Successful Applicants—FlexMed

2022 Matriculants

Name: Priya Singh
Major: Human Biology, Honors
Minor: Psychology
Overall GPA: 4.0
Graduation Year: 2022
Matriculation Year: 2022

Q: Which school will you be attending?
A: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Q: What drew you to this particular health field?
A: While growing up in a Sikh household, I was taught to share with others and help those who are in need, as this is one of the core values of Sikhism. By repaying my community, whether through serving food in my local gurdwara, volunteering in hospitals, distributing supplies to victims of Superstorm Sandy, or tutoring low-income students, I realized how much I value serving others who need support. When I combined these experiences with my interests in the sciences, I knew that medicine was the perfect field for me. I got involved in neurological-related research, clinical experiences like shadowing and hospital volunteering, and global health projects throughout high school and college. All these experiences led me to investigate current neurological and global health issues; this is when I realized that in developing countries, clusters of neurological maladies are often neglected and stigmatized. Many communities in the developing world lack trained neurologists, proper medications, mental health facilities, and community programs to tackle stigma. I hope to lead healthcare equity efforts one day to support communities and countries where many patients suffer unfairly.

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A:

• At Hunter: CMMB (Catholic Medical Mission Board) x Hunter Club Founder and President; Macaulay at Hunter College Peer Mentor; Association for Women In Science (AWIS) Executive Board Graphic Designer; Eva Kastan Grove Fellowship Program at The Roosevelt House
• Research: Summer Clinical Oncology Research Experience (SCORE) 2021 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) Teaching Fellow; MSK Coronavirus Academic Research Experience Summer (MSK CARES) Research Intern; Neuro-Oncology Research Assistant at MSKCC; SCORE 2019 Research Intern
• Virtual Private Tutor; Education and Outreach Project Intern at MSKCC; General Chemistry Tutor at Hunter College; Macaulay Alumni Support at Hunter College in the Office of Alumni Relations, Administration Intern at Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB)
• Clinical Volunteering/Community Service: Research Associate at NYU Langone; Pediatric Volunteer at MSKCC; Sikh Association of Staten Island Volunteer at the Gurdwara Sahib; ER Volunteer at Staten Island University Hospital, CIANA Tutor for Low-Income Students

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: This depended on the course. For more rigorous subjects like Biology, Organic Chemistry, or Biochemistry, I spent about 10 hours a week studying for each course. For subjects I felt more comfortable with, I spent about 5 hours a week studying for those.

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: N/A.

Q: Did you take a GAP year? If so, why?
A: No, I did not take a gap year.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: I believe that my narrative is one of the strengths in my application. Most of my experiences followed the theme of neurology, community service, and global health, so my goals were very clear. It showed that I am serious about pursuing these interests and ultimately becoming the best physician I can be to serve the underserved. A: My letters of recommendation were also important in my application. I am fortunate to have extremely helpful and caring mentors, professors, and advisors, so having their support undoubtedly strengthened my application.

Q: Did you apply nationally?
A: N/A

Q: How did the Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
A: The Pre-Health Advising Office was extremely supportive throughout my undergraduate years. Coming to Hunter as a clueless freshman was frustrating and scary, but I ultimately found clarity and reassurance when I talked to Kemile Jackson and Nina Ledis. I was able to secure meaningful internships, like SCORE, because of them. During the FlexMed application process, Nina also thoroughly reviewed my essays and held multiple mock interviews with me. Without their guidance, I wouldn't have been accepted to FlexMed. I am forever grateful to the Pre-Health Advising Office, not just for helping me secure my future, but also for simply being there for me and always believing in me.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: Don't treat this process like you have to check off a bunch of boxes. Work on defining an authentic narrative with your experiences and background. You are unique, you are YOU and there is no other student like you, so stay true to who you are and be honest with yourself throughout this journey. Go after those internships, research, and volunteer work where you can really explore those specific interests and connect it to your passion for medicine. Throughout these experiences, also find a valuable mentor who can guide and support you. Mentorship is an invaluable resource!!

