Session 584

Alexis, a premed student and former Division I lacrosse player, discussed her journey from engineering to medicine. Discover why Alexis chose to go to Carle Illinois College of Medicine and her plans to develop a rehabilitation exercise machine.

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Listen to this podcast episode with the player above, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.

Realizing the Path to Medicine

Alexis shares that she realized her desire to be a physician later in college, initially pursuing engineering. She was influenced by her family background, with her mother being a physician and her father an engineer.

By the end of her freshman year of college, Alexis decided she really wanted to go to medical school. She felt drawn to the prospect of interacting with people versus working with lab specimens, which helped solidify her interest in medicine.

Alexis mentions that she had been in and out of doctor’s offices her whole life due to sports injuries. This frequent exposure to the medical field, including seeing her mother’s work as a physician, helped introduce her to the possibility of a career in medicine.

Exploring Biomedical Engineering

When choosing her college major, Alexis opted for biomedical engineering as a way to bridge the gap between engineering and medicine. She saw this as a way to leave the door open to potentially pursuing medicine, even though she was not fully committed to that path initially.

After her freshman year, Alexis decided she was “all in on the medicine side.” However, due to her other commitments, it was too late for her to change her major, so she remained locked into the biomedical engineering program, though she was glad she did so in the end.

Despite being locked into the engineering major, Alexis was able to explore her interest in medicine through her biomedical engineering studies. She saw this as a way to bridge the gap and keep the door open to potentially pursuing a career in the medical field.

Navigating College as a Student-Athlete

Alexis played Division I lacrosse at a Big 10 school while pursuing biomedical engineering and premed studies. She describes this as a significant commitment, requiring her to balance her academic, athletic, and extracurricular responsibilities.

Alexis credits her support system, including her parents and coach, as crucial in her ability to manage these multiple commitments. Her coach emphasized the importance of education over professional athletics, which aligned with Alexis’s goals.

Communicating with Coaches and Teammates

Alexis had to communicate effectively with her new coach to ensure support for her dual commitments. She was able to negotiate class schedules and practice times to avoid conflicts, demonstrating her organizational skills and dedication.

Despite the demanding nature of Alexis’s schedule, she did not face any significant animosity from her teammates. Her teammates were understanding and supportive, recognizing the exceptional effort she was putting forth. Alexis faced challenges, such as missing practices due to class conflicts and managing her heavy workload. However, she relied on her teammates’ support and her own determination to overcome these obstacles and stay on track.

Managing Time and Communication

Alexis utilized a variety of tools to manage her time and responsibilities effectively. She relied on a meticulously organized Google spreadsheet and a detailed schedule, sometimes down to 15-minute increments, to keep track of her assignments and commitments.

Alexis often worked on weekends to ensure she could balance her academic and athletic responsibilities. She would assess her workload on Fridays and dedicate Sundays to completing any outstanding tasks.

Communicating with Professors and Navigating Class Schedules

Alexis had to communicate frequently with her professors to inform them of her status as a student-athlete. She would provide travel letters at the beginning of each class, outlining her anticipated absences due to athletic events.

Alexis had to negotiate her class schedules with her coach to avoid conflicts with practice times. She would sometimes have to leave practice early or arrive late to attend certain classes required for her engineering major.

Alexis’s teammates were understanding and supportive of her additional commitments. They would often help her catch up on any missed content or activities, fostering a collaborative environment.

Overcoming Challenges and Staying Motivated

Alexis faced various challenges throughout her college experience, including missing practices due to class conflicts and managing her heavy workload. She acknowledges that there were times when she felt overwhelmed and stressed.

Alexis’s primary motivation came from her unwavering commitment to her goals. She knew that the end result would be worth the effort, even when the journey felt overwhelming. She used the “eating pancakes” analogy to describe the importance of consistency in her schedule.

The Eating Pancakes Analogy

Alexis is familiar with the powerful “eating pancakes” analogy that is often used to describe the experience of going through medical school. This metaphor illustrates the importance of consistency and discipline in managing the rigorous workload.

The analogy goes like this: Imagine that every day in medical school, you have to “eat” 10 pancakes. If you decide one day that you don’t want to eat all 10 pancakes and only eat 5 instead, then the next day, you’ll have to eat 15 pancakes to make up for the ones you missed.

Alexis found this analogy to be highly relatable to her own experience. She recognized that the pain of not completing her daily tasks and falling behind would be far greater than just doing the work in the first place.

Skipping assignments or responsibilities would create a “logistical nightmare” for her. And that would mean having to sacrifice other important aspects of her life, like time with friends and self-care.

Maintaining Consistency

The “eating pancakes” metaphor highlights the importance of maintaining a steady pace and not letting yourself fall behind, even when the workload feels overwhelming. It emphasizes the need for discipline, time management, and a steadfast commitment to the process in order to successfully navigate the demands of medical education.

Alexis recognized the wisdom in this analogy and applied it to her own experience. She knew that even on the days when she didn’t feel like doing the work, she had to push through because the consequences of falling behind would be much more difficult to manage. This mindset helped her stay focused and consistent throughout her challenging premed journey.

The Silver Lining of COVID-19 for Alexis

Amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexis was able to find a silver lining in her premed journey. During her time as an undergraduate, the unique circumstances created by the pandemic actually opened up new opportunities for her.

