I attended an American Public High School, part of their Engineering Academy, which prepared me for a future in Engineering Sciences. During my high school years I was interested in going into Biomedical Engineering/ Biomechanical Engineering.
As it turned out, through the Williamstown High School Academy of Engineering Sciences, I was able to land on a medical internship: The National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, which was held in Georgetown University.
It was in The NYLF program that I was exposed to medicine, the specialties, the career options. It was there that I grew more interested in medical sciences. Thanks to the program.
I attended the prestigious Allegheny College in Northern Pennsylvania, a private liberal arts college, which is one of the oldest private institutions in the United States. I was given an academic scholarship to Allegheny College, a scholarship program that granted me $40,000 Allegheny College Trustees Scholarship.
I was a double major in Molecular Limnology and History. I graduated Allegheny as a S.C.L.
I was exposed to hands on learning as a biology research student, and active in teaching; worked in the side as a T.A (Teacher's Assistant) teaching molecular labs, micro labs, and history classes). Allegheny tapped on my work ethic, and exposed me to a ravenous competitive work ethic. Allegheny College taught us the meaning of work, and intellectual stimulation: sleeping for 4-5 hours a day, writing 10-15 paged papers every other day, and helping out the common man. The college embraced environmental conservatism, as well as a plethora of philantropic works including town growth, campus-town friendship collective works --> blood drives, food drives, volunteering works etc. etc. To which I can humbly say I partook of, thanks to that wonderful ALLEGHENY education.
It was one of the most intellectually stimulating times of my life, through my experiences in the Engineering Academy, which taught me leadership skills and management control, and through my hands on potential that was guaranteed in my education at Allegheny, I was motivated to pursue a medical path.
I thought about going into Podiatric Medicine and Allopathic Medicine. My stay in Allegheny College paved my way to get accepted into a medical internship at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, which guaranteed and accepted me into the Fall 2008 class. The 2 week internship was breathtaking, and showed me the multifaceted aspect of Podiatric Medicine (Medical specialty in Foot/Ankle/Lower Anatomy). For a time I was thinking about going into Podiatric Surgery, but was exposed to the different aspects of medicine in that specialty.
I was accepted to a 7 year M.D & Ph.D program at St. James School of Medicine and chose that path. With an interest in going into: Psychiatry, Internal Medicine or Surgery.
Do I think my education prepared me for my path? Absolutely.
Though I attribute academic success to three things: 1) The insitution's affiliates and 2) Personal motivation and drive. and the most important of all 3)
Providence's Divine Grace...
which augments personal skill/drive. especially in average students like myself.
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