My Journey to Medical School
15 min read
Let me start by saying that it’s pretty surreal to be writing this as a second year medical student. There were times when I didn’t know if this moment would ever happen. But WE HERE!
It may sound cliché, but I’ve wanted to be a doctor for as long as I could remember. I have no idea where the interest originated, but what I do know is that you couldn’t tell 5-year-old me that I wasn’t going to become a doctor when I grew up. In fact, I was convinced that I was already a doctor. I had a shiny plastic stethoscope that I received for Christmas and you could catch me at every family function trying to “diagnose” my aunts, uncles, and cousins with a variety of diseases. I likely made everything up as I went along, but I was confident in my “skills”. My family members would chuckle at how seriously I took my "doctor’s appointments". I’m sure they didn’t expect that these cute and laughable moments as a child would ultimately transform into a life-long passion.
All throughout elementary and middle school, I was a straight A student. I worked pretty hard but the material also came somewhat naturally to me, especially science and math. That probably had a lot to do with my father requiring me to do 10-20 pages daily in my Brain Quest workbooks that were for the grade above whatever grade I was in. It also had a lot to do with the fact that my father would make deals with me for getting straight A’s. For example, I wanted to go to the Scream Tour in 5th grade (what middle schooler didn’t want to go?). I asked my parents if they could get me tickets. I’m sure my mother would have been with it regardless. My father, not so much. He told me he had no problems getting me tickets and funding my decked out spray painted outfit BUT I had to get straight A’s all year. So at first I was annoyed. Everyone else’s parents were buying their kids tickets without any stipulations and here my father was being difficult. I got over it though because nothing was going to stop me from seeing Lil Bow Wow and B2K. I had to put in some extra work but I did it. The next year, we made a deal for the next Scream Tour. The year after that, I got $20 for each A I received. Somewhere along the way, getting A’s was just something I wanted to do for myself and the deals stopped.
Thanks to my grades and the New Jersey SEEDS program, in 2005 I was accepted into The Pingry School, an independent college preparatory day school in New Jersey, with a full scholarship. The work was much more challenging at Pingry and I had to juggle schoolwork, cheerleading, West African Dance, and other extracurricular activities, but getting A’s was still my priority. In my 4 years at Pingry, I only received 2 B+’s and they were in AP Biology and AP History. Throughout high school, I remained true to my desire to pursue a career in medicine. While grades were important, I wanted to get some exposure to the medical field as well, so I did programs like Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s “Mini Medical School” to get a feel for what being a doctor might be like.
My grades and extracurricular activities in high school landed me an early acceptance to The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) as well as a full scholarship from the Gates Millennium Scholars Program in 2009. I was blessed, to say the least. As grateful as I was, I think I underestimated just how challenging being Pre-Med at an Ivy League university would be. In addition to the work being challenging, I was involved in a host of organizations on campus that I admittedly gave more attention to than school. Black Student League, Ase Academy, African Rhythms Drum and Dance Troupe, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and Onyx Senior Honors Society are some of the organizations that were especially dear to my heart in college. Anyway, I won’t bore you by writing out my whole college transcript, but let’s just say my math/science GPA was NOT IT. I would say it was a B-/C+ average. To be honest, B- is probably too generous. My major (Health and Societies) and overall GPA were actually pretty good but that really didn’t mean much since medical schools tend to focus on your BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math) GPA. I knew I wasn’t ready for the MCAT and I also knew I had to do something to raise my BCPM GPA before I could even think about applying to medical school. Keeping it completely real, by the time I graduated college in 2013, I was discouraged and had doubts about whether or not medical school was even an attainable goal for me. If it weren’t for programs like the Summer Medical and Dental Enrichment Program (now the Summer Health Professions Education Program), a variety of shadowing experiences, and the fact that giving up isn’t in my nature, I’m not sure I would have continued pursuing a career in medicine.
