Successful Applicants—M.D./Ph.D.

2022 Matriculants

Name: Nada Terra
Major: Biology
Minor: English
Overall GPA: N/A
Graduation Year: 2020
Matriculation Year: 2022

Q: Which school are you attending?
A: Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional M.D./Ph.D. Program.

Q: What drew you to this particular health field?
A: Health is so central to one's quality of life. If it is compromised, what can come with the physical symptoms are a negative impact on one’s mental health and ability to participate in normal, everyday life. This is why I am regularly amazed by how many lives medicine has changed for the better. Yet, medicine does not serve everyone, as patients with chronic or terminal illnesses show. I want to be able to use research in a clinically relevant way to help uncover better treatments for these illnesses, while still directly seeing patients and providing them with compassionate care and empathy.

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A: I conducted research at a few different labs within institutions such as Hunter College and >Mount Sinai. I also volunteered at the emergency room at Lenox Hill Hospital. Additionally, I volunteered at the Arab-American Family Support Center. I was also a mentor for the Pre-Health Mentoring Initiative and a biology tutor at the Skirball Science Center.

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: That’s hard to say! As it changed each week, and those hours definitely shot up the closer it was to an exam… For me, I always focused on the quality and not quantity of my studies. I would rather spend 5 hours deeply trying to understand the material at a foundational level than 20 hours passively reading my notes.

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: In the beginning, I used the Princeton Review prep course because Hunter College offered me a major discount on it. It definitely did not suit my studying style, I didn't keep up with it as well as I should have, but the main thing I got out of it was an idea of what type of detail was important to memorize vs. what would likely be provided in a passage. However, I did use the books the course provided to self-study on my own later. Then I used a mix of the Princeton Review practice exams and the AAMC full-length exams to practice!

Q: Did you take a GAP year? If so, why?
A: I took two GAP years. First, I wanted to strengthen my application by gaining more research experience, and second, I wanted to make sure I had sufficient time to devote to study for the MCAT and prepare my application. The decision to take the second gap year was actually because of the pandemic. My MCAT exam was cancelled due to the pandemic, and so, for practical reasons and to give me peace of mind, I took the second year, and I’m very happy I did! I walked in more confident and prepared for the application cycle.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: I think I came across very genuinely and passionately about why I want to enter this field, and I had the experience to back it up! (And I’d like to think my letter-writers backed me up as well!) I also think my resilience, flexibility, and maturity came across well through my writing and interviews.

Q: Did you apply nationally?
A: Yes.

Q: How did Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
A: The Pre-Health Office is such an amazing place to ask for advice and guidance. I remember being that shy freshman pursuing pre-med and not knowing how to navigate through this long and rigorous path. I admire how mujch effort each and every advisor puts into wanting the best for their advisees. I'm extremely grateful to Kemile Jackson. She has been such an extraoridnary advisor who would always push me to do more and was overall extremely supportive. I'm also very thankful to Nina Ledis. She provided me with excellent mock interviews, and was my go-to person for personal statement advice.

Q: How to Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
They kept me on track. They really helped me understand what was ahead of me, so that there were no surprises. They made sure I was prepared well in advance of any deadlines for these applications. They were also always there to advise me, address my anxieties, and give me feedback on my essays. I am very grateful for all the help they gave me.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: There are so many things you have to keep track of and do in order to secure a place in your graduate program of choice. I think it can be easy to lose track of why you are doing all those things in the first place. Don’t become a robot that just tries to check a bunch of boxes because you think it’s what graduate schools want to see. Participate in activities that you are truly passionate about, and look at them all as an opportunity to learn more about the career you want. During the application process, how you interacted with these experiences will show in how you write and talk about them. All to say, don’t forget about your passion for the career you are pursuing, and let it thread through the various activities and work you do.

Make sure to also make genuine connections along the way! This includes with teachers, mentors, and your peers! They will all support you in various ways and make this journey a little bit easier and (with the right people) more fun! Not to mention, if you can help support and be there for someone else, do so!

