Briefly tell us about yourself, your interests, your undergraduate degree and what you are doing now. “I was born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick. I’m a competitive swimmer, avid hiker and a part-time fantasy football addict. I recently graduated this May from UNB with a BSc in Biology with a concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology. Currently, I’m entering my first year studying medicine at Queen’s University as an Edgar Forrester Scholar - one of the top four students entering the MD program.”
What did you do in your undergraduate degree to position yourself as a strong candidate (e.g. extracurricular activities, research)? “During my undergraduate degree I focused mainly on athletics and research. Through athletics, most of my other extracurricular activities stemmed from swimming. Whether that was coaching, volunteering or starting up clubs/student groups, most of my extracurriculars were at least tangentially related to swimming. Pursuing some type of research was important because not only as a spot on your CV, but the ability to analyze data and read academic literature are essential to every physician. That component of research is, in my opinion, the most valuable reason to pursue it during your undergrad. However, the most important factor at Canadian medical schools is GPA. No matter how many extracurriculars I wanted to take on the most important thing was always maintaining high grades.”
What advice do you have for students preparing to apply for medical school (e.g. MCAT, personal statement, interviews)? “Explore anything that interests or inspires you! Too many aspiring medical students get caught up in trying to do things they think will look good on their resume. I interviewed at five schools, and not one of them was interested in the length of my CV. What they were interested in, was what I took away from my experiences. I can confidently say that the experiences that resonated the most during interviews were the ones I was most passionate about - regardless of their relevance to medicine. So if you love gardening, explore those interests. If its advocacy or research, go in that direction. Doing things you’re passionate about is what will shine through come interview time.”
How has research impacted your career aspirations? “Research has had a big impact not only on my application to medical school, but also how I envision my career following school. Most of the research I pursued in my undergrad was focused on genetics and bioinformatics - two rapidly evolving fields. Being able to incorporate what I’ve learned into my future practice would be a dream come true. Whether that means pursuing a career at an academic centre or doing graduate school somewhere down the road, it's something I’ve thought about.”
What are your plans after medical school? “No plans as of yet! I have some interest in the fields of emergency medicine, medical genetics and surgery but I’m going into my first year with an open mind. There are so many diverse areas within the field of medicine, many of which I don’t even know exist yet.”