Accepted and Embraced

On November 14, I had two interviews at the University of South Dakota's medical school.  I was informed that both interviewers had read my 15 page AAMC (American Association of Medical Colleges) application, which includes everything I've done since high school, my family history, and essays on a few experiences and ideas.  I was also told that the interview day was supposed to be fun; which I took to be an attempt at calming nervous applicants.
  Most medical schools accept 5% of applicants while 95% of matriculates make it through the process of medical school and residency to become physicians.  The application process is the bottleneck.  After submitting my AAMC application and my secondary set of essays for each specific school, I had a third hurdle; the interview.  I had stopped my former career path, taken undergraduate courses, been ridiculed for my age, striven to make ends meet on a ground level job, and now it boiled down to this set of interviews.
  I practiced answering interview questions and perfected my outfit; a grey suit and periwinkle top that I had purchased two years earlier in anticipation of this moment.  I arrived at Dr. F.'s family practice office at 8AM (after working until midnight the night before) on Thursday, November 14.  He was engaging and gave a welcoming smile along with a "Sanford Clinic" water bottle.  I asked, "Is this water supposed to be better than Avera (the competing health system) water?"  "We put a little Prozac in ours," with a smile was the reply.  The interview was on.  Over the next hour, Dr. F. asked questions about living in Uganda and Lesotho and the marvel of returning to the US.  I told him about boiling my drinking water over the stove my first day back and the marvel of plumbing.  He had conducted a missions clinic boat across the Amazon, and we talked about how our experiences changed our priorities.  I happened to know of the football coach at his undergraduate institution, and he spoke fondly of the winning coach's non- aggressive tactics.  I asked him about incorporation of obstetrics into family practice, and he related the joy of delivering babies while being involved in the family's ongoing care.  He asked how my parents' difficulties affected me and I told him about the other caring adults that had become my surrogate parents, about my grandparents and my adopted mother.  When he stated that I am now a mentor, I shared stories of the sisters in Uganda and how they had raised so many children.  By chance, his aunt was a nun and we enjoyed some reminiscence about our religious sisters.  At one point, when I stated "In my young adulthood, I...." he looked at me quizzically--- "You are still in your young adulthood!" he interjected.  "Sorry, I feel so much older than other applicants..." and he confessed that he had not begun medical school until he was 30 years old and that he felt that medical students with life experiences brought distinct advantages to the profession. I did not want the interview to end.. but it did and I drove to the medical school for the next.
  The second was with Dr. S. Ph.D.  Evidently wearing clothes she had made (because of an exceptional fit and unique fabric, Dr. S. had been teaching at the medical school and sewing for the community theater for decades.  She said that my grades and MCAT scores were great so we could talk about more interesting things. (Who hears such affirmation during a medical school interview??)  She, by chance, taught epidemiology and we enthusiastically exchanged thoughts about the comorbidity of Tuberculosis and AIDS in Lesotho.  She asked about my path, the reasoning for my choices, and I tried to explain my consistent desire to work with underrepresented communities along with my previous thought that I needed to support my family.  I explained my need to find out where I belonged in the huge world I had grown up in.  She said the word she heard most from me was "community."  We talked about the new curriculum, 18 months of basic sciences, 9 months of clinical rotations and 18 months of building my own experiences to fit the residency I chose.  This was hard to understand... "You and your advisor build your work plan during that time."  She emphasized that, at that point, a student could pursue additional information and training in whichever field interested her and that most hospitals and clinics in the state were happy to accommodate her.  She talked about doing research with Hutterite colonies (and the potent Hutterite wine) or building clinical rotations in desired fields, or framing international rotations.  Most people do a combination of these.... WOW! That sounds like me!
  I left with a jaw in pain from smiling so much. 

  Two weeks later, I had my confirmation in the mail--- I had been ACCEPTED to the University of South Dakota Medical School.  Moreover, I felt that my sense of community here, my understanding of the school and curriculum, my opportunities to work with rural and underrepresented populations fit like a glove.  I was not only accepted, I was embraced, and I enthusiastically returned the hug.