How Did I Choose Ucr

I have always seen the route to medical school in one way. When I did research when I was younger, every website said the same major in a science, get a good GPA, volunteer at a hospital or clinic, take the MCAT, and apply for medical school. I always pictured myself taking that route, why I entered UCR as a Biology major. I graduated high school with preconceived notions that not much would is different in college. During orientation, I faced the first foreign concept to me, which was registering for my own classes. Then CNAS advisors took the stage and made me second guess the route that I had chosen. They explained that out of 5,025 CNAS students many of us are interested in medical school. The advisor empathized that at times it is

When you are in this situation you take precaution of the all the decisions you make: whether your major will make you competitive, whether you are in the right volunteering service and many other things. The environment is intense and upper division science courses can prove to be the downfall of many pre-med majors; I have always how many students still manage to continue when the path before them seems so rigorous.

I first encountered Dakota Salazar when I joined a social media group for students majoring in life sciences and had a strong interest in attending medical school. He had posted the prerequisites for medical school and all that information he offered was overwhelming. He had kind eyes, but his words felt sharp as they announced that not all of us would make it. Dakota is tall and confidant, he looks like someone who has always known what they’ve wanted. The stress lines, on his forehead, though, show that he has struggled to reach this point in his life. I expected him to be serious, and my assumptions weren’t wrong. However, he made himself accommodating, and proved that although pre-med students are serious about their studies they can also be approachable. As a four-year student in UCR, Dakota Salazar provided me with great insight of what it means to be a student interested in UC Riverside’s medical

Dakota has been able to maintain a 3.67 science GPA, which he reassures that, although, it is difficult persistence is the key. Dakota is a strong candidate for medical school because his dedication has led him to maintain his GPA above the average of applicants for medical school which is 3.47 (MCAT Scores). Dakota emphasizes that if you are passionate about a subject the obstacles ahead shouldn’t matter. Dakota told me of how he has been utilizing resources throughout school to prepare for the MCAT. He emphasizes how the test checks your knowledge of the most difficult science courses and how imminent it is to be prepared. “It is okay to be scared when you don’t understand something in organic chemistry because it actually pushes you to try a bit harder” (Salazar). Dakota says fearing failure helps you succeed. Paying more attention in a course such as organic chemistry, will only benefit you later on for the MCAT. Throughout his undergrad, he encountered many people who boasted about their natural abilities with science, but they lacked the passion necessary and switched majors by the third year. “Without a genuine reason for wanting to pursue medicine, most people will not make it” (Salazar). Dakota says this without any intention to sound harsh, but to emphasize that pre-med courses will push you to limit and only with a true motive can a student keep going when courses become very difficult.