When Cristian Ovies moved to New York City to begin his MD-PhD at Weill Cornell, he knew he was signing up for more than a medical education. He was committing to eight transformative years in one of the most dynamic cities in the world.
“New York is truly this great melting pot,” he said. “There’s always something to explore, and I think you really make the experience that you want to. It’s the perfect place to live out the rest of my twenties and early thirties.”
But Cristian didn’t come to New York for the skyline. He came to train as a physician-scientist through Cornell’s tri-institutional MD-PhD program—a collaboration among Weill Cornell, Rockefeller University, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “It’s a really great intersection of science and medicine,” he said. “You get to participate in both at very different levels.”
Cristian is quick to point out that the path he chose isn’t a linear one. “The one thing I was completely unaware of going into an MD-PhD program was the number of transitions you have,” he said.
Students typically follow a 2-4-2 timeline: two years of medical school, four years of PhD research, then two more clinical years before residency. Each stage, he explained, requires a total mental shift.
“You turn off your clinical, analytical brain and turn on your creative, scientific brain. Then just when you start to feel comfortable, it’s time to transition again,” Cristian said. “But it’s made me incredibly adaptable.”
That adaptability shows in the way he approaches both lab work—focused on HIV immunology—and patient care. “The way I think about physiology in clinic is different than an MD student’s,” he explained. “I can ask fundamental questions about what’s happening at the molecular level, and when I’m in the lab, I think about how that might impact the people I’ll treat.”
Cristian didn’t always know he’d become a physician-scientist. As a first-generation college student, he began undergrad at a small liberal arts school in Chicago with a simple plan: earn a science degree and become a doctor. But research opened a new door.
He joined a lab, fell in love with the process of asking and answering questions, and later earned a post-baccalaureate fellowship through the NIH PREP program at Harvard. There, under Dr. Judy Lieberman—a renowned physician-scientist—he learned that his natural curiosity and people skills could coexist.
“She told me, ‘You need to be out there helping people and translating science into the real world,’” Cristian recalled. “That conversation changed everything.”
He later worked as a medical scribe in California, balancing his time between the lab and the ER. “That balance helped me realize I couldn’t just choose one,” he said. “If you’re doing one and missing the other, that’s how you know you’re meant for both.”
Cristian emphasizes that this path isn’t built overnight. “It takes years of cultivating experiences,” he said. “It’s not about checking boxes—it’s about finding what truly excites you.”
When interview season arrived, Cristian faced a challenge most applicants dream of: too many offers. “At one point I had interview exhaustion,” he laughed. But he approached the decision-making process with the same intention he brought to his studies.
“Second look visits are incredibly important,” he said. “You have to spend time there, meet the people, see if you belong. You can’t make a gut decision without that.”
After visiting programs across the country, Cristian chose Cornell for its balance of rigorous science, strong clinical training, and supportive community. “When you know, you know,” he said. “Don’t choose based on prestige—choose where you’ll thrive.”
If you’re in this stage of the journey yourself, consider preparing for residency interviews or personal statements with expert guidance through Residency Essay Editing or Residency Mock Interviews.
Cristian’s face lights up when he talks about the hospital. “I’m a people person,” he said. “I feel so at home when I’m walking the hallways or speaking with patients.”
While his PhD focuses on HIV research, his clinical calling is obstetrics and gynecology. “I helped deliver my first baby, and I’ll never forget it,” he shared. “That moment—being part of a family’s joy—changed me.”
He’s particularly drawn to maternal-fetal medicine, where science and humanity intersect. “From a basic science perspective, women’s health is still an open frontier,” he explained. “There are so many foundational questions that need answers.”
Even amid political challenges surrounding reproductive healthcare, Cristian remains steadfast. “There will always be people who need care,” he said. “As physicians, our job isn’t to judge—it’s to help.”
Reflecting on his own application journey, Cristian believes his success came from authenticity. “You can write the most polished essay, but if it’s not true to who you are, people will see through it,” he said.
He didn’t shy away from imperfection—retaking organic chemistry, being older than his peers, or balancing multiple responsibilities. “I couldn’t change my past,” he said. “But I could show how it made me stronger and more empathetic.”
That honesty resonated with interviewers. His story centered on bridging two worlds—science and medicine, Mexico and America, English and Spanish. “When the physician didn’t speak Spanish, I served as the bridge for patients,” he recalled. “That became my theme—and it still guides me today.”
For students shaping their own paths, Cristian recommends one-on-one advising to clarify their story and goals. “You can’t do this alone,” he said. “Find mentors who know both your professional and personal sides.”
You can start with a 1:1 Residency Advising Session with Carlos Tapia, who co-hosted Cristian’s episode.
Cristian’s final advice is simple—but profound. “Surround yourself with people who have your back,” he said. “You will fall, and you’ll fall hard. But take time to feel it, learn from it, and get back up.”
Failure, he believes, is part of becoming a good physician and scientist. “If you’re good at your job, you should be failing a lot,” he said with a laugh. “Not with patients—but in the lab, in life. That’s how you grow.”
“Be okay with failure because it’s going to happen. Learn the lessons, pick yourself back up, and keep working. It’s a privilege to do what we do—and that’s what makes it all worth it.” — Cristian Ovies
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit
I just received my admission to XXXXX! This is unreal and almost feels like I am dreaming. I want to thank you for all of your help with my application. I cannot overstate how influential your guidance and insight have been with this result and I am eternally grateful for your support!
IM SO HAPPY!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP, IM INDEBTED TO YOU! Truly, thank you so much for all your help. Thank you doesnt do enough.
I want to take a few moments and thank you for all of your very instructive, kind and consistent feedback and support through my applications and it is your wishes, feedback, and most importantly your blessings that have landed me the acceptance!
I got into XXXXX this morning!!!! It still has not hit me that I will be a doctor now!! Thank you for all your help, your words and motivation have brought me to this point.
I wanted to once again express my heartfelt gratitude for your help in providing feedback during my secondary applications. Your guidance has been instrumental in my journey.
Just wanted to share my wonderful news! I received my first medical school acceptance! Thank you for all that you do for us Application Academy!!!
I am excited to tell you that I just got my third interview invite from XXXXX today! I can’t believe it. I didn’t even know if I was good enough to get one, let alone three – by mid-September. Thank you so much for all of your help and support up to this point; I would not be in this position without it!!
I wanted to thank you for helping me prepare for my XXXXX interview. Even in a 30-minute advising session, I learned so much from you. Thank you for believing in me, and here’s to another potential success story from one of your advisees!
I just received an acceptance with XXXXX! This is so exciting and such a huge relief and so nice to have one of our top choice schools! I also received an interview with XXXXX which brings the total up to 20 interviews! Thank so much, none of this would have been possible without you!