2021 Matriculants

Name: Catherine Stratis
Major: Human Biology, Honors; Women and Gender Studies, Honors
Overall GPA: 4.0
Graduation Year: 2021
Matriculation Year: 2021

Q: Which school will you be attending?
A: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Q: What drew you to this particular health field?
A: Being a physician encompasses everything I am seeking in a professional career - empowering others figuratively and literally. My mother is a teacher and my father is a pharmacist, so my passions for teaching, mentoring, and caring for others started at a young age. From elementary through high school, I was drawn to my science classes and consistently participated in the Relay for Life, an event run by the American Cancer Society to fundraise for cancer research. I saw firsthand the impact that doctors have on patients and their families, including my own. As a physician-leader, I plan to participate in valuable research, while advocating to increase access to healthcare, reduce health disparities, and ensure that all patients receive high-quality, culturally-competent, and compassionate care. I hope to promote health, empathy, and justice in communities across NYC and the world.

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A:

• Volunteer for the Service Excellence Volunteer Program at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)
• Research Intern in the Summer Clinical Oncology Research Experience (SCORE) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC)
• Research Intern in the Molecular Imaging Summer Program (MISP) at MSKCC
• Shadow at GPM Pediatrics
• Volunteer for the Foundation for International Medical Relief for Children, Project Alajuelita in Costa Rica
• Senior Health Educator in the Peer Health Exchange
• Mentee/Mentor Relations Coordinator and Mentor for the Pre-Health Mentoring Initiative
• Peer Mentor for the Macaulay at Hunter Peer Mentor Program
• President of Artemis Hellenic Club

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: I typically spent between 10 to 20 hours per week studying for my science courses. I used my time commuting on the train to study, which provided me about 2 hours per weekday (10 hours per week minimum). During the week before an exam, my study time often reached 30 hours, since I dedicated the weekend prior to the exam to studying.

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: N/A

Q: Did you take a GAP year? If so, why?
A: No, I did not take a gap year.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: Experiences in the medical field: I applied to FlexMed as a sophomore, but I had extensive, immersive clinical volunteering, research, and shadowing experiences through the Service Excellence Volunteer Program at HSS, SCORE at MSKCC, and shadowing at GPM Pediatrics. I attended a student research conference and won an award for my poster presentation on the relationship between genetic mutations and response to treatment in prostate cancer patients through SCORE. I also had several previous shadowing experiences in high school that FlexMed considered, as early acceptance programs often consider health-related experiences from high school. This comprehensive list of experiences across the medical field demonstrated my commitment to a future career as a physician. My narrative: Your narrative is the thread that runs through all your medical experiences, driving your desire to become a doctor. In your application and interviews, you must show the type of person you are and the type of doctor you will be. In other words, you must have a clear vision of yourself as a doctor in the future, based on what you have learned through your volunteer, research, and shadowing experiences. Ground these experiences in your personal identity and love of medicine. My acceptance to the Icahn School of Medicine's FlexMed program has enabled me to pursue a double-major in Human Biology and Women and Gender Studies, motivated by my passions for promoting gender equality and reducing disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. My desire to tailor my academic plan to my passions told my narrative as one of an aspiring physician-leader who will work to foster empathy and trust in patient-physician relationships and to achieve social justice and health equity in society at large.

Q: How did the Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
A: The Pre-Health Advising Office has been indispensable in achieving my goals. I found my clinical volunteering and research experiences through the Pre-Health Listserv. I met with Kemile to review my essay to apply to the SCORE program. I worked closely and consistently with Nina while applying to FlexMed to improve my application essays and conduct mock interviews; I felt thoroughly prepared for the actual interview day. Without the guidance, support, and encouragement of my Pre-Health advisors, I would not be where I am today.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A:

