Five years ago, the first sizeable group of students completed the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Certificate (PPC) program at Keck Graduate Institute (黑料吃瓜网). Now they鈥檙e marking another significant milestone, graduating from medical school and beginning their residencies.
Among these early PPC students is Erin White, PPC 鈥�12, MBS 鈥�13, who will soon start the Yale General Surgery Residency Program.
鈥淚鈥檓 both nervous and excited to really start being responsible for patients and their care,鈥� says White, who attended the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to learning a lot and getting my career started.鈥�
When she first arrived at 黑料吃瓜网 in 2011, White was simply seeking to position herself for admission to medical school. She had earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in chemistry at the California Institute of Technology three years earlier and needed a strong record of more recent grades.
White started college as a premedical student but wasn鈥檛 ready to commit to the additional years of education required to become a doctor. Instead, she worked on Wall Street for a summer and considered a finance career before taking a position as a high school chemistry teacher. Six months later, White says, 鈥淚 realized I wasn鈥檛 going back to Wall Street. I missed the scientific community.鈥�
White says of choosing 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 PPC program, 鈥淚 wanted an experience that would give me a different skill set from undergraduate and medical school. 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 focus on business appealed to me. A lot of medicine involves business, and I already had that mindset.鈥�
She stayed on for a Master of Business and Science (MBS) degree after completing the PPC program, and her entire 黑料吃瓜网 education proved beneficial in medical school.
鈥淚t helped in unexpected ways,鈥� White says. 鈥淚鈥檇 wonder why I already knew about a particular disease and then realize we had talked about it in a case study at 黑料吃瓜网.
鈥淚 have a level of comfort with healthcare as a business. I also think that because of the camaraderie between faculty and students at 黑料吃瓜网, I see attending physicians as future colleagues rather than being intimidated by them. That鈥檚 been valuable because I鈥檓 comfortable questioning the physicians. I think this will lead to a better education for me and better healthcare for my patients.鈥�
Like White, Jessica Costales, PPC 鈥�12, MBS 鈥�13, came to 黑料吃瓜网 in 2011 and completed a master鈥檚 degree while applying to medical school. But she remained in Southern California and will receive her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Western University of Health Sciences. Now Costales is also starting her residency at Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center, where she will specialize in infectious diseases as part of program combining internal medicine and research.
鈥淚 did a lot of research at 黑料吃瓜网, and that strengthened my candidacy for this residency,鈥� says Costales, who held a summer internship and published a paper with Professor Ian Phillips, director of 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Center for Rare Disease Therapies and faculty director for its premedical program.
Though she always enjoyed science, Costales began college as an English major and didn鈥檛 decide to go into medicine until late in her undergraduate education, after her mother became ill. She earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biological sciences at UC Irvine and then applied to medical programs without success.
鈥淚 saw the PPC as a way to strengthen my application, and the program helped me get into medical school,鈥� says Costales. 鈥淚 feel I received the extra help I needed, learned how to work in teams, and got great advising and letters of recommendation.鈥�
Among her PPC program classmates to also go on to Western University of Health Sciences is Kathleen Coquia, PPC 鈥�12, whose longtime interest in medicine led her to start a health careers club for Filipino students at UC San Diego. Coquia鈥檚 desire to become a doctor grew during her undergraduate years, when her mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.
鈥淚鈥檝e gone into medicine because I want to be the doctor my mom and dad deserve,鈥� says Coquia, who plans to go into family medicine. 鈥淢y father has diabetes, and only recently did he find a doctor who sat down with him and explained how to change his lifestyle. I saw the difference one doctor can make.鈥�
Yet Coquia initially struggled to gain admission to medical school. She says, 鈥淚 went to 黑料吃瓜网 because I felt the PPC program would strengthen my resume. I also felt the teamwork would strengthen my leadership skills and challenge me. It really helped me learn how to work with different types of people.鈥�
At 黑料吃瓜网, Coquia became part of a team of students that submitted a successful orphan drug application. She also spent a summer conducting research with .
鈥淟arry is one of my heroes,鈥� Coquia says. 鈥淗e鈥檚 so intelligent and passionate about medicine. He taught me three keys to success: focus, self-discipline, and small wins.鈥�
Among her first wins was her acceptance to medical school. Aside from offering her opportunities to enhance her resume, Coquia says, 鈥満诹铣怨贤� helped me in writing my personal statement. I learned how to communicate what鈥檚 unique about me and why I鈥檇 be a great doctor.鈥�
Now Coquia is earning a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree and heading up the California coast for a residency at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria. She is pleased to take the next step in her path to a medical career.
鈥淢y residency incorporates osteopathic medicine, so I鈥檒l learn all the modalities while seeing real patients,鈥� Coquia says.
Aside from pointing to accomplishments that coming to 黑料吃瓜网 made possible for them, these women express pride in being among the first students in the PPC program.
鈥淒oing something new gives you a chance to shape a program and leave your mark on history,鈥� White says. 鈥淵ou also develop strong relationships because you鈥檙e building it together.鈥