About Gloria

I didn’t officially decide I wanted to become a physician until my first year of college. I felt overwhelmed—I knew classmates who had been preparing since middle school and were way more familiar with how medical school admissions and the healthcare/research spheres operated. However, initiative goes a long way. I connected with upperclassmen, medical students, physicians, and departments such as career centers and undergraduate research offices, asked questions during webinars and meetings with admissions committee members, and took near-every opportunity to learn more about what it means to be a physician/who you’ll work with, the process from college until becoming a fully-fledged attending, and how to craft your story. Three years later, I tackled the AMCAS application and a whopping 40 secondaries—definitely not with ease, but with a sense of purpose and clarity. All the advice I had received prior and the experiences I had under my belt involving writing, pitches, reflections, and interpersonal skills allowed me to feel and most importantly be ready for what was to come. For all but one secondary, I submitted them the day I received it because I had already pre-written and heavily revised my responses an average of 2x each. When it came to interviews, I was ready 3-5 days in advance. This led to 15 interview invites and 13 acceptances/2 waitlists. I couldn’t have asked for a process that was more smooth-running, which is not necessarily the adjective you’d think of when it comes to admissions.