• Know yourself and what motivates you to pursue a career in medicine. Wanting to help people is a valid, admirable reason for wanting to be a doctor, but you can help people in multiple professions. Think: Why is medicine the field for me? Use this answer to tell your narrative in a genuine, believable way. Choose volunteering, shadowing, research, and extracurricular activities that reflect your core values and provide you with personal fulfillment, making your Pre-Health journey more gratifying.
• This one is easier said than done, but do not compare yourself to other people. Being a Pre-Health student propels you into a competitive environment. Everyone seems like they are acing all of their classes, researching 10 hours per week, volunteering 10 hours per week, and still finding time to sleep and socialize with friends and family. The truth is that everyone puts on their best face to conceal their stress and struggles. Your energy is best spent focusing on yourself and making yourself the strongest applicant you can be. There are many roads to the same destination.
• The Pre-Health Office is your best resource. Do not hesitate to meet with the Pre-Health advisors. They provide invaluable advice and feedback on applications and interviews. They make suggestions for volunteering, research, and shadowing opportunities that align with your interests. If you contact them frequently, they will get to know you better personally, which will allow them to help and support you even more. Start communicating with the Pre-Health Office as a freshman!
• Seek mentorship! Whether it be your Pre-Health advisor, a physician you shadowed, your research supervisor, or a more experienced student, mentors have been in your shoes before and can offer insights and strategies for being a successful Pre-Health student. You will have mentors in medical school and can serve as a mentor yourself to pay forward the knowledge you have benefitted from. Serving as a mentee or mentor enables you to develop crucial skills for building and maintaining relationships.

2019 Matriculants

Name: Christina Marshall
Major: Economics
Overall GPA: 3.91
Graduation Year: 2019
Matriculation Year: 2019

Q: Which school will you be attending?
A: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Q: What drew you to this particular health field?
A: I became committed to joining the medical field after shadowing a doctor in my hometown of East Flatbush. I wanted to serve my community by returning to the neighborhood my parents lived in when they first came to this country. This doctor showed me the importance of treating a patient within the context of their ethnic and socioeconomic background. This experience opened my eyes to the intersection of economics and healthcare, which cemented my interest in pursuing a career in medicine.

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A:

• Vice President—Students Partnering and Reaching Kids, Macaulay Honors College, March 2016-June 2018
• Chief Mentor—Macaulay at Hunter Peer Mentor Program, August 2016-June 2019
• Mount Sinai Research Associate, October 2016-August 2017
• Summer Research Fellow—SUNY Downstate Medical Center, May 2017-July 2017
• Organic Chemistry Tutor—The Skirball Science Learning Center, September 2017-June 2018
• Investment Analysis Fellow—Deerfield Management ,June 2018-March 2019
• Shadowing: Family Medicine (6 months), Otolarynology (4 months)

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: I spent about 4 hours of dedicated study time daily (including weekends), with an additional 2-4 hours of non-dedicated study time, which included studying with friends or studying in a non-controlled environment (i.e. doing errands while studying in between, watching TV while completing practice sets). I think having these two study styles helped me to have more than 4 hours of dedicated study time without seeing friends or doing other things I enjoy.

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: N/A

Q: Did you take a GAP year? If so, why?
A: No, I did not take a gap year.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: My application included experiences in diverse fields related to medicine. I think it's important to show that you're well-rounded in your application because everyone has good grades, so your good grades won't necessarily be the thing that sets you apart. I also secured strong letters of recommendation from people who could each speak about unique professional, personal, and academic experiences with me. I made sure that each of my recommenders could highlight different aspects of my character and I believe this helped my application significantly.

Q: Did you apply nationally?
A: N/A

Q: How did the Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
A: The Pre-Health department was instrumental in encouraging me to apply to the FlexMed Program. The office also held workshops which taught me best practices for applying to some of the extracurriculars which strengthened my FlexMed application.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: Worry about the quality of your experiences, not the quantity of them. It's a given that pre-med students must check off certain boxes in order to be a successful applicant for most schools, but I think it's really important to find opportunities that fit the necessary criteria AND have a significant impact on your experience as a student. Taking the time to understand your goals and interests outside of the traditional requirements will result in a better application in the long run.