So shortly after graduating, I decided that a post-bac program made the most sense for me. I applied and was accepted to the specialized post-bac program at UPenn, which started in the fall of 2013. The program was challenging but definitely manageable, especially since I was no longer a part of the undergraduate organizations I mentioned earlier. While in my post-bac, I received a reminder from the Gates Millennium Scholars Program that I only had one year from the date I graduated from my undergraduate institution to claim my graduate level funding (Gates pays for undergraduate and certain graduate programs). I had previously entertained the idea of getting a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) but knowing that it would be fully funded gave me the extra motivation to seriously pursue it. So I applied and was accepted to Drexel University: Dornsife School of Public Health for my MPH. The only issue was that I still had one course remaining to complete my post-bac program. Because I was just as passionate about completing the courses necessary to make me a more competitive applicant for medical school as I was about complimenting my medical career with pertinent public health exposure (AND the degree would be free), I chose to enroll in both schools. Crazy I know! While it was difficult to balance coursework from two schools, volunteer work, and a research job, I was successful. I received a GPA of 4.0 at UPenn and 3.93 at Dornsife that semester. This experience helped me realize the extent of my capability, and for that I am grateful. By the end of the post-bac program, I had taken eight upper-level science courses and earned an overall 3.0 BCPM GPA. Not the best GPA in the world but it was definitely growth.
Okay, so with my post-bac program and first year of my MPH complete, it was time to finally take the MCAT. I have to be honest and say that my study routine was not the best. What it came down to was that I prioritized school, work, and my social life over studying for the exam. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit this, but I didn’t take any practice exams before my exam and the night before the exam I was attempting to cram information (Horrible idea! Please don’t do this!). I got maybe two hours of sleep, so I was obviously exhausted. I also ran out of time on almost every section. All in all, it was a disaster. I walked out of that exam feeling defeated but I was praying for a miracle. Got my score back. 491. I was hurt! I was very aware that it was unlikely that any allopathic (MD) school would accept me with that score. I was willing to take a chance though and I had a fee waiver, so I was able to apply to 17 schools for free. In my heart, my dream school was Howard and I was hoping they would give me a chance. I got denied from every school and each rejection hurt. But when I got my rejection from Howard on March 24, 2016, I was completely devastated. I cried that whole day. I now had to reevaluate my life and I obviously wasn’t too thrilled about it.
MCAT Score Report 2015 (491)
Howard Rejection Letter 2016
A month or so later, a friend of mine suggested that I apply to a post-bac program called Georgetown Experimental Medical Studies (GEMS) Program. I told him that I wasn’t trying to do another post-bac and would probably just retake the MCAT and pray for a better score. He explained that this program was different because it was for minorities, students actually took classes from the Georgetown University School of Medicine Curriculum, and the program was designed for you to matriculate into their medical school. The more research I did, the more appealing it became. I applied but really wasn’t that confident about being accepted. I actually began the process of renewing my lease in Philly and telling my job that I would need to take some time off to study for the MCAT. Within that same week, I got a call from the director of the GEMS program. He told me that I had been accepted. I was ecstatic! I was finishing up my MPH in June and would be moving to DC to start the GEMS Program in July.
GEMS was no joke! From the first day, I was worked like never before. We had to be at school from 8:00am to 5:00pm daily and when we weren’t in an official class, we had sessions where we would go over and break down material with our facilitators. In my science classes in the past, I would usually sit quietly and just try to take in the information. While in GEMS, there was no such thing as sitting back quietly. You could be called up to the board in front of the rest of the class at any time to explain a certain concept, so you had to be prepared.
I don’t think I had ever studied so much in my life. The hard work was paying off though. I was doing well. I finally felt confident in my ability. But then there was Cardio-Pulmonary. It was tough but I was still managing. At the end of the course, I got the equivalent of a B but, in order for GEMS students to be guaranteed an interview at Georgetown University School of Medicine, we had to have above a certain percentage in each class. I had missed the cutoff by one point. ONE POINT! I was disheartened and disappointed in myself. The director had that difficult talk with me and offered the option of focusing on retaking the MCAT and reapplying to medical school. I felt two things in that moment. First, I felt like no matter how hard I worked, my dream of being admitted into medical school and eventually becoming a doctor was nearly impossible. Second, I felt like the fact that I got the equivalent of a B and the fact that I missed the cut off by only one point was a sign that God had something better in store for me.
So here I was again, attempting to figure out what I had to do to get accepted to somebody’s medical school, preferably Howard. I actually spoke with a friend who worked closely with Howard Admissions and asked if there was any way they would accept me with my 491 MCAT score, seeing as though I had taken a good number of medical school courses. I was told that Howard’s cutoff for the MCAT was 494 and there were no exceptions. My application was already in and although I was informed about Howard’s cutoff, I was hoping for the best. But inevitably, the rejection letter came on March 15, 2017. Even though I was expecting this, it was no less disappointing.
