Class Of 2023

I am currently a social worker with an organization called Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP) in Northern Maine, assisting low-income rural residents to achieve their goals. I finished the program in August 2023 and am interviewing with medical schools.

What I loved about this postbac

The best thing about the post-bac program was the advising. During the program, your advisors assist with any stress or worry you may have about the courses and can advocate for you to professors or even just talk you down if you’re feeling overwhelmed. After the program, they are the type of medical school admission advisors people would pay a lot of money for. They are extremely skilled and knowledgeable about the medical school admissions process. Since finishing the post-bac program, I have met with the advisors once a month to be sure I am on track since I am a first-generation medical applicant with nobody else to guide me. 

I would also say the camaraderie you develop within such a small cohort of students is a huge plus to the JHU post-bac program. I have many friends from my cohort that I still speak to even though we are miles apart, the post-bac program creates a special bond with peers that’s hard to replicate. We are able to support each other on this shared path to being a physician for years to come.

Working with Medicine for Greater Good

My medical tutorial was with Dr. Galiostatos. I chose the Medicine for the Greater Good project, which involves providing health education to underserved populations of inner-city middle school students. I was particularly drawn to this project as I have a history of community service and outreach and have a passion for working with kids.

It was really great to explore a service project like this in Baltimore that I felt had a strong impact on improving the community. I am someone who has no particular interest in research, and much more so in human services and the improvement of health inequity, so the ability to do a service project like this was really fulfilling to me. I found it vital that I do something with my time that helped repair the issues that Baltimore faced as a city since it was frustrating for me to see such a prestigious university sit in a city with so much poverty, inequity, and despair. 

Working with Dr.G was amazing. Even though he’s very busy, he still makes you feel important and welcome. He even invited me to his family’s passover seder because he knew I was far from home and didn’t have my family around to celebrate. 

Advice for applicants

The courses are extremely rigorous, and there will be times when you don’t feel cut out for it. There will be times when you feel as though you don’t belong and you aren’t good enough. However, for me, the successful completion of this program really proved to me that I have what it takes to be a medical student.

That can be scary to hear but also know that when you inevitably struggle, there are resources to help you. Your peers are happy and willing to assist you, your advisors genuinely care about your well-being and success, and JHU in and of itself has academic resources that are really beneficial. 

This program is genuinely a stellar preparation for medical school. The ability to do all of your core classes quickly, gain relevant experiences, access advising, have MCAT prep, and get a committee letter all in one place is extremely valuable. It’s a good way to get on track for medical school very quickly, especially if you are a non traditional applicant.