Alumni Spotlight
Amanda Beaman
1.Give a short description of your application process / tips for upcoming applicants.
My application process started in the summer before my senior year. I decided to dedicate that summer to MCAT studying. I took the MCAT in August and sat on my score until the following summer when I decided to apply. I applied early and widely to about 20 MD schools. I felt defeated when I only got two interviews, and felt even worse when my best offer, come April, was a waitlist position at my state school. I was sitting down to start working on a new personal statement when I was admitted off the waitlist. Woohoo!
2.How did your time at UP help you with your career choice, application, etc.? (involvement, academics, research, advising, etc.)
The strong anatomy and physiology program at University of Portland really helped to cultivate my passion for medicine and provided the tools and knowledge I needed to confidently take on medical school. During the application process, I relied on the faculty at UP a lot. I went to Dr. Flann to learn about the application process and express my anxieties. I met with Dr. Orr many times to refine my personal statement. I also worked with Max in the career center to work on my resume, apply for positions, and later prepare for medical school interviews.
3.What are your favorite memories of UP / any highlights?
One of the highlights of my time at UP was taking human dissection with John White. It is an experience that many pre-meds never get to have before medical school. After that experience, I knew with absolute certainty that I wanted to become a physician. Another great memory was taking biology of exercise with Dr. Flann, my favorite part was when we got to measure our own lactate threshold and VO2 Max by running on the treadmill.
4.What general advice would you give aspiring pre-health types?
My advice: Everyone's path to medical school is different, there is no "right way" to do things. The traditional route of trying to enter medical school right after college may feel very rushed for some, it did for me, which is why I took a gap year. Don't be afraid to take one or more gap years to really feel confident about your application. I think if I took more time to cultivate my relevant experiences (research, internships, employment), I would have been a much more competitive applicant. Take your time, it is not going to matter in the grand scheme of your career.
