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Al Gourrier

2,095

Bold Points

2x

Finalist

2x

Winner

Bio

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.)
2023 - 2027
  • Majors:
    • Medicine

San Francisco State University

Bachelor's degree program
2020 - 2022
  • Majors:
    • Medicine

Kenyon College

Bachelor's degree program
2015 - 2019
  • Majors:
    • Psychology, General
    • Neurobiology and Neurosciences
  • Minors:
    • Anthropology

Liberty High School

High School
2011 - 2015

Miscellaneous

  • 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
  • Planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Medicine

    • Dream career goals:

    • Medical Scribe

      Stanford School of Medicine
      2019 – 20223 years

    Sports

    Tennis

    Varsity
    2012 – 20153 years

    Baseball

    Varsity
    2011 – 20154 years

    Awards

    • State champion

    Basketball

    Intramural
    2015 – 20194 years

    Ultimate Frisbee

    Club
    2015 – 20194 years

    Research

    • Psychology, General

      Kenyon College Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory — Researcher
      2018 – 2019
    • Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other

      Stanford School of Business — Research Assistant
      2019 – Present
    • Medicine

      Stