How has JAMP helped you strive to achieve your goal of becoming a doctor?
There is a powerful effect in the act of someone you do not know meeting you and taking a chance on you and your success. It transforms you in a way that makes you solidify your own belief and yourself and work even harder towards your dream. I am very thankful to JAMP for seeing in me something special enough to make them choose me to take a chance on and help reach my goal of becoming a doctor.

Their faith and continuing support from the moment I was accepted to the moment I did not get my MCAT score my first time to the moment it came time for interviews was just unbelievable. Having JAMP be present through their scholarships, internships, MCAT prep courses, and introducing us to such motivating and supporting people was a type of support system I was very lucky to have. This pushed me to be the best I could be in school and outside of school because even when things became difficult, I would remember they’d seen something special in me.

What advice would you like to offer current or future JAMP students?
As a pre-med student, it is very tempting to spend all your undergraduate time polishing up your resume with experiences you think medical schools are going to like. And as someone who did that most of high school, I learned in college that sometimes that is not the best way to go. It’s important to do things you are passionate about because then you do not enjoy them and everything ends up feeling like a chore. This is so important because once you reach medical school, most of your time will be taken up by medically related activities.

So I advise really keeping an open-mind on volunteering at places other than just a hospital, working in places other than just hospitals, taking classes other than just classes related to medical school, joining clubs that aren’t just premed related, and don’t feel guilty about doing it. College is honestly such a unique experience in which you get the opportunity to learn about literally anything you are curious about and you shouldn’t throw this away just to create an impressive medical school application. Your application will come off as impressive based off your passion and the value of your experiences. If you are able to tie the impact and value of these non-medically related experiences to your development and potential, then there is nothing for you to worry about.

What aspect of JAMP has been most beneficial to you?
Every aspect of JAMP has been beneficial to me, but the summer internships they set up for us and the people I’ve met along the way have probably been the most. The internships really allowed me to immerse myself in medicine and validate my passion for this field. I learned about osteopathic medicine, how to suture, how to cast an arm, and got to shadow many great physicians that showed me the hard work it takes to become a physician. Not only that, but I got to hear medical students and actual physicians talk to us about what this life is like. I even got to meet the author of a very inspirational book called Overcoming the Odds about a physician who applied to medical school 3 times. It was one of the most inspirational events in the internships!

The students and faculty I met at the internships and other events were also a blessing. Every one had their own story to tell and just when you thought you’d heard every type of story someone would surprise with why they became interested in medicine and the struggles they’d had getting to where they are now. These stories are something I’ll keep with me because they push me to strive to be the best physician I can be. I respect and admire every single one of the JAMPers in my cohort and I only expect great things. Thank you to JAMP for everything!

About Nancy:
Growing up I always knew I wanted to be a doctor, even if my reasoning for it didn’t develop until I was older. It was when I lost my grandfather to acute myeloid leukemia at a young age that the clarity in deciding if this field was really for me came. After hearing the doctors say the chemo wasn’t working and there was nothing we could do sparked a fire in me. I couldn’t believe there were diseases we couldn’t prevent or treat. I decided I would help by making sure other people didn’t lose someone so special to something they could actually prevent. I felt it was my duty to go out make sure to prevent the preventable and treat the treatable.

I grew up in San Benito, TX and graduated from what used to be called UT-Pan American and is now UT-Rio Grande Valley. I applied to JAMP my second year and was lucky enough to land an interview and then find out I was accepted. The journey I have taken with JAMP has been such an exciting one that I wish every pre-med student could take. I spent one of my summers at TCOM and learned so much about osteopathic medicine and spent my second summer at UTHSCSA where I got to learn from an actual Embryology professor. JAMP gave me the opportunity to interview at all 9 medical schools and learn what each one of them offers. I am fortunate to say that I will be attending UT Medical Branch – Galveston and am very excited for what the future holds.