Dreams Come True: Reflecting on How I Got to Stanford Med
- Katya Vera
- Sep 30, 2024
- 5 min read
The last time I wrote a blog post, my future was semi unclear. I had just received my first medical school interview invitation and although I was extremely excited, I was also understandably anxious and stressed about what exactly my future held, and where I would be in the coming years.
Nine months later, I am thrilled to share that I am attending Stanford University School of Medicine! Though I’ve been at Stanford for the past two years as a Racial Equity to Advance a Community of Health (REACH) Post-bac Scholar, being a medical student has been such a different experience thus far and a (literal) dream come true!
Having submitted my AMCAS Primary Application in June (on the feast day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help) and my Stanford Secondary Application in August, I awoke one morning in early October to a dream that I had gotten into Stanford. Though I reasoned that this dream was likely just a manifestation of my deepest thoughts and wishes, there was a part of me that wondered if it was a sign of things to come.
Stanford was my dream school for a number of reasons. I am very close to my family; and after moving across the country for undergrad, I wanted to stay as close as possible to my family in the Central Valley. Stanford is one of just a handful of schools geographically close to my home and family.
Stanford is also a place with immense opportunities and resources. I knew I would be getting a quality medical education, mentors, and research opportunities. Additionally, the REACH Post-bac I had participated in is part of a larger initiative at Stanford, the REACH Initiative. Its mission is to diversify the medical field, eliminate health inequities, and promote social justice. As a medical student, I would be able to take part in the REACH Health Equity & Social Justice Scholarly Concentration, clerkships in underserved communities, and potentially, a masters in health equity, and leave my own mark at Stanford as an underrepresented minority (URM) with a passion for racial health equity.
Finally, the community I had already established and solidified over the past two years as a REACH Scholar, made Stanford already feel like home. I have made so many friendships as an officer in the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) and as a member of St. Luke’s Catholic Medical Student Society. I had also built strong relationships with mentors in the dermatology department and wanted to continue my research at such a premier research institution and in such innovative dermatology labs.
When I received my acceptance, I couldn’t help but reflect upon the dream I had had in October. Though one could say I “manifested it,” the path to Stanford and medical school was anything but a simple manifestation...
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After having a difficult time adjusting to the rigor of my pre-med classes at Princeton, I decided to complete a pre-med post-bac after I graduated, allowing me to take advantage of the myriad of unique classes at Princeton while continuing on my journey to medicine. Despite the major accomplishment of graduating magna cum laude (high honors) from one of the top universities in the country (and the world), I graduated feeling completely defeated because I was not graduating with a medical school acceptance like many of my peers. I was instead starting a post-bac, and I felt light-years away from accomplishing my goal of becoming a physician.
However, I am so thankful to the post-bac I did at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles because it gave me something I was lacking: confidence in my academic capabilities. I thrived in my pre-med classes at LMU, getting straight A’s and even being asked to TA for Organic Chemistry Lab. I felt ready for the content and rigor of medical school.
Unfortunately, my journey to medicine was also impacted by my aunt Patti's death in 2022. A month before I was set to take the MCAT, my aunt, who was a very close friend and confidant, passed from breast cancer. Completely distraught and unable to focus on anything but grieving and helping my family after this loss, I decided to postpone taking the MCAT and thus, applying to medical school. While being a REACH Scholar and conducting research were incredible experiences I am truly thankful for, it was difficult working full time in a lab while studying for the MCAT.
I mention my time at Princeton, my aunt’s death, and working full-time while studying because I want others in these or similar situations to know that it is possible to be on the other side. Weed out classes exist, our personal lives impact our academic/professional paths, and the MCAT is a huge barrier to entering medical school (especially for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds who do not have the luxury of studying full-time).
But these trials and difficulties have also made my medical acceptance that much more meaningful. It wasn’t easy for me to get to where I am today; so many times I could have walked away. And yet, I didn’t because I knew this was my calling, and I am proud of myself for withstanding the pressure and being resilient. It has also made me reflect on the beauty of life and the unexpected. My aunt’s death caused me to move back home from Los Angeles to be closer to my family and apply to Stanford’s REACH Post-bac. Would I have had the same research opportunities if I had stayed in LA? Would I have gotten into Stanford? Nothing goes as expected but everything works out as it should.
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After the initial shock of my Stanford acceptance, I began looking forward to my White Coat & Stethoscope Ceremony. To me, this ceremony was the physical manifestation of all of my hard work and resilience. I had been looking forward to this ceremony since my time at Princeton when I shared with my then therapist my concern that my grandmother (who I am very close to and has significantly impacted why I want to be a physician and serve Spanish-speaking/Latino patients) would never get to see me become a doctor due to her age. She told me, “well maybe she can at least go to your white coat ceremony since it’s at the beginning of medical school.” From this moment forward, it became a dream of mine for my grandmother to see me get “white-coated.” I prayed to God to make it happen.
When the day finally came, I tried to enjoy my White Coat & Stethoscope Ceremony as much as possible. As the speakers said their speeches, I took in their words. As each of my peers crossed the stage, I clapped and cheered them on. When it was my time to cross the stage and get coated, I waited in line, coat in hand. Looking into the crowd, I waved at my family and friends. Looking back into the crowd, I tried to find my grandmother. Suddenly, I saw a small women with white hair. We made eye contact and I waved. Smiling her beautiful infectious smile, she waved back. This was the moment I had prayed for.
Hearing my name called, walking across the stage, and getting my white coat and stethoscope, felt unreal. In some ways, it still does. I am now living what I prayed and worked so hard for. It meant the world to me that my family, who witnessed this hard work and supported me through the years, got to witness this moment.
At Stanford, I won’t waste the incredible opportunity I’ve been given and I plan on using it to make the largest impact I possibly can. I know the next few years, as I go through medical school and training, will be difficult; but the last nine years since I first felt the calling to be a physician have proven that this truly is my path, and they have demonstrated to me that I have the drive, work ethic, and resilience to make my future dreams happen too. I am so ready and excited!
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