enrolled in the 6 year program after majoring in Biology. I want to be a Doctor of Medicine. Despite my GPA, I know I can do this if given the opportunity.
I hate the immaturity with which I decided to give up on my dream before even getting to college. Three years later I find myself determined to get into medical school. I am here now. I am all here. This is what I have to offer. I pledge to try harder through my 6th, 7th, and 8th semesters. I pledge to get at least 8’s on each of the MCAT sections. I know that is not enough.
I have done volunteer work in my community since 8th grade. I began volunteering at Reston Hospital as soon as I turned 16. I have done everything from volunteer at the emergency desk to deliver flowers and mail. I have interned at the Lombardi Cancer Center of Georgetown University in a lab where I learned techniques such as cell culture, ELISA, gel electrophoresis, etc. I have worked on research with the Division of Antiviral Products in the Center of Drug Evaluation and Research (a branch of the Food and Drug Administration). I have donated money and time to fundraisers for Katrina victims, victims of the Tsunami in Southeast Asia, and the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. I have been on teams for Relay for Life for three years. I have been in and organized cultural performances in college and at home.
I am the happiest when helping others. I am confronting my fear, which was only ever being told that I can’t do what I have always wanted to. Now I know that neither you, nor any admissions committee can tell me that I wouldn’t be a great doctor. I know I would be. You cannot deny me the right to follow my dream. If I don’t get in I’ll retake some classes and try again.
In the end I think we can both acknowledge that GPA does not determine potential. For some it may determine how hard they’ve worked to get to their dream. For me it is more like a battle scar. How hard I’ve worked to get to where I am now cannot be written on paper (no matter how hard I try). I know that if I am given the opportunity to attend medical school, I will never take it for granted. I will be my best in every class and in everything else. Being in medical school will show me the gravity of what it feels like to be close to everything I have ever wanted.
My undergraduate work focuses on learning about myself. I know who I am. I think that in itself is priceless and is probably the only thing I wouldn’t give up for a high GPA. I have learned from my mistakes and immaturity. I deserve this opportunity because I know that I have the integrity, perseverance and confidence needed to be a doctor. I can only ask that you see past my transcript to give me a chance to prove it.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
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