Getting into Medical School – Even if You Don’t Start Out Pre-Med with Sam Goldman – College Bound Mentor Podcast #17
Welcome to the College Bound Mentor podcast! Each episode, hear trends, case studies, and interviews with students who have gone through it all.
This is Episode #17 and you’ll hear about getting into medical school or med school with Sam Goldman. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots – follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re enjoying the show!
- Episode Summary & Player
- Show Notes
- Learn more about the College Bound Mentor podcast
- Transcript
College Bound Mentor Podcast Episode #17: Getting into Medical School – Even if You Don’t Start Out Pre-Med with Sam Goldman
Applying for Medical School (aka Med School) is one of the most stressful times for future doctors. Is it possible to go that route while taking a non-traditional path? In this episode, we welcome on special guest Sam Goldman, who’s a living case study of resilience & dedication. She’s currently in the process of interviewing for med schools after starting her college career in Pre-Law at WashU (Washington University in St. Louis). Hear why she switched from Pre-Law to Pre-Med, the courses you have to take to get into med school, whether it’s okay to retake the MCAT, the easiest & hardest parts of the med school application process, and the experiences that help out in med school interviews & application essays. This episode covers everything from med school to gap years. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- Why did Sam switch from Pre-Law to Pre-Med?
- Did she always want to be a doctor when she grew up?
- What classes do you have to take before medical school?
- How did Sam’s non-medical experiences help her in med school?
- What’s something she worried about that wasn’t a big deal applying for medical school?
- Why did a former advisor crush Sam’s dreams?
- Is med school worth it?
- How do you prepare for the MCAT?
Connect with Sam on LinkedIn, and Subscribe to College Bound Mentor on your favorite podcast platform and learn more at CollegeBoundMentor.com.
Check out the episode and show notes below for much more detail.
Show Notes
- Getting into Medical School – Even if You Don’t Start Out Pre-Med with Sam Goldman
- [0:19] Welcome to College Bound Mentor
- [0:28] Lisa Bleich, Abby Power, Stefanie Forman
- [0:42] Connect with Sam on LinkedIn, and Subscribe to College Bound Mentor on your favorite podcast platform and learn more at CollegeBoundMentor.com
- [3:10] Why did Sam switch from Pre-Law to Pre-Med?
- [5:48] Did she always want to be a doctor when she grew up?
- [7:50] What classes do you have to take before medical school aka Med School?
- [10:15] What is a postbac year aka postbaccalaureate?
- [13:38] How did Sam’s non-medical experiences help her in med school?
- [14:34] How do you apply to medical school?
- [16:18] How do you prepare for the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)?
- [18:54] What’s something Sam worried about that wasn’t a big deal applying for med school?
- [20:18] What’s something she didn’t worry about that was a big deal applying for medical school?
- [21:55] What have the committees liked about Sam’s experience?
- [23:24] What advice would she give high school Sam?
- [25:28] Why did a former advisor crush Sam’s dreams?
- [26:35] Is med school worth it?
- [29:40] What advice does Sam have for fellow Pre-Med students?
- [32:38] Connect with Sam on LinkedIn, and Subscribe to College Bound Mentor on your favorite podcast platform and learn more at CollegeBoundMentor.com
- Theme Song: “Happy Optimistic Americana” by BDKSonic
What is the College Bound Mentor podcast?
Lisa, Abby, and Stefanie know college. They also know students. With over 30 years combined experience mentoring young people, they’ll show you why understanding yourself is the key to finding the right college. Each episode, hear trends, case studies, and interviews with students who have gone through it all – giving you valuable insight to survive the college application process and beyond. Hosted by Lisa Bleich, Abby Power, and Stefanie Forman, Partners of College Bound Mentor.
Transcript
Please note: this transcript is not 100% accurate.
Sam Goldman 0:02
Make sure that your application looks good before you turn it in. Don’t rush to get it in on that first day.
