Pre-med talk explores unconventional path

Though many first-years believe that they are going to be doctors some day, through introductory calculus courses and the looming prospect of organic chemistry, many become quickly dillilusioned. Middlebury is littered with ex-pre-meds. So, who makes it all the way through? Who are these determined pre-meds?

I spoke with a group of pre-med students and Health Professions Advisor Arlinda Wickland after the talk given by Dr. Todd Gregory ’95 on Feb. 23 in the Franklin Environmental Center at Hilcrest.  Wickland gave me some insight into what it is like to be pre-med at Middlebury.

After the ranks are thinned during students’ first year at Middlebury, each class retains approximately 45-50 pre-med students. Wickland attributes the small numbers to the significant commitment  required by the curriculum.

Popular medical schools for Middlebury graduates include the University of Vermont, George Washington University, Dartmouth and the University of Colorado. Wickland explained that even with the “crush of numbers” and competitive applicant pool for top-tier medical schools, many Middlebury graduates are lucky enough to further their careers at these institutions.

Many students delve straight into medical school after college in order to avoid prolonging the already interminable process of becoming a doctor. (Even students who start immediately after college won’t become attending physicians until around age 30.) Gregory was even older because he waited five years before entering med school.

Not a few pre-med students end up following Gregory’s winding path. In his charmingly honest presentation, Gregory showed students how his unconventional journey led to a gratifying career as an emergency room doctor in Rutland, Vt.

“There are a lot of ways to succeed in medicine,” said Gregory. During his time at Middlebury, Gregory was a biology major and Russian literature minor, but his grades, which he dared to show us, would make many parents cringe.

Gregory did not even finish the pre-med requirements before graduation; he, too, was scared off by organic chemistry.  Still, his intelligence was startling even if his transcript did not reflect that. The average Middlebury pre-med aces the MCATs with a 32-33. When Gregory finally took the MCATs, he received a 38 out of 45.

A small but devoted group of pre-meds attended Dr. Gregory’s lecture. Wickland said that the majority of pre-med students at Middlebury are neuroscience and molecular biology and biochemistry majors. Samantha Chirunomula ’12 is an MBB and Spanish double major. Stephen Lammers ’13 is only a first-year but he already knows he wants to be a neuroscience major with a minor in religion. Evan Pagano ’12 epitomizes the Middlebury pre-med; she is an MBB major who plans to study abroad in South Africa.

These students are evidence of a peculiar type of pre-med that only exists at schools like Middlebury. Midd-kids are driven to succeed, even in alternative arenas. The Middlebury pre-med could go on to be a top surgeon, making a seven-figure salary at a prestigious hospital in New York City, but many will chose to go in another direction. Many pre-meds go on to work for international organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières and Partners in Health. Wickland attributes this tendency toward international service to Middlebury’s “cross-cultural world view” that “influences the perspectives of our students.” This phenomenon could also reflect the attraction that Middlebury has for students seeking a broader cultural experience that goes beyond simple preparation for a career.

Jane Yoon ’11 attended the talk and spoke about her plans for the future. She studies Spanish and sees herself working abroad someday, though probably not in a hospital. Instead, her interests lie with human rights and women’s rights. Though not pre-med, Hannah Burnett ’10 already has an offer to work for a non-profit in Capetown, South Africa, for a year after graduation and her thesis paper is the inspiration for a Global Health minor program that is currently in the works at the College.

While many non-pre-med students are flabbergasted to think pre-meds have to wait another eight years to practice medicine, Wickland explained that “Becoming a doctor is about the journey; that’s part of the reward. Medicine is a humble profession.”

For most Middlebury pre-meds, Wickland’s words speak the truth. The College’s pre-meds want to be great doctors but only because being great will help people most.