Hobbies and interests
Sports
Hiking And Backpacking
Travel And Tourism
Food And Eating
Medicine
Reading
Sports and Games
I read books multiple times per week
Al Gourrier
2,095
Bold Points2x
Finalist2x
WinnerAl Gourrier
2,095
Bold Points2x
Finalist2x
WinnerBio
My recent experience as a patient cemented my desire to become a physician. I had a skin shave biopsy for a nodular neoplasm of uncertain behavior on my left temple. The biopsy results revealed Basal Cell Carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. Three months later, in the middle of my final MCAT preparations, I had Mohs micrographic surgery to remove the carcinoma. My surgeon explained to me that she was infiltrating the cancer site with local anesthesia, and she talked me through every step as she removed the tumor. I enjoyed being awake for the procedure, and hearing her clinical thought process out loud brought me a sense of comfort. My team of healthcare providers were compassionate and knowledgeable at every stage of my treatment. They were, to put it simply, the kind of doctors that I hope to be. I will strive to provide the same quality of care and thoughtful treatment that made me feel comfortable and informed. I look forward to utilizing the skills my personal experiences have helped me gain to grow and learn in medical school, and I am confident that those experiences will propel me forward in my career as a future physician and healthcare leader while keeping me grounded in the most important role of any medical provider: caring for our patients.
Education
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)Majors:
- Medicine
San Francisco State University
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Medicine
Kenyon College
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Psychology, General
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences
Minors:
- Anthropology
Liberty High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Medicine
- Psychology, General
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences
Career
Dream career field:
Medicine
Dream career goals:
Medical Scribe
Stanford School of Medicine2019 – 20223 years
Sports
Tennis
Varsity2012 – 20153 years
Baseball
Varsity2011 – 20154 years
Awards
- State champion
Basketball
Intramural2015 – 20194 years
Ultimate Frisbee
Club2015 – 20194 years
Research
Psychology, General
Kenyon College Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory — Researcher2018 – 2019Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
Stanford School of Business — Research Assistant2019 – PresentMedicine
Stanford School of Medicine — Research Assistant & Lead Presenter2019 – Present
Arts
Community Choir
Music2018 – 2019
Public services
Volunteering
Muhabet Social Psychiatry Cafe — Volunteer2018 – 2018
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
Ruthie Brown Scholarship
My goal is to graduate from medical school with as little debt as possible. I am currently working full-time as a Research Recruitment Manager and saving at least half of my paycheck to pay off my undergraduate student debt and prepare for medical school expenses. I wanted to work for at least a year before starting medical school on July 11th, 2023, so that I could reduce the amount of student loans that I will need to take. I also worked all four years of undergrad to reduce the number of student loans I would need to take. I currently have $19,000 in student loans and I expect to take $50,000 in student loans for my first year of medical school.
I am currently watching documentaries on saving money, such as Get Smart With Money, to gain additional knowledge and simple tips for saving money. I utilize these tips in my personal life to reduce my student loan debt and in my professional life when I am tasked with running the finances and verifying the research charges for my job. I am gathering a myriad of best practices for financial budgeting from experts in the field to help support my financial journey. Additionally, I lived with my family during my post-baccalaureate education to save money on rent and avoid taking more student loans. My family has been incredibly supportive of me throughout my pre-med journey, and my current and future student loan debt would be exponentially larger if it were not for the sacrifices they have made for me. Their support, both financially and personally, has also led to academic success throughout my higher education.
I maintained a 3.69 GPA at Kenyon College while double majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology and minoring in Anthropology. I then earned a 3.77 GPA at San Francisco State University Pre-Health Profession’s post-baccalaureate program. I was able to receive a $14,750 tuition support scholarship from the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at the University of Nevada Las Vegas to reduce my expected student loan debt from $64,750 to $50,000. My pre-medical academic success helped me earn the tuition support scholarship, and I hope that the Ruthie Brown Scholarship can further reduce my current and future student loan debt. I also plan to apply for other scholarships in the hopes of reducing the financial burden that medical school debt will have on my livelihood for the next four years.