Howard Rejection Letter 2017
I continued studying for the MCAT and even decided to get past my fears and take a practice exam early this time. I got a 497 on that. Six point increase from the first time I took it. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless. Getting a good MCAT score was my priority but I also felt like I needed to start looking for jobs. I wanted something that was related to the type of work I’m interested in (Women’s Health, Maternal and Child Health, Health Disparities Research, etc.) but I also didn’t want anything that would require a long-term commitment. I had luckily found an opportunity to expand my prior doula work by working as a Perinatal Community Health Worker (PCHW) at Mamatoto Village (MV), a Washington, DC-based organization. MV’s mission is to provide affordable and complementary maternity support services to women and their families throughout pregnancy and six months postpartum. It also aims to increase the number of qualified women of color serving in the MCH profession. The disparity in infant mortality between Black women and their White counterparts led MV to provide direct maternity support services to medically underserved populations. As a PCHW, I would be an effective Labor and Postpartum Assistant, Perinatal and Childbirth Educator, and Lactation Coach. I was excited to get involved with birth work again, but I had three months of training before I would be an official employee. So I started looking for other part-time jobs. There is a Dunkin’ Donuts downstairs from where I live so I went in and asked for an application. I then went by the Panera Bread inside of Washington Hospital Center and asked if they were hiring. They gave me instructions on how to apply online and I did so as soon as I got home. I was told I would hear back soon. In the meantime, I would focus on the MCAT.
By the time my test date came around, I felt way more relaxed, was more prepared, and way more confident. I had taken practice exams and even got a full night’s sleep the night before. I wrote in my journal that I was claiming a score of 506 or above so that was the energy I was channeling throughout the exam. I knew this was pretty far fetched, being that my first score was a 491, but I was shooting for the stars. After I finished the exam, I didn’t necessarily feel like I beasted on it, but I did feel much better than the first time. It was in God’s hands at that point. And guess what? God looked out! I got a 505. Not exactly the 506 or above that I claimed but close enough. I can’t even begin to explain how excited and proud of myself I was. I finally felt like things were working out in my favor as it pertains to this medical school thing.
MCAT Score Report 2017 (505)
The same week I got my MCAT score, I also found out that I was offered a cashier/barista position at Panera Bread. Did I take the job? Sure did. A lot of people were shocked that I would take a position ringing people up, cutting bagels, making drinks, and mopping floors. I have never been too proud or thought any job was beneath me. I worked at Panera bread at 16 and loved it. Almost a decade later, I was at another Panera location and loving it just as much. The hours were flexible; the pay was good; and again, it was located inside of Washington Hospital Center, so I had the opportunity to network with many doctors during my time there. Once I started my birth work as a PCHW, some of my clients gave birth in that same hospital, so I was often able to get from one job to the next within seconds and also get my clients snacks. It was a great set up.
At this point, another medical school application cycle had begun, and I was hoping that this time I had more success. I got an interview notification from Howard in late October and interviewed in early November. I felt like as long as I got an interview, I would be able to show them why I deserved a spot. It clearly worked because on November 22, 2017, I got the notification that I was accepted to Howard University College of Medicine for the entering class of 2018! I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I screamed, I called and texted my entire support system to tell them the news. Finally!!! We did it!
Howard Acceptance Letter 2018 pt. 1
Howard Acceptance Letter 2018 pt. 2
In the time between getting my acceptance and school starting, I continued working at Panera Bread, assisted about 20 births as a PCHW at Mamatoto Village, and traveled around the world. I also told myself a few years back that once I finally got into medical school, I would get a bottom grill and wear it the day I received my short white coat (after the ceremony of course) because I wanted to show people you can be yourself, unapologetically, and still rock a white coat. So in addition to working and traveling, I spent some time designing my grill and getting it made.
On July 20, 2018, I walked across the stage and got cloaked with my short white coat by my mentor, while my support system, my village, was there cheering and screaming my name. One of my happiest moments yet and one that I often look back to when I need encouragement to stay the course on this journey through medical school. The endless studying and sleepless nights, I prayed for all of it.
As you can see, my journey has been long and far from easy BUT I never gave up. Every step of the way, I told myself I couldn’t let anyone or anything deter me from my dream of becoming a doctor, a dream I had since I was 5-years-old. So, if you have a dream, don’t ever give up on yourself, no matter how hard it may be or how long it might take. Things will work out how and when they are supposed to. Speak it into existence! The sky's the limit!
White Coat + Grill
Howard University College of Medicine Short White Coat Ceremony 2018