Finally, have some confidence in yourself! This doesn’t mean let your ego run wild, but on the days you feel less than or unqualified, remember that there is no one way to be “successful”. Remember that you will be bringing something to the table with your unique life experiences, passions, and perspectives.

2021 Matriculants

Name: Frederick Yen
Major: Biological Sciences and Thomas Hunter Honors Curriculum
Overall GPA: 3.94
Graduation Year: 2019
Matriculation Year: 2021

Q: Which school will you be attending?
A: Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph.D. Program.

Q: What drew you to this particular health field?
A: The ability to ask and to answer questions that impact medical care, both in the clinic and in the laboratory, coupled with my desire to care for others in a personal and sincere manner.

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A: I performed multi-year research in labs at The Rockefeller University and Hunter College, I volunteered at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, I took part in service through Rescuing Leftover Cuisine at Hunter College, as a Peer Mentor and Event Coordinator for the Pre-Health Organization, and as a Representative in the Hunter College Undergraduate Student Government. original research in Labor History.

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: Approximately 10 hours per week.

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: Yes, I initially used Princeton Review for the content review and Khan Academy for the Psychology section. I took practice tests from NextStep and did UWorld questions regularly. When it came closer to my test date, I only used AAMC materials (practice tests and question banks).

Q: Did you take a GAP year? If so, why?
A: Yes! I did not want to rush and felt that I needed the additional time to strengthen parts of my application. Having an additional two years gave me the opportunity to publish two papers, gain some teaching experience, and spend some more time shadowing.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: My extensive research experience and publications were definite strengths in my application. Additionally, I developed strong relationships with my research mentors, professors, and the physicians I shadowed. Their recommendations were important components of my overall application.

Q: How did the Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
A: The Pre-Health Advising Office has been an invaluable resource during this entire process. Throughout my time at Hunter and while applying, Kemile Jackson has always been a valuable source of advice, knowledge, and support. When applying, Nina Ledis and Veronica Mitchell helped me put together a cohesive application to MSTP programs and prepare for my interviews through mock sessions. From advising sessions to application editing to interview preparation, the Pre-Health Office was there to support me every step of the way!

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: Finding good mentors and building strong relationships with them has been invaluable during my journey. The amazing advice from fellow peers, research mentors, and advisors has helped me immensely. The entire process can be daunting and stressful, so apply when you are ready and feel that you can submit the strongest application possible.

2020 Matriculants

Name: Tiffany Merlinsky
Major: Bioinformatics
Overall GPA: 3.69
Graduation Year: 2019
Matriculation Year: 2020

Q: Which school will you be attending?
A: Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program

Q: What drew you to this particular health field?
A: In high school, I joined a sciece research program. This was the first time I was able to truly engage in hypothesis-based science. I enjoyed learning new information, asking questions, and exploring those questions through experimentation. My scientific curiosity coupled with my desire to help others drew me to the field of medicine.

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A:

• Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering
• Volunteering at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
• Community service at Heart2Heart and Opiate Overdose Prevention Program
• Hunter College Dill Cross Country
• Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field
• Vice President of Association for Women in Science at Hunter
• Research Conferences

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: 15 hours on average

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: No. I self-studied using Kaplan and Khan Academy for content review, and Altius, Next Step and AAMC practice exams.

Q: Did you take a GAP year? If so, why?
A: Yes! I needed time to develop my application. Having an extra year allowed me to improve my GPA and increase my involvement in research.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: Demonstrating a willingness to work hard, the ability to overcome adversity and be resilient, and a substantial commitment during undergrad to research, volunteer work, and physician shadowing. In addition, I don't think one can/should underestimate the importance of letters of recommendation and of establishing good and lasting relationships with professors and mentors.

Q: Did you apply nationally?
A: Yes, but predominanantly in the Northeast

Q: How did the Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
A: The Pre-Health Advising Office has been a source of valuable information and support. In the years leading up to applying, I met with Kemile Jackson to make sure I was on the right track. When applying, Nina Ledis and Veronica Mitchell helped me to prepare for my interviews and put together a cohesive M.D./Ph.D. application.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: It is important to seek out mentors who are at different points in their medical and research careers. I received so much great advice from peers, medical students, practicing doctors, researchers, etc. This process is very challenging and filled with so many ups and downs. Whether it's classes, the MCAT, or the application process itself—you are bound to run into problems. Believe in yourself and find a support system that does too. Good luck!!

