Winter quarter is officially in full swing, and we started things off strong with our first meeting! Our special guest, Drake Maestas, an MS1 at UCR School of Medicine, shared his journey from being a UCR undergrad to med school. Spoiler: it’s not all about grades and test scores... he makes music and worked as an automotive tech too.
Drake gave us the inside scoop on the Thomas Haider Early Assurance Program and what it takes to stand out as an applicant. His advice? Think of your med school application like a cake. The basics (GPA, MCAT) are the layers, but the fun stuff like your hobbies, experiences, and personality are the toppings that make it stand out.
Some gems he included:
Do things you actually enjoy: admissions committees love seeing your personality.
Build a theme for your app: tell a story about who you are.
Pick recommenders who show off different sides of you (not just academics).
It was super inspiring to hear about his journey and how he’s now giving back to the IE community. Huge thanks to Drake for keeping it real with us and sharing his tips!
Can’t wait to see what the rest of the quarter brings! let’s keep the momentum going!

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