Lisa Bleich 0:19
Hey, CBMers. Welcome back to College Bound Mentor, where we help you survive the college application process and beyond. We are your co hosts, Lisa,
Abby Power 0:29
Abby, and Stefanie
Lisa Bleich 0:31
I’m so excited about today’s episode because I got a chance to reconnect with one of my former clients, who’s actually an existing client, because I just helped her with her applications to medical school, although I have to say that she probably didn’t need that much help, because she was really a really stellar applicant. And what was super interesting about this conversation is that she didn’t take a traditional path to going into medical school. She actually was on a pre law path and then switched gears to junior year. So if you’re at all interested in getting into medical school, or if you’re just starting college and thinking you want to be on the medical school path, and you want to learn, what are the ways that you what are the myths, what are the truths about getting into medical school, and understand that it there’s not one clear pathway, but multiple ways you can get there. I think you’ll really, you’ll really enjoy listening to Sam Goldman and my interview. So without further ado, let’s take a listen. I am so excited to welcome Samantha or Sam Goldman, Sam and I go way back. We actually first met in 2016 when I helped her with her college applications, and I always remember we had a lot of fun when we were doing that process. We were always laughing. I just remember that like we’d always get off and we’d be laughing about different things. We had a lot of private jokes. And then Sam, you’ve come back to me over the years for other things, and most recently for medical school, and I’m excited for that and to hear about that journey. And Sam is currently living in St Louis. Before I should say that she was a graduate from Melbourne High School. She’s from Short Hills, New Jersey, so go Millers. And then in 2022 she graduated from Washington University in St Louis. Right now she’s currently living in St Louis and working as a research technician at WashU School of Medicine. So welcome, Sam,
Sam Goldman 2:22
Hi. Thank you so much for having me. It’s so good to see you.
Lisa Bleich 2:26
Yes, always great to see you. Always Yes, yes. I know we always have a good time together. So you started your college journey thinking that you wanted to become a lawyer, and I actually went back before in preparation for this interview and looked at your old essays. So I don’t even know if you have access to those, but I still, I keep all the essays, and are you used one for your med school? So we’ll talk about that. I did
Sam Goldman 2:47
one of the little
Lisa Bleich 2:48
lines that you wrote in I think it was your Tulane your Tulane essay was, I’m interested in becoming a defense attorney who supports the rights of the marginalized, so that I don’t even know if you remember writing that I don’t, you don’t, right? You wrote all sorts of interesting things in that. So that was one of the lines that you had. So I’m just wondering, how did you like? You started off your college journey thinking you wanted to become a lawyer, and when and how and why did that
Sam Goldman 3:14
change? Yeah, so I came into my freshman year of college hoping to pursue a career in policy, law, you know, something in that realm which led me to start working at the St Louis County Court, actually, with survivors of intimate partner violence. And a lot of the clients that I was working with were underserved, low income, because they didn’t have any legal advice. So I was trained to help them navigate the court system, and something that I kept on seeing repeatedly was there were so many other issues outside of their safety that was, you know, really front and center. So something I had seen was I had a few clients come in telling me, you know, my blood pressure is through the roof because I’m so stressed. Do you have any sort of resources that you know you can direct me? And you know, I’m 19, I didn’t have the resources, I didn’t have the training, but I felt stuck, because I saw that health was really, really present in my position at the court, which then led me to take on this advocacy role, actually in St Louis Local Emergency Departments working with survivors of sexual assault. And at this point, I was still hoping to maybe pursue policy, law, maybe Social Work at this point, because I was really loving working with individuals, less so big picture, more so on the ground with these individuals. But once I got to the hospital, and it was my first client that I was working with, I really saw the impact that a physician can have on a patient, or you know, my client, in their darkest moments, and not only look at the immediate presenting issue, but take all other aspects of their life and create this incredible treatment plan that you know can help them in the long term. And it was there. So this was now the end of my junior year of college that I started, the wheel started really turning, you know, maybe it’s not just social work, maybe it’s not just law that I’m interested in. Maybe, maybe it’s medicine. So that was when I started, you know, having these ideas, you know, maybe medicine is, is where I need to be. But I hadn’t taken any science courses at this point in my life. So, one small problem, right? Exactly, one small problem. But I hadn’t taken science since my senior year of high school, and this, so this was, like, at least four years later, but yeah, so that was kind of when the wheel started to turn
Lisa Bleich 5:35
right. That’s a huge revelation. And I know when you came to me, you had said that you, you know you were, you were interested in making this pivot to pre med, or really pre med to go to medicine. Did you ever think that you wanted to be a doctor, even when you were younger? Or was it something that was a totally new idea?