2019 Matriculants

Name: Rochelle Hecht
Major: Physics
Minor: Chemistry
Overall GPA: 4.0
Graduation Year: 2018
Matriculation Year: 2019

Q: Which school will you be attending?
A: Harvard-MIT HST MD-PhD Program

Q: What drew you to this particular health field?
A: A passion for scientific research, and a desire to care for patients' health in a meaningful, personal, and effective manner.

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A:

• Undergraduate research
• Physician shadowing
• Hunter Physics Club
• Tutoring
• Pre-health mentoring
• Volunteer work at TOYS for Hospitalized Children
• Volunteer work at Footsteps

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: The average increased over my undergraduate years, starting from about 3hr/week until around 15hr/week

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: No.

Q: Did you take a GAP year? If so, why?
A: Yes, a postbac NIH Academy Enrichment Program Research Fellowship, to gain perspective on health disparities and to become involved with research focused on emerging techniques and technologies in biomedical engineering.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: Demonstrating a willingness to work hard, the ability to overcome adversity and be resilient, and a substantial commitment during undergrad to research, volunteer work, and physician shadowing. In addition, I don't think one can/should underestimate the importance of letters of recommendation and of establishing good and lasting relationships with professors and mentors.

Q: Did you apply nationally?
A: Yes.

Q: How did the Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
A: The Pre-Health Advising Office helped inform me about all of the fine print related to applying to MD-PhD programs. Ms. Kemile Jackson is an incredible resource and advocate who will always speak to you honestly about your options and what you can do to better them. Her experience and advice are invaluable. Ms. Ledis and Ms. Mitchell provided wonderful feedback on my written statements, and helped me prepare for the medical and MMI interviews through mock sessions.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: Seek opportunities, advice, and assistance as early as possible, and be humble and receptive when doing so. Accept that sometimes (read: often) the outcomes from the former may require you to sacrifice some personal fun, but it's a worthwhile investment. Expect that not all things will not go smoothly, but also expect that if you are sincere about what you want and are willing to show that you've dedicated your undergraduate/post-undergraduate years toward achieving them, your commitment will be apparent to the admissions committees and will serve you well.

2018 Matriculants

Name: Elizabeth Gorodetsky
Major: Biological Sciences, Thomas Hunter Honors Major
Minor: English and Math
Overall GPA: 3.84
Graduation Year: 2018
Matriculation Year: 2018

Q: Which school will you be attending?
A: NYU's Medical Scientist Training Program

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A:

• Pre-Health Organization
• Peer Health Exchange
• Pre-Health Diaries
• Journal of Undergraduate Research at Hunter College

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: 35-60 depending on the week

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: No, I used Berkeley Review and Examkrackers books and NextStep Full-length exams.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: My extensive research background, along with the leadership roles I held.

Q: Did you apply nationally?
A: I applied mostly to schools in the Northeast as that was where I ultimately wanted to end up.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: Do not apply until you feel ready, and have received feedback from the Pre-Health Office regarding the strength of your application. Participate in activities you are truly passionate about—it will serve you incredibly well during applications and, in particular, your interviews.

Name: Stephanie Azzopardi
Major: Biology
Minor: Biology
Overall GPA: 3.78
Graduation Year: 2016
Matriculation Year: 2018

Q: Which school will you be attending?
A: Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph.D. Program.

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A:

• GlamourGals
• Habitat for Humanity

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: 10 hours per week

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: Yes. Kaplan.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: I possessed extensive research experience and publications. One of my undergraduate lab internships spanned four years. Additionally I performed two years of full time research after graduation.

Q: Did you apply nationally?
A: No. I applied to schools in New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: Be proactive in the application process. After the interview, follow up with thank you emails to your interviewers. Express your interest in the program that is your top choice by writing a professional and meaningful letter of intent.