Chris never planned on medicine. Growing up in Southern California, he saw family members with preventable disease go uncared for, struggled in school, and was misdiagnosed with severe ADD in middle school before a later diagnosis of a comprehension disability. After being told in sixth grade he wouldn’t amount to much, a continuation school, his mother’s advocacy, and a teacher’s attention kept him afloat.
At UC Davis, an outreach email changed everything, placing him in a lab for four years and opening the door to both science and medicine. A friend introduced him to MD-PhD resources, and shadowing an orthopedic surgeon turned interest into excitement. Chris shares how he built an enduring motivation by reframing medicine as a currency for service, with a commitment to community, including Indigenous communities.
He breaks down the hardest premed task—articulating Why Medicine—and the post-it exercise that helped him find a coherent thread. Applying during the first COVID cycle, he earned 16 interview invites and 9–10 acceptances by presenting a clear why and tangible research work. We also discuss advocacy for more GME positions in Indian country and his interest in dermatology and leading a lab.
If you’ve ever been told you won’t make it, this conversation offers practical ways to keep going.
What You’ll Learn:
– How a misdiagnosis and school setbacks were addressed and reframed
– Ways to access research and mentorship through outreach programs
– A practical method to build a coherent Why Medicine
– What made his MD-PhD application make sense and earn 16 interviews
– Using community and advocacy to sustain motivation
Full show notes coming soon!
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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!