Sam Goldman 5:54
It’s funny that you ask, actually. So before I met Lisa, I met another college advisor and had told them that I maybe wanted to be pre dental or something in that pre health realm. And she looked at my high school grades and my transcript and saw that I wasn’t in AP Bio, or maybe I wasn’t even in accelerated classes at that point. And she was like, then I don’t think you’re smart enough for this, which, you know, at the time I’m 16, or I was 15 or something. I don’t know it was before I met Lisa, and I was super impressionable at that point. So, you know, someone told me that I couldn’t do something, so I just, I took it and ran with it. And I remember you talking about, I was so mad on
Lisa Bleich 6:36
your behalf, I wanted to, yes, like, how can you, like, crush someone’s dream at 15, because right, knows where you’re going to develop in terms of what you’re going to do, right? Unfortunately, it happened. But on the other hand, it was almost a driving force. It seemed like, like, for me, I can’t wait, like, I want to, like, go and say, look here. It it’s, it’s It’s so upsetting that you were stymied at something that you obviously have an aptitude for, right? You do have an aptitude, right? So, so tell us about that journey, because all of a sudden, okay, your junior year, end of junior year, so not even beginning of junior year. And you have to take the pre med track the pre med curriculum. So let’s just take a step. So what? What does that entail? Like, what are the classes that you need to take to get into medical school or be eligible for it? Yeah,
Sam Goldman 7:32
so there are a few courses that are an absolute requirement. You know, if you look on these the medical school websites or the AAMC, so that’s the overall like association for, I’m not sure, the Medical College, yeah,
Lisa Bleich 7:47
the MCAS, yeah, right. That, right, yeah. Website, you
Sam Goldman 7:50
know, you have to take two semesters worth of biology with lab. You have to take two semesters of chemistry with lab. You have to take two semesters of physics with lab, you have to take at least one semester of organic chemistry and at least one semester of biochemistry. I ended up taking two semesters of organic chemistry. I took it at Drew University, actually, and you have to take at least, like, a semester worth of math, a semester of English, which I had because of my background in the humanities. And you have to take a statistics class, right, and at least one semester of psychology, so
Lisa Bleich 8:38
or sociology, either one right? Or sociology, exactly.
Sam Goldman 8:41
So by the end of my junior year, you know, I had my English classes because I was a humanities major. I had my humanities down because, again, I majored in American culture studies. Luckily, I had a calculus class in because for a hot second in college, I thought that I was going to be a marketing minor, and I had to take calculus and statistics, so I got that out of the way, but I still had a year of chemistry, a year of biology, a year of physics, organic chemistry and biochemistry that I had to take at the end of my junior year, so not even the beginning right of my junior year. Yeah,
Lisa Bleich 9:15
like that, I would think would seem daunting, but you persevered. So
Sam Goldman 9:20
I was fortunate enough to have this good connection with my academic advisor, who happened to be the head of the pre med advising at WashU. So he really helped me create a plan that I could execute within the next year, and then I was going to have to take an extra year to finish these classes. So he was super helpful. And I think that’s thing I was really, I was super lucky with just I made this connection, and I really went out of my way to build that connection, and it really ended up paying off in the long run, just because he ended up being the head of the WashU academic, you know, pre med advising, which is a big deal at WashU out. Least, right?
