Alumni Spotlight

After graduation from the University of Portland back in 2015, Matt LaPlante worked as a part-time transcriptionist for the NACS emergency medicine physician group, which included working in the emergency department at all of the Legacy hospitals in Portland. Additionally, Matt worked as a transcriptionist for an otolaryngologist in Lake Oswego in my second year after graduation. During this time he took the MCAT, applied to medical school and was then accepted to Western University of Health Sciences down in Lebanon, OR. Since his graduation, Matt has been so generous with his time and with helping out upcoming pre-medical students. We very much appreciate Matt’s support especially the multiple long trips he’s made to come back to the bluff to help with pre-med panels, mock-interviews, etc. Matt is currently in his last year of medical school has thrived as a medical student and we wish him all the best with the upcoming residency match and his bright future as a physician.

1. Give a short description of your application process / tips for upcoming applicants.

I was determined to only apply once, as I was told it is an arduous process. I had my primary application in addition to my MCAT score ready on the first day that the application submissions were accepted (sometime in June I believe). I applied to 24 schools with the following thinking: around every 1/10 applicants gets an interview, and 1/3 interviews yields an acceptance. So applying to over 20 schools would statistically set me up to get into 1-3 schools, and allow me to have a choice. I then filled out all of the secondary applications which was quite a workload, as rarely could one essay be used for more than one school. These were done by the end of August, and my first interview was in September and interviews lasted all of the way until February, at which point I had already found a school and began declining interviews. Some interviews are given as late as April that year if my memory serves me correctly. 

My tips on applying: Request letters of recommendation early, study hard for the MCAT, be punctual with everything, and most importantly: be patient. This is a long process, but very worth it. If you are deemed worthy of an interview, I suggest being natural. I have helped with medical school interviews, and I can tell you that insincerity is quite obvious and doesn’t make a strong applicant. Furthermore, there is no one type of person meant for medical school, it is a very diverse and interesting population of people, so there is no reason to try and fit any mold. Just be yourself, be confidant in that, and be professional. 

2. How did your time at UP help you with your career choice, application, etc.? 

The University of Portland gave me a wonderful education. I wasn’t considering medicine as a career, but because of encouraging professors who helped guide me based off of my academic interests, I stumbled into a career of medicine and love it so far. To be quite honest, there were classes in medical school that I was way ahead of the curve on because of the rigor of my undergraduate education. Furthermore, there were always research projects going on that were very easily accessed, which is quite important. Once I decided to explore the career of medicine the support from the people at UP were very helpful in finding me a job as a scribe that was invaluable. It is my opinion that if students show interest and drive, there are plenty of people at the University who are enthusiastic to help get students to where they need to go, and that was my experience.  

3. What are your favorite memories of UP / any highlights?

Playing soccer for the club soccer team was a definite highlight. Many of those teammates are still my closest friends today. My favorite classes, and the ones that really sparked my interest in medicine were: Anatomy with Dr. Terry Favero and Dr. Jacquie Van Hoomissen, physiology with Dr. Kyle Flann, and organic chemistry with Dr. Edward Valente. An experience on top of classes that was very enjoyable and valuable for me was cadaveric dissection. 

4. What general advice would you give aspiring pre-health types?

-There are so many facets to the health care system, before deciding on which direction you want to go, make sure you get exposure in many different fields of healthcare. 

-Never lose curiosity, it will help you learn, and it is contagious. 

-Attitude is everything. My experience of the world of healthcare is that it is definitely rewarding, but it can break you down if you let it. So don’t let it. What we practice becomes habit, and so practice having a good attitude when you can, even if the situation is obviously difficult or unfair. Hard work is expected, and drive is assumed, but what seems to be appreciated the most by those around me is someone who maintains a good, helpful attitude in the face of adversity. 

This quote has become a favorite of mine throughout medical school: 

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change; 
courage to change the things I can; 
and wisdom to know the difference.

-Reinhold Niebuhr