Applying to Med/PA School, Individual Pre-Health Stories

How I Got Accepted to Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

April 23, 2019 5 mins Marlee Hirsch

About Marlee

A New Jersey native, Marlee Hirsch graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in biology and a minor in psychology. A current third year at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Marlee is planning to apply to Obstetrics & Gynecology for residency. She is passionate about women’s health, patient education, and volunteering in her community of Newark. In her free time, she likes reading, hiking, enjoying time with friends and family, and traveling. In 2017, Marlee spent two weeks in Spain through the Atlantis Program.

This is just one of a series of blog posts that will feature medical students telling their stories of how they got accepted into medical school. Today, Marlee shares with us the story of how she was accepted to Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Marlee, give us a peek into your life. What initially attracted you to pursue medicine?

When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a vet because I loved animals. In high school, I took an online pre-vet class and discovered one glaringly obvious thing I didn’t like about it. I couldn’t ask the animals questions – all I wanted to do was talk to them, but clearly, they couldn’t talk. During my senior year of high school, I made the obvious transition to medicine since I loved biology and science but wanted to work with people.

Why did you choose to apply to Rutgers New Jersey Medical School?

I’m from New Jersey, and since I spent my four undergrad years away from home, I was really looking to come back. It was an obvious choice to apply to New Jersey schools, and New Jersey was where I ended up. I’m happy about it.

What are three reasons why you think you were accepted?

NJMS places a big emphasis on humanism, and my personal statement was really focused on that topic. In my essay, I talked about how the relationships I cultivated through mentoring and leadership positions were a big part of my college experience.

I also shadowed an amazing doctor who ended up being a mentor to me. He was very focused on building relationships, getting to know his patients well and treating them like family. As a doctor, I really want to be like him, to truly focus on my patients and build relationships with them. That’s what humanism at NJMS is all about: emphasizing the doctor-patient relationship, bringing the human side back to medicine. We want to make sure medicine is all about the people and putting patients first. I believe that who I want to be as a doctor really aligned with what NJMS was looking for in their students and emphasizing in their curriculum.

When I got my acceptance call, they also said that one of the reasons they liked me as an applicant was that I had experienced failure and bounced back. During undergrad, there was a class in which I did not do well. There was personal stuff going on at the time, and as a result, I had to take a “W” in that class. It was disappointing and difficult to deal with, especially because this was not the kind of student I was. I hadn’t really failed anything before, and it took some soul-searching to bounce back from that. When you get a “W” in a class, you have to explain it on all your applications. I guess they liked my explanation, and my belief that I could improve myself because of that experience.

That’s what humanism at NJMS is all about: emphasizing the doctor-patient relationship, bringing the human side back to medicine.

How do you think the Atlantis program influenced or impacted your acceptance?

Honestly, I don’t know. I was in Spain while I was applying to med school. I told some schools and not others that I was there; I couldn’t technically write it on my primary application because I hadn’t yet completed the program at the time. Whenever I could bring it up in a secondary application, I did, because I had a great experience that taught me much.

Honestly, I don’t remember if I ever told NJMS about it, but I do know I brought it up in other interviews. If nothing else, my experience impacted me as a med student going forward. It introduced me to language barriers. In Spain, as someone who didn’t understand the language, it was really easy to see how here in America, a patient who doesn’t speak English might be at a disadvantage, and might not understand what is going on.

Generally, understanding medicine in another culture and country was enlightening and really broadened my horizons. The sharing of ideas was really cool. It put me on more of a global health path than I ever expected. NJMS does love global health, so perhaps they noticed that.

How did you feel after the interview?

Rutgers NJMS was my first interview, so I felt a little bit weird about it. I wasn’t sure if what had transpired was bad or good. After the tour, I knew that I loved the school. The atmosphere is student-centered and collaborative. Students are involved, and I loved that. So I was really happy after the interview, although I wasn’t sure if I had nailed it or not. The not knowing might just have been part of first interview nerves.

Walk us through the moment you found out you got accepted.

I had just left a club meeting and said goodbye for the evening to a bunch of my best friends. I was walking to the library because I had a massive philosophy paper due. (I had procrastinated; it was senior year.) I got a call from an unknown number but didn’t answer it. Then on the second call, I answered. The person said: “This is Dr. Heinrich, I’m the Dean of Admissions for NJMS.”

At that point, I knew what was happening, and I jumped up on a bench in excitement. Dr. Heinrich and I had a really nice conversation where he explained why I was a good fit at the school. It was nice to have that connection with the Dean, and he’s a great guy, so it was really amazing.

I called my parents right away. All my friends came from the other side of campus to congratulate me. Then, after an hour or two of celebration, I had to go finish my paper.

Last question: How can others imitate your success?

The most important thing is stay true to yourself and follow your passion. I don’t think you should go into your undergrad experience trying to resume-build just because you want to be a good candidate. Only do things that you love and are passionate about. Those things will shine through on your application. That’s better than joining some activity that you don’t really care about only to move you a couple steps up the ladder.

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Program:

Teruel, Spain – Summer 2016

Undergraduate:

University of Maryland class of 2017

Admitted medical student at:

University of Michigan Medical School

Major:

Neurobiology

Honors:

Honors Integrated Life Sciences Program, Banneker/Key Scholarship

Extracurricular Activities:

American Medical Student Association Co-President & Advocacy Day Liaison, Alternative Breaks Experience Leader, Health Professions Advising Office Student Advisory Board, Biology Teach Assistant, Health Leads, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, NIH Research Intern, Physicians for Social Responsibility Environment & Health Intern

Describe Atlantis in Three Words:

Educational. Eye-opening. Exhilarating.

Why did you choose Atlantis?

I wanted to expand my horizons and understand a culture of health different from the ones I am accustomed to. I had shadowed doctors in the United States and Taiwan prior to my Atlantis program experience, and being able to see first-hand the healthcare system in Spain allowed me to draw comparisons between the different complex healthcare systems.

What was your favorite experience as an Atlantis participant?

Bonding with the other participants and celebrating our time together along with the doctors we shadowed. We would discuss our interests, passions, and motivation for medicine, and it was an incredible experience to learn from and alongside them.

What was your experience with the doctors you were shadowing?

Because of the pre-established relationships with the hospitals in which we shadowed, all the doctors were very welcoming and accommodating. They were willing to translate for us and explain in detail all of their medical decisions. My doctors and I had wonderful conversations about the differences between life in Spain vs. the United States.

What was the most meaningful aspect of your time shadowing?

I was excited to scrub in on surgeries and watch as the doctor explained what he was doing throughout the operation. Before and after surgeries, as well as in my other rotations, I observed how the doctors reassured and communicated with their patients. I was able to glean insight into differences between the experience of health in Spain versus the United States through observation as well as conversations with the doctors.

How has Atlantis helped equip you for the future?

Besides the wealth of medical knowledge I gained from shadowing the doctors, I challenged myself to step outside of my cultural comfort zone and explore more than I thought I was capable of. Atlantis allowed me to make connections with people from all around the United States and abroad, and the friendships I gained helped me learn so much more than I would have on my own.

Lauren Cox

Atlantis '18
Louisiana Tech '20
U. of Arkansas MD '24

Kayla Riegler

Atlantis '18
U. of Kentucky '20
U. of Kentucky MD '24

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