Alumni Spotlight

Monica Arena’s journey to medical school included various extracurricular activities that culminated in getting an acceptance. Throughout school, she worked as a restaurant server - a job that provides many interpersonal skills that review committees find valuable for a physician. She was a scribe in the Emergency Department during her upper undergraduate years, which exposed her to medical terminology, medical decision-making and provided many experiences to discuss in interviews. Concurrently, she worked at UP as a Chemistry Workshop Leader for one semester. After graduation, she began working full-time at OHSU as a clinical research coordinator for two years until matriculation into the OHSU MD Program. Unlike being a scribe, the coordinator position allowed her to have a more hands-on role including performing phlebotomy and building relationships with patients.

At UP, Monica dedicated time outside of paid employment towards building herself up as an applicant. She joined the leadership committees of the Pre-Medical Association Club and the Biology Club. In her senior year, she sought out chemistry research experience with a professor that she had developed a great relationship with over the years. While she participated in medically-related volunteer work at Kaiser Interstate, her interviewers were more interested in her non-medical volunteer work that showed a commitment to serving the community, not just dedication to getting into medical school. Most of her volunteering was with SOLVE, an organization that hosts events to restore Oregon's natural habitats. She also picked up a few shifts at the Blanchet House in downtown Portland, which she explains “is a shelter always looking for helping hands!” Her final experience of note is shadowing. She sought out this opportunity on her own by reaching out to a physician at OHSU in Interventional Radiology. This demonstrated her initiative, and the hours she spent shadowing provided further interesting experiences to discuss during her interview. You were made for this, Monica!

1. Give a short description of your application process / tips for upcoming applicants.
Knowing that I wanted to take two gap years before matriculation, I scheduled my MCAT for four months after my UP graduation. This allowed me time to study without it being too long after learning the content in classes. The primary application is the next step of the process and typically opens for submission in early May. This includes the Personal Statement (the dreaded "why you want to be a physician" essay), which I began working on in March and took six weeks to complete. My number one tip would be to solicit as much feedback on this as you can, from friends, family, professors and other mentors while keeping it true to yourself. Balancing your time at UP to allow for volunteering or paid medical experience will greatly benefit you while writing the Work and Activities sections. Lastly, my positions as a scribe and clinical research coordinator provided me the opportunity to build meaningful connections with physicians that wrote some of my letters of recommendation.

For the secondary applications, they can feel overwhelming when every school sends them all at once. The best advice I can give you for this would be to utilize the interim between sending your primary and receiving your secondary to research the schools you applied to (with the MSAR/their websites) so that you become familiar with their curriculum, global rotations, clubs and other interesting facts. Most secondaries ask you to explain why you want to attend that school and this prep will greatly save you time down the road when you juggle multiple secondaries.

2. How did your time at UP help you with your career choice, application, etc.? (involvement, academics, research, advising, etc.)
I truly believe that attending UP is the primary reason I was accepted into medical school. The rigorous academics adequately prepared me for the pace and expectations of medical school. The small class sizes and office hours allow me to develop great relationships with professors, which fostered opportunities for being their workshop leader and research assistant. These relationships were also key in getting meaningful letters of recommendation that showed they knew me as an actual person beyond how I performed on exams. Also, taking the time during Creative Writing to get to know my professor (Father Hannon) in office hours provided me the confidence to ask for his assistance in writing my Personal Statement.

My academic advisor dedicated lots of time to discussing my desire to become a physician. She shaped my four-year schedule in a way that allowed me to take necessary classes while having time each semester for extracurriculars. The student culture at UP, at least in my experience, was really inclusive and I was able to work with other students to perform well in classes. Additionally, there are so many clubs that benefit their members with fun experiences and the opportunity to gain leadership experience.

3. What are your favorite memories of UP / any highlights?
The absolute highlight of my time at UP was my summer semester spent abroad in Salzburg. I recognize that I am immensely privileged to have had this opportunity to explore Austria and surrounding parts of Europe. This experience provided lifelong friendships with some of my fellow students, a strong relationship with the faculty that traveled with us and the important experience of culture shock. Other favorite times at UP were spent in Spanish class learning other cultures, studying on the steps in the quad during the rare moments of sunshine and trudging out in the mud during Wetlands Ecology Lab with my project partners.

4. What general advice would you give aspiring pre-health types?
The best advice that I can give was given to me by an ED physician, which is "no physicians ever say they wish they had entered medical school sooner." You have time to develop experiences that can help cement your choice to pursue medical school. Do not feel pressured to take the MCAT and complete your primary application during your undergraduate experience if that is not what is right for you. The best thing you can do for yourself is to ensure that you are ready for the enormity of medical school before you enter. The average age of matriculating medical students is 24 and I truly believe that taking gap years can be just as important in preparing you as your undergraduate education.