Paola Delaj
Stemming from a family of doctors, Allie S., a junior, human biology major always knew she wanted to practice medicine. While she first began by wanting to become a veterinarian, she later realized her true passion is helping people. Hoping to gain clinical experience and amplify her resume for medical school, she applied for a fellowship program with Atlantis, a global healthcare education organization, where she shadowed doctors from varying specialties for 4 weeks in Athens, Greece.
When talking about her experience, Allie highlighted her excitement for traveling to Europe for the first time as well as receiving the opportunity to meet and live with a group of people she’d never met before, as she was the only Michigan State applicant among 10 other students in the program. She added that the program helped her plan for the future and what she hopes to do with medicine. “I saw so many different specialities and a lot of surgeries and this experience helped me narrow down what I want to specialize in,” said Allie. She also shared that her experience provided her with a glimpse of the differences in healthcare systems abroad, which helped her view the medical struggles of developing countries.
While Allie continues to flourish in her undergraduate medical studies, her confidence in her abilities wasn’t always unshaken. “Due to my struggle with ADD, in the past I didn’t think I was capable of going to medical school because I didn’t think I would be able to sit through the MCAT since it’s a nearly eight hour exam,” she said. “Coming to college, I was genuinely terrified of all my science classes. I didn’t think I was going to be able to retain all the information taught, but my accommodations through the RCPD have made it easier for me to succeed in my education.”
Darryl Steele, Allie’s Specialist at the RCPD, was also excited to hear about her involvement in the fellowship and all that she learned. “We always encourage students to step out of their comfort zone, to push their boundaries and try new things. When you step outside of those boundaries is when you come to find all that you are truly capable of accomplishing. Allie did just that.”
Besides attending medical school post-graduation, Allie hopes to become involved with Doctors Without Borders, a nonprofit, international, and independent medical humanitarian organization made up of medical professionals who provide medical assistance to populations in varying crises. She believes her experience through Atlantis provided her with a good foundation for prospective medical learning experiences abroad and hopes to provide aid to developing countries in the future.