Lisa Bleich 10:01
And so the other thing I remember is that, so it sounds like you did almost a post back year at Wash U but you also had applied and were accepted to a different post back year at Temple. And so tell me about that and what was and so just for the listeners who don’t know, post back year is typically, if a student, either, like you, needs to take classes that they didn’t take during their college experience, so they need to take the science classes, or if they didn’t do so well in the science classes earlier on, and they need to get their what’s called the bcpm, which is the biochem physics math GPA higher because that is really what is used for evaluation for medical school. It’s your bcpm, GPA, and then, of course, your MCAT score. So what was the other program that you did and why did you decide not to do it? Ultimately,
Sam Goldman 10:52
yeah, so I started looking into this temple program when I was on that extra year at WashU, finishing up physics and biochemistry. And what was really enticing about this program was that if you got into this program, you needed to maintain it was a 3.6 GPA, and you needed to receive a 509 on the MCAT, and then you were given a conditional acceptance to Temple Medical School, which is an incredible program. And it was that was just super enticing to me at that at that point, because, you know, even though I was going to finish these pre medical prerequisites, I had never taken an upper level biology class, and that’s what this temple program had to offer. So they were going to all of these really important classes to prepare me for that first year of medical school. So that’s why I wanted to apply. I ended up getting in, and I ended up deferring it a year. At that time, I just needed some extra time. Yeah, I ended up needing to retake the MCAT. When I retook my MCAT the second time, My score was was high and that’s very high. Yeah, it was very high. And I felt at that point that I didn’t necessarily need that extra year of coursework, because, you know, not only was I able to excel in these big stem prerequisite courses, but I was able to do well on my Yeah, I crushed it, I crushed it. I did. You crushed it. You crushed it, yeah. And I just, I felt like the extra year it was expensive. You know, medical school is expensive, so having that extra year would be an extra year of tuition. Essentially, I believed in myself enough that, you know, maybe if it wasn’t this program, it would be something else. I’m really excited to say that I’ve had many options so far, and it made sense to turn down temple when I did
Lisa Bleich 12:48
it did, and I know that you were, you were grappling with it, but you believed in yourself. And I think that is always something that you is so important, especially as you go through medical school, you have to always believe in yourself and trust your gut. I’ve seen that. You know my, you know, my middle daughter is in her second year residency. I’m hoping I’m going to have her on on as well to talk about that next stage. And that’s always something that she always comes back to is just, you have to, you know, she has to follow kind of where her gut is telling her, and every time she pushes against it, she ends up coming back to it, so it’s been an interesting to watch her through that journey. So tell us about So you’ve had interesting experiences in the medical world, but maybe adjacent to it. But how did your experience actually end up shaping your stories? So what about your non pre med, pre med experience? Do you think helped you as you entered medical school? I
Sam Goldman 13:43
went working at the St Louis county courthouse and working in the emergency department with survivors of intimate partner violence. I learned how to work with people in their most vulnerable moments, not only that, but I learned how to be an advocate, which is something I will need to have when I’m a physician, and something that I want to be when I’m a physician. I’ve learned how to work with people from all different walks of life, which is something that I’m hoping to continue learning and shaping when I’m in medical school, and I just believe that these skills from these experiences will really serve me well in medical school and beyond as a future position. Yeah,
Lisa Bleich 14:23
that’s interesting. So tell us about the application process. So tell us what was easy for you to do and what was more
Sam Goldman 14:30
challenging, because I had that humanities background, I felt more comfortable tackling the apple the essay part of the application process which is not easy, not easy, not easy.
Lisa Bleich 14:45
No, it’s like it’s probably the most arduous application process of any of the graduate schools. There’s probably 25 to 30 essays that you have to write as you go through the initial primary amp CAS app. And then you have to do all of these secondaries that all the schools kind of send, send at you as you, once you, once you. So it’s a lot to do that. So that is a huge strength that you have. So
Sam Goldman 15:12
I definitely felt a little bit more comfortable with with the writing, just because I knew that I had the background and writing pretty long essays in my undergrad experience, so it wasn’t super scary for me to tackle the this challenge. I think something that was very challenging for me was the MCAT. Of course, I had to retake it a second time, because that first time I took it, I actually got below what I needed for temple. I got a 508 temple needed a 509 so I was going to retake it and then go to temple with that score, or hopefully above a 509, and then take that to temple. So the MCAT is definitely more challenging than the AC T and the si t, I would say a lot. It’s a seven and a half hour test that covers organic chemistry, basically all the classes, biochemistry, biology, General, chemistry, physics, sociology and psychology and reading, that was definitely the most difficult part of this application process for myself.