Virtual Shadowing Opportunities

One of the key benefits Alexis experienced was the availability of virtual shadowing opportunities. Due to the restrictions and safety measures implemented during COVID-19, many healthcare providers began offering virtual shadowing experiences. This allowed Alexis to log additional hours of shadowing, which she was able to include in her medical school application.

Alexis recognizes that the virtual shadowing experiences, while not the same as in-person shadowing, were still valuable and would be accepted by medical schools. She was able to take advantage of these virtual opportunities to supplement her clinical exposure, which was crucial given the limitations imposed by the pandemic.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Alexis demonstrated her ability to adapt and find creative solutions. She was able to pivot and leverage the virtual shadowing options to strengthen her premed application, showcasing her resilience and determination.

Gaining Valuable Clinical Experience

During her gap year, Alexis also worked as a medical assistant in an ophthalmology office, which she described as one of the best experiences she had. This hands-on clinical experience allowed her to learn about the healthcare system and patient care in a more direct and immersive way.

Reflecting on the Application Process

When reflecting on her application process, Alexis acknowledges that hindsight is 20/20. She believes there are some things she could have done differently to make the process easier or better for herself.

1. Curriculum Planning – One area Alexis identifies as a potential improvement is her planning of the prerequisite courses. She mentions not realizing she needed to take biochemistry later in her curriculum, which didn’t align well with her MCAT preparation timeline.
2. Aligning Coursework – Alexis also recognizes that she could have done a better job of ensuring her engineering coursework aligned more closely with the typical premed curriculum. She found that some of the advanced engineering classes, like fluid mechanics and differential equations, did not directly translate to the required premed prerequisites.
3. Lack of Designated Courses – Alexis notes that she never took designated courses in areas like biology, biostatistics, anatomy, or physiology, instead opting for the biomedical engineering versions of these subjects. This may have created some gaps in her preparation compared to traditional premed students.
4. Feeling Prepared, Not Behind – Despite these potential areas for improvement, Alexis does not feel that she is significantly behind her classmates. She recognizes that everyone’s journey is unique, and the important thing is that she feels prepared to tackle the challenges of medical school.
5. Embracing the Differences – Alexis acknowledges that her diverse background in engineering, athletics, and premed may have required her to approach the application process differently. However, she sees this as an opportunity to bring a unique perspective to her medical education and future career.

Alexis’s Considerations for the Future

As Alexis was applying to medical schools, she had a clear vision of how she wanted to combine her engineering background with her passion for medicine. She was particularly drawn to programs that emphasized the intersection of these two fields.

Discovering the Perfect Fit and Exploring Innovative Possibilities

When Alexis came across the mission of Carle Illinois College of Medicine, she felt an immediate connection. Their focus on “creating the next generation of physician innovators” and finding the intersection between engineering and medicine resonated deeply with her.

Alexis was determined not to let go of the extensive knowledge and skills she had gained through her biomedical engineering degree. She saw the opportunity to apply those principles and problem-solving abilities to her future medical practice as a significant advantage.

Alexis was excited by the prospect of being able to utilize her engineering expertise to potentially develop new medical devices, technologies, or approaches to patient care. She was intrigued by the idea of being a “BME doctor” and the unique contributions she could make in that capacity.

Embracing a Dual Identity

Rather than viewing her engineering background as something to leave behind, Alexis saw it as an integral part of her identity and future career. She was eager to find a medical school that would allow her to seamlessly integrate her engineering skills and mindset into her medical education and practice.

Ultimately, Alexis’s goal was to find a path that would allow her to fully utilize her diverse interests and talents, combining her love for engineering, medicine, and innovation. The mission and curriculum of Carle Illinois College of Medicine seemed to be the perfect fit for her aspirations.

The Unique Secondary Application Process at Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Screening and Prerequisites

Alexis explains that the application process at Carle Illinois College of Medicine begins with a screening step. Applicants must meet specific course requirements, including hitting 9 out of 11 prerequisite classes, which often include advanced engineering courses that many traditional premed students may not have taken.

The Secondary Application

If an applicant passes the initial screening, they are then invited to complete the school’s unique secondary application. This secondary application is quite different from the typical medical school secondary essays.

Instead of writing traditional essays, Alexis had to create three “artifacts” that upheld specific values of the school. These artifacts could take various forms, such as paintings, videos, or other creative projects.

For her secondary application, Alexis decided to create a set of three abstract paintings that she scanned and submitted electronically. She saw this as an opportunity to showcase her artistic side and how it aligned with the school’s values.

Evaluating Fit

The secondary application process at Carle Illinois College of Medicine is designed to assess an applicant’s fit with the school’s mission and values, rather than just their academic credentials. This unique approach allows the admissions committee to gain a more holistic understanding of the applicant.

Alexis found this secondary application process to be a perfect match for her. It allowed her to demonstrate her diverse interests and background, including her engineering expertise and creative abilities, in addition to her passion for medicine.

Learn more about the school’s unique secondary application process on The Premed Years Session 386.

Final Words of Wisdom

Alexis emphasizes the importance of reframing your mindset, embracing discomfort as a catalyst for growth, and seeking positive reinforcement from your support system. She encourages students to remember that their path is unique, and not to compare themselves to others.

Most importantly, she reminds students to take a deep breath, trust in their abilities, and know that they can overcome the obstacles they face – because the end goal is worth the effort.

Links:

The Premed Years Session 386 with Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Meded Media

Blueprint MCAT

Carle Illinois College of Medicine