How has JAMP helped you as you strive to achieve your goal of becoming a doctor?
JAMP has helped me by alleviating some of the financial burden associated with the medical school application process. Through the stipends, paid summer internships, and assistance with medical school application and MCAT fees, JAMP has given me the opportunity to focus more on becoming a better medical school applicant. Without JAMP, the journey would have been much more difficult.

What advice would you like to offer current or future JAMP students?
My advice would be to take full advantage of every opportunity that JAMP provides for you. From the summer internships, the stipends, the MCAT preparation, and guaranteed admission to medical school, JAMP gives you all of the resources to achieve your goals. However, it is up to you to become the best applicant possible. Don’t just settle for the minimum requirements simply because you know you will have a guaranteed spot. Instead, push yourself to exceed expectations.

What aspect of JAMP has been most beneficial to you?
For me, the most beneficial aspect of JAMP has been the summer internships. These internships have given me the opportunity to explore two medical schools and gain insight into what life as a medical student would be like on that campus. We took several classes taught by medical school faculty and students, including biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, medical ethics, and medical terminology. We also had the opportunity to go into the gross anatomy lab, practice interviewing patients, participate in mock interviews, and shadow in a wide variety of medical specialties. I learned many valuable skills that I will take with me to medical school.

The internships have also allowed me to establish new friendships and strengthen old ones. I have met many people with backgrounds to my own, but with unique personalities and experiences from which I have been able to learn. I am very excited to be able to go to medical school with some of these people and possibly practice with them in the future. Finally, if all other requirements are met, once all of the requirements were met, I was able to begin interviewing for medical school during the second summer internship. This was a wonderful opportunity because I started my interviews at school where I was interning. This was very beneficial because I was already familiar with the campus and the admissions staff hosting the interview day. This sense of familiarity helped to alleviate some of my nerves leading into the interview.

Overall, the summer internships provided me with a network of people who truly cared about my success and wanted me to succeed. From my fellow summer interns, the medical students and faculty, and the JAMP coordinator, I felt welcomed and supported. You truly find your “JAMP family” during the internships, and I am very grateful.

About Rachael:
I went to school in a small town outside of Dallas from Pre-K to graduation. I truly enjoyed the small town environment where everybody knew one another. I am currently a senior biology major at Baylor University. I enjoy going to school at Baylor because I get the same sense of community that I did when I was in my hometown. Growing up, I wanted to be a teacher. I would even go home after school and teach my toys about what I had learned that day. In junior high, I decided that I would love to teach science classes. It wasn’t until my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer that I found that medicine would be a great way to combine my love of teaching with my interest in the sciences. Thankfully, my mom is cancer-free now; she was able to beat cancer because her first doctor was there for her, listened to her, and assembled a medical team to fight for her. My mom’s experience with breast cancer, and later with cervical cancer, inspired me to take interest in medicine, specifically women’s health. JAMP has been a huge part of my journey to medical school. The financial benefits that JAMP offers have given me the ability to pursue a career in medicine, while the community I have formed with other JAMPers has given me the support I believe that I will need to make it through.