梅丽莎·康特拉斯

Why did you choose to go to 密歇根州立大学丹佛?

“I chose 密歇根州立大学丹佛 because I grew up in 丹佛 and wanted to stay here. 我喜欢这里. 来自低收入家庭, 密歇根州立大学丹佛 was the best choice as it is affordable and still a great school with great professors and resources. I had heard great things about it from previous 密歇根州立大学丹佛 alumni, 参加完之后, 我知道我的选择是正确的. There are so many resources available for students of all backgrounds and programs to help you succeed in your courses.”

你今年春天就要毕业了! 毕业后你有什么打算?

“I am excited about graduating this spring! I am [a] first-generation student, so my whole family is excited about this accomplishment. After graduation, I have set two paths to follow. Currently, 我是一个pplying to one medical school. 如果一切顺利，我能进去的话, I will be a medical student at Rocky Vista University working on becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). 如果出于某种原因, 我进不去, I plan on studying for the MCAT for one year before reapplying to other medical schools. I also hope to get a job in a laboratory and get some research experience to better my chances of getting into medical school. Additionally, I hope to continue shadowing doctors at [the] University of Colorado Hospital. My goal is to become a surgeon, not sure what specialty I would like to get into, though. I am interested in orthopedic surgery and neurological surgery as I am interested in working with the spine.”

What got you interested in majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry? 给当前/未来学生的建议?

“I started as a business major before seeing that biology was what I was actually interested in. I chose business as I never really took a biology class in high school; therefore had no idea how interesting biology is. Once in college, I had to take a biology class, and I fell in love with science. Learning about all different organisms and how our body works was fascinating. I immediately changed my major to biology. Chemistry, on the other hand, was extremely difficult for me. Even though chemistry is challenging for me, I am glad I chose it as my minor as it [taught] me how to get better studying habits and how to ask for help. For anyone choosing to major in biology and minoring in chemistry, my advice would be to choose classes that interest you and enjoy learning about all that the science field has to offer. Also, be prepared to spend a great deal of time studying! 最重要的是, get yourself a mentor/advisor to keep you [on] the right track; it’s easy to take the wrong classes and fall behind if you aren’t careful.”

Favorite class you took at 密歇根州立大学丹佛?

“My favorite class I took at 密歇根州立大学丹佛 is Human Anatomy and Physiology. Learning about how the human body works at such a small level was very interesting to me. I learned so many things about the human body that helped me realize medicine was the path I wanted to follow. This class made me want to learn more about our bodies and how to help when there are any illnesses. Virology is also a class I really enjoyed; it was especially interesting since I took the class when the pandemic started and was able to learn about how viruses enter our body and how we fight it.”

Can you tell us more about the Health Scholars Program? How did you find out about it, and how did the program help you? 给那些考虑申请的人的建议?

“I found out about the Health Scholars program through one of my classmates who found out I was interested in medicine. He, too, is interested in medicine and found the program extremely helpful in his path. He recommended I apply and attempt joining the program. 正如他所提到的, he was right; the Health Scholars program has been tremendously helpful in my journey to become a physician. The program offers resources to guide you in the right track of whichever career path you have chosen. You will be assigned to a health career navigator who will do everything in their power to aid you in every way they can. I advise everyone who is pursuing a career in healthcare to apply. You will be able to explore different career paths if you are unsure of which path to take at the moment. You will not lose anything; you will gain more knowledge and have more resources available even after you are done with the program.”