612: When Your Advisor Says “Wait”—And She’s Right

(00:00) — Curiosity in the halls of Mass General: Her mom’s triple‑negative breast cancer and remission shape an early interest in medicine. (02:54) — Choosing a major without a premed major: From biochemistry to discovering neuroscience and why UMass ultimately fit. (06:04) — Double majoring without burning out: Overlap with prereqs, honest advising on dual degrees, and following interests. (09:13) — Make advising work for you: Meeting early, becoming a peer advisor, and hearing hard feedback you don’t want to hear. (12:56) — Rethinking gap years: Fears about money give way to growth, responsibility, and better prep for med school. (17:23) — What went wrong on the first MCAT: Cramming, no plan, and taking it during senior year. (19:33) — The retake that worked: Six months, 3 hours a day, weekly full-lengths, and using AAMC practice tests. (22:52) — Lining up letters after graduation: Staying in touch with advisors and professors, and using undergrad resources. (25:34) — Clinical path: EMT to pediatric ER clinical assistant: Building skills during COVID, behavioral health work, and a role that cemented medicine. (32:05) — The application surprise: Not prewriting secondaries—and why she won’t skip that again. (33:43) — First interview jitters and prep: Early invites, mock interviews, and centering fit. (35:52) — Eight interview invites: Why authenticity and geography beat obsessing over stats. (40:33) — Toughest interview prompt: Answering “Tell me about yourself” and a bartender curveball. (44:10) — The first acceptance: A full-circle moment at work and calling mom. (45:40) — Final advice to premeds: Keep an open mind—and be kind to yourself. Today’s guest traces a clear, practical path from childhood curiosity in the halls of Mass General—while her mom underwent treatment and later entered remission—to a medical school seat built on consistency, flexibility, and honest self-reflection. She shares how starting at UMass in biochemistry, discovering neuroscience, and building an early relationship with her premed advisor shaped smarter decisions—like delaying the MCAT and embracing gap years she once feared. We dive into the first MCAT attempt that fell flat (no schedule, cramming during senior year, few practice tests) and the 15‑point turnaround that followed: six months post‑graduation, three hours a day, AAMC full‑lengths every Thursday, and a real study plan. She details lining up letters before leaving campus, keeping in touch after graduation, and why not prewriting secondaries became her biggest application headache. Clinically, she moved from EMT certification and campus EMS to behavioral health sitting and a clinical assistant role in a pediatric ER—experiences that cemented her desire to practice. Finally, we cover interviews (including a surprise bartender question), eight invites, the first acceptance at work, and her closing advice: keep an open mind—and be kind to yourself. What You'll Learn: - How to build a productive relationship with your premed advisor - A realistic MCAT retake plan: pacing, practice tests, and scheduling - Why gap years and nonclinical jobs can strengthen your application - Finding schools by fit and mission instead of fixating on stats - Timing letters and prewriting secondaries to avoid bottlenecks

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612: When Your Advisor Says “Wait”—And She’s Right is an episode from The Premed Years by Ryan Gray.

This episode is 49:12 long.

This episode was published on Feb 4, 2026.

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