Meet Liana | Med Student Spotlight

Undergraduate Institution & Graduation Year:  Cornell University, 2019

Graduate Institution/Post Bac & Year: NA

MD/DO/MSTP & Year : M.D., Class of 2024

MCAT Score: 507

GPA (Science/Cumulative/Postbac): 3.81/3.89/NA

Additional Information:  

I am a community college transfer student.  I earned my Associate of Science degree in Liberal Arts, and transferred to Cornell in my junior year.  

As much or as little as you’d like, what is your story? Tell us about your journey to medicine (highs, lows, non traditional journey, challenges, mentors and resources you used along the way etc).

I was home schooled from kindergarten through 12th grade.  While I am extraordinarily grateful to have had the opportunity to be home schooled, and truly feel it was a great fit for me, I graduated high school feeling unsure of what I wanted to do.  I had a vague sense of wanting to do something related to health, bouncing anywhere between sports psychologist and physical therapy, but did not have a concrete goal.  I debated taking a gap year between high school and college, but again had no direction of what exactly I would do with that year.  After encouragement from my family, I enrolled at the last minute to my local community college, so that I could explore different academic interests at a relatively low risk.  I took basic science courses, such as biology and chemistry, that would provide a good foundation for whatever career I ended up in.  I dreamed of becoming a physician, but felt that the odds were stacked against me.  I was a home schooler who had never even taken an AP course.  No one in my family was a physician, and I didn’t know the first thing about medical school.  Now, I was battling the stigma of going to a community college, and as I watched my peers get into prestigious universities, I felt rather inferior.  

Fortunately, I joined my school’s Honor’s Program, and met a few great mentors that showed me that community college was not a hindrance, but a great springboard to attain any goal, as long as resources were used properly.  Becoming a physician was no longer a far off dream!  It would not be a walk in the park, but it was not impossible.  Instead of being ashamed of my school, I joined as many clubs as possible, buckled down on my academics, and worked closely with advisors.  I was overjoyed when I got into my dream school, Cornell!  My hard work in community college had paid off, and I was excited to make connections with fellow pre-meds and (hopefully) thrive in this new environment.  My goal of medical school seemed even closer than before.

However, the second I stepped foot on the Cornell campus, I felt like a fish out of water.  I had historically been able to excel academically by working hard and studying relentlessly, but it felt like no matter how hard I studied I never achieved the grades I wanted.  The other pre-meds seemed to have everything together, with multiple prestigious internships and countless hours of volunteering under their belt.  I felt hopelessly behind schedule, as I had had limited access to things like healthcare-specific volunteering, and previously had no idea how crucial it was.  This feeling was only exacerbated after being told by a sophomore that since I was a junior, the odds of finding a research lab were slim to none.  Imposter syndrome started to take over, and I started to feel that I didn't belong.

Nevertheless, I did not give up.  I talked with my pre-health advisor, and got great advice on resources to help find summer opportunities related to healthcare, as well as reassurance that it is never too late to gain experience.  That summer, I worked as a medical scribe at an orthopedics clinic, which provided me with great clinical experience.  I joined a nutrition lab, and fell in love with their mission to help bring locally grown produce and nutritional knowledge to food insecure populations.  I started to get used to the academic flow, and my grades went up.  I also started volunteering with a program called Loaves and Fishes, which provided free basic healthcare services to the local underserved community.  Being able to help people in this manner felt so fulfilling, and I was able to meet some amazing people with incredible stories along the way.  I finally felt I was building a strong medical school application, and the missing piece was a solid MCAT score.  I decided to take it in April 2019, planning to apply for the Fall 2020 cycle, so I knew I had one chance and needed to make it count.

I felt crushed after seeing my score, devastated that I had not even made it to the average mark.  I debated not applying this cycle at all, and sent a panicked email to my pre-med advisor, asking to meet up ASAP.  After explaining my situation, she said, “If you don’t apply this cycle, you definitely won’t get in, so you might as well give it a shot.” I took her advice, and started the application process.  After my personal statement went through 12 different drafts, I submitted my primary application, and then waded through a sea of secondaries.  I eventually ended up with six interviews, and two offers!  I was (and still am) ecstatic.  I feel like a far cry from the new high school graduate that felt directionless and lost.  I am grateful for every single environment and opportunity I experienced, as I truly feel they have all played an important part in my story.  I cannot wait to officially start my journey towards my M.D.!

What do you think made your application stand out?

One thing that I believe made my application stand out was my involvement with Taekwondo.  I have been doing Taekwondo since I was nine years old, and it has been a huge passion of mine ever since.  I worked as an Taekwondo instructor from high school through college, and have been competing at a national level for the past ten years.  Obviously, I do not recommend that everyone should take up a marital art to help your medical school application.  However, I think it is important to demonstrate a passion, especially if you are able to demonstrate that the skills you have gained from it will help you as a doctor down the road.  For example, learning the inner workings of the human body through Taekwondo was one of the first things that drew me to medicine.  I also learned important philosophies, such as respect, integrity, and self discipline, that I feel map closely to the core competencies of medical students.  Every single medical school interviewer I spoke to asked about Taekwondo, and I think being able to share my unique story and perspective really helped my application.  Medical schools want to know who you are outside of wanting to be a doctor, so showing what makes you stand out, whether it is an extracurricular, interest, or experience, will definitely make you memorable.

What do you hope to bring to medicine?

I hope to bring a patient-centric perspective to my medical practice.  I want all my future patients to feel as though they are unique individuals, not just a blip in hospital statistics.  While I am currently not set on any particular specialty, I want to be in a position where I can foster long term relationships with my patients.

I also hope to use my position as a doctor in order to give back to my local community.  I am passionate about working in rural communities, as I have experience with providing free healthcare services in Loaves and Fishes.  I aspire to continue to do the same on a larger scale through my medical practice, by providing free clinics for those who cannot afford regular doctor’s appointments.

What’s your biggest advice to premedical students?

Try not to compare yourself to other premedical students.  It can be intimidating to hear about all the programs and projects your peers are undertaking to help them get into medical school, and it is easy to start to feel inferior.  The best thing you can do is block out the noise and focus on yourself.  As long as you are passionate about medicine and taking the necessary steps to reach your goals, you are doing perfectly fine.  Even if you  have the same final destination as other students, you are all on different journeys, and everyone’s path to medical school is different.  Finally, don’t underestimate the power of taking a deep breath and resting when needed!

Connect with Liana: @elle_kay_gonsalves