Lisa Bleich 16:11
So how did you prepare from sort of the first time to the second time? The
Sam Goldman 16:15
first time I took the test, I was really focused on just a lot of passive learning skills. So in and honestly, what worked for me in college, reading, highlighting, taking notes and moving on, which again worked for me in college, but for the MCAT, it didn’t work necessarily. For the second go around, I worked on more active learning strategies, such as, like doing flash cards every single day, instead of using so for the MCAT, there’s a bunch of, like, pre made flash card decks out online on the internet. So instead of using someone else’s thought process, I actually started making my own flash card decks. So it was, you know, how to Sam think about glycolysis and all of these complicated biochemical pathways, as opposed to someone else’s thought process. So I found that to be really helpful. I did the flashcards every single day until, you know, from September to January, something else that really helped me was it might sound silly, but I would pretend to give a lesson to a class after I would read a chapter, and that allowed me to poke holes in my knowledge. So if I wasn’t able to get through like a lesson, per se, I knew, hey, you know, this specific enzyme is tripping me up, maybe I need to go back and look into it again. Maybe go online and see, you know, look for a video or something. But I think those, yeah, that really, really helped me. And then, of course, there are a lot of question banks out there. So just simulating what test day would look like, I would take all my practice tests on Thursday. I would wake up at 6am because the test would start at 8am I would eat the same breakfast every practice test day, just to make sure that, you know, this works for my stomach, just to, you know, control everything that I possibly could have controlled going into test day, essentially. And it all really, really helped me. That’s
Lisa Bleich 18:15
such amazing advice. That’s really, really good advice. And I think it’s something that you’re going to consistently learn, because similar to how the application is so stressful, and not to stress you how to go forward, but you know you have step which is now pass, fail, but then you have step two, and all of those skills that you learn for and techniques that you learn for setting for the MCAT are going to carry with you when you do all of those other exams. And I just have seen that with with my daughter, so just with other students that it’s there’s a there’s a process that it’s very different. It’s like training for a marathon or something, like you said. So that’s really good, really great advice for that. What was something that you worried about that ended up not being a big deal? As
Sam Goldman 18:55
I mentioned earlier, I took the MCAT two separate times. I was really worried that having taken my MCAT twice would be an issue, because different than, I think at least when I took the AC, T, the ACE, the college applications would only see the score that you reported. Yeah, so, but when I applied to medical school, the med schools get full any score that you get you get. So I took that the MCAT twice, and I did significantly better the second time, but the schools are still going to see that first score of mine. So I was really concerned that, because I didn’t do as well on the first test, the schools were going to look at that negatively. I’ve had seven interviews, and I’ve only been asked once about my first MCAT score, and it wasn’t even a negative question. It was, Wow, I see that you improved by a lot of points. What did you do to get this improvement? It was something that really stressed me out. Now that I look at it, it ended up really not being that big of a deal. But I would say, because I scored so much higher, it wasn’t a. Big deal,
Lisa Bleich 20:00
right? It was actually, again, a blessing in disguise, because if you had scored well in that passive stuff, then you probably wouldn’t have put your position to do better as you get through medical school. So it showed you a different way that you need to learn things and then what’s something that you that you took for granted that actually ended up being a really big deal when you applied for medical school.
Sam Goldman 20:23
I think again, just having that relationship with my college advisor at WashU wash, u is known to have a very strong pre med academic advising system, essentially. And I grew really close to this advisor, and he really helped me throughout the rest of the process. And I think something else, you know, I love making the connections, whether it’s with professors my advisors. So throughout my big STEM courses, I also always made it, you know, I always made sure that I connected with these professors as well. So I would always go to office hours, and I would always schedule, you know, one on one meetings with these professors in a class of, you know, 500 and it was, it was great. I remember, I made sure that I connected with my biology professor. And he came to one of our little subsections with the TA and he, you know, he knew me by name. And all of the students were like, oh my goodness, he knows who you are. And he’s like, of course, he knows who I am. I go to his office, you know, once every other week. Yeah, and it ended up paying off, because I was able to get letters of recommendation from these professors, which is also important. So I think, yeah, that’s something I definitely, really paid off, and something I guess I took for granted of, I don’t know I it’s something that I’ve always done, made sure that I grew close with the people around me who could, you know, help me in any sort of way. So it was, it paid off.
Lisa Bleich 21:52
So you mentioned at the interview that only one person asked you about the increase in yours when you went on the interviews. What were some of the things that seem to be to stand out to the committees when you were interviewing, what did they like about your application? Do you think I
Sam Goldman 22:08
think something they really, really liked was my experience being again with the St Louis County Courthouse, and also my experience as a sexual assault response team member. I think they liked that I have had the experience working with such a diverse group of individuals, whether it was someone who comes from a more wealthy background to people who are living on the streets. I’ve worked with them. And then I think to top that off, they really liked that I worked as a medical assistant at a private practice, so that I really seen all sides of medicine, whether it was acute crisis setting in the emergency department or in a facial plastic surgery clinic. You kind of had, you have two ends of the spectrum there. So they really liked that I had that hands on clinical experience that was definitely very important, yeah, and I’m
Lisa Bleich 23:03
sure there’s probably not many people that come from a court, the court side of things, which I think was right, was unique. Exactly
Sam Goldman 23:10
what
Lisa Bleich 23:12
advice would you give high school? Sam, I
Sam Goldman 23:15
know this sounds cliche, but just to follow your dreams. You know, I was really disheartened when I in high school, when I was told that you’re not smart enough to pursue something in the pre health industry, for a couple, you know, for at least six or seven years, I I thought that I was so I was gung ho policy and law, which, you know, honestly, in the in the long run, like really paid off for me and gave me the experience to circle back to pre med, but I would just tell High School Sam, you know, follow your dreams, and if someone tells you you can’t do something, I guess just that will make me have even stronger of a drive. Right? Just prove them wrong exactly, always.
Lisa Bleich 24:03
I think that’s always been my MO. Someone says I can’t do it. I’m like me. I’m gonna, I’m gonna find
Sam Goldman 24:08
a way like I’m gonna Exactly, exactly.
Lisa Bleich 24:11
That’s how I got into that’s how I started teaching at Whittier College. Because I had applied to teach at I was living out in Pasadena, California, and I applied to teach at Pasadena City College, and for whatever reason, there was a there was an application form. And I did, I sent a cover letter, but this was, like, 20 plus years ago, and I have terrible handwriting, and I hand wrote the form. I didn’t realize that you could type it in. So okay, they completely they dismiss my application because they’re like, Well, you had messy handwriting, so we couldn’t read your form. And I was like, That is the most ridiculous reason. Like you didn’t even look at my resume or whatever. And I was like, damn it, I’m going to get to get a job teaching, because that’s what I want to do, right? I applied to all of these places, not even really knowing what would your college was at the time. And said I needed a terminal degree. I didn’t know what that was. At the time either, which means a PhD. So I applied, and I ended up getting the job, and that led to this whole experience and starting my company. So I think that’s great. Like you tell me I can’t do it. I’ll show you, I’ll show you a different way, right? And it was because you were a girl that she said that to you. Do you think that had anything to do with it? I
Sam Goldman 25:20
don’t know if it was that I was a girl. I really think it was. I came from a very competitive high school, and my grades, my I guess, like beginning of my sophomore year, were just not great grades, if I’m being honest.
Lisa Bleich 25:35
Yeah, I remember that that dip sophomore year.
Sam Goldman 25:39
Yeah, I didn’t even graduate in the top 30% of Melbourne High School. My grades were not that strong at the beginning of my sophomore year. And I think she saw that, and she was like, Well, you shouldn’t do pre med because your sophomore biology grade is not good. I mean, really,
Lisa Bleich 25:56
it wasn’t like, it was It wasn’t like, I think exactly it wasn’t like, it was stupid. It was a horrible
Sam Goldman 26:03
it was a B. I was I was passing. I was passing, yeah, and
Lisa Bleich 26:06
it’s all relative, because, I mean, you’re very I feel like you had B’s sophomore year and then, and then I feel like Junior you killed it, and then senior year, and then you did really well on your testing. So, you know, the rest is exactly. So what do you think are some we always like to do this at the end, just some Myths and Truths About getting into medical school.
Sam Goldman 26:26
You know, a big truth is it’s stressful. I don’t want to beat around the bush. The medical school application process is stressful. It’s time consuming. But if this is where you want to be and this is what you want to do. It’s worth it, and you’ll do it, you’ll find a way, and you’ll get it done. But it’s stressful. I’m not going to lie, that was it was difficult. The MCAT is hard. That’s a truth. That’s definitely a truth. It’s it’s hard, it’s a lot of content. I think, you know, a myth with the application process that I kind of touched upon earlier. I think many a couple years ago, taking the MCAT twice really did not look good on the application. But as time has gone on, more and more people have been retaking the MCAT, and it’s becoming less and less of the big deal that it once, that it once was, I thought it was a stressful, a stressful time. I like, people did not play that down. I thought people were, you know, over exaggerating that it was a lot of work. It was, it was definitely a lot of work. My first couple of weeks of this past summer, um, just getting all of these secondary applications in that was a lot of essay writing. I was told that you have to get everything in on the day the primary application opens up. I think if you get it in within a week, you can it’s still early enough, I think make sure that your application looks good before you turn it in. Don’t rush to get it in on that first day. I think was, yeah, kind of, kind of a myth,
Lisa Bleich 28:07
right? That I Yeah, the first is probably more realistic. The first day doesn’t, but you don’t want to wait too long, because then secondaries and then the interviews, exactly. So you said you’ve had seven interviews, that’s amazing. How many schools did you apply to? I applied to
Sam Goldman 28:24
too many. I applied to 39 schools. A lot. I’ve had seven interviews. I have another interview coming up. I’m excited to see where I land. You know, the application process, it’s not over until it’s over. So, no, it is not,
Lisa Bleich 28:39
and then it keeps going, and you’re kind of right, exactly. Usually, like, five, five applications to one interview. That’s usually the ratio. Mm, hmm, yeah, you’re so you’re kind of, you’re right there, right, you’re right, right.
Sam Goldman 28:52
Yeah, exactly. So, so far it’s, I am feeling excited about it. I’m really fortunate again to be in this position where I have eight interviews, and I have a few acceptances, so right? I’m really grateful you’ve done myself. Yeah, I’m
Lisa Bleich 29:09
so proud of you. I remember when we first started talking about this, and you were still not as confident, and I was always confident in you, and I know that you do it, and I just thought you had such a great background, and I’m so glad that it’s all come together for you, because really nobody you really deserve you know where you’re at because of everything that you’ve done and all the work that you put into it. Thank you. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our listeners?
Sam Goldman 29:37
Yes, I will have taken three gap years before I started, before I started medical school, and gap years, I mean, at least in my perspective, are amazing. I have been able to get this incredible hands on experience in the interviews I’ve had, they really, really valued that independence I’ve had now living on my own, you know. Just paying rent, just like learning how to be an adult, not in college, I think is really important, and I’m excited to get back to school. But I think just having these years to grow into myself and learn how to live on my own and do these things to boost my application have been really, really helpful.
Lisa Bleich 30:19
Yeah, no, I think that’s really good advice. I think most the trend really is to take at least one gap year. Maybe it’s so hard to get everything done, because if you’re not taking a gap year, you need to apply June of your junior year. Yeah. So it’s really hard to do that. It is hard to do that. And also, if you want to study abroad, or you want to just have a breath, you know, before you you jump into medical because medical school is hard too, right? So it doesn’t, it’s not like, it gets easier. This is just the beginning of my journey, right? My daughter Exactly. Because I’d always be like, Are you sure? Are you sure she’s like, Yes, Mom, I’m sure
Sam Goldman 30:59
exactly she’s like, Stop Why
Lisa Bleich 31:01
do you keep trying to stop me? I’m like, stop you. I just want to make sure you’re sure. Because
Sam Goldman 31:08
it’s a long it’s a long path. It
Lisa Bleich 31:10
really is. It’s a rewarding path. I mean, she loves what she Yeah, and
Sam Goldman 31:15
I’m really, really excited to begin in the summer. At some point. I don’t know where or when, wherever
Lisa Bleich 31:21
you are, it’ll be great. Ceremony is a very Exactly. You’ll be so excited to see that you’ll have to send me pictures of that. So
Sam Goldman 31:30
I will, I will definitely keep you posted with everything. Because, like I said, we’ve been in contact for we have, I mean,
Lisa Bleich 31:41
yeah, it’s been eight years.
Sam Goldman 31:42
Eight years. I
Lisa Bleich 31:44
love, I love, like, having that long term, you know, relationship with people, yeah, yeah. One of my medical school students, I worked with her on her internship, and then, and she, you know, your writing is good, so I’m probably here. But it was just, it was so great. And she was also someone who someone said to her because she needed extended time for her MCAT that, oh, you probably shouldn’t go to medical school. And I was like, Oh, of course you should go to medical school. Like, don’t let that stop you. She did so well in medical school, and now she’s at John Hopkins doing her internship or in her residency. You know, it’s all, yeah, just don’t let people. Don’t let the day Sayers get you down, which I think is really great testament to that story. All right, well, it was so great having you on and thank you. Thank you, David, guest on our on our podcast. Thank
Sam Goldman 32:30
you so much for having me. This was a lot of fun.
Lisa Bleich 32:32
That’s my pleasure. Thank you, CBMers, for tuning in. And thank you, Sam, for being on our episode. It was so great to hear about your journey to getting into medical school, and I’m so excited that you have so many wonderful options. To catch more episodes of College Bound Mentor, make sure to Follow or Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and tell a fellow parent or student about the podcast. To learn more, visit CollegeBoundMentor.com Until next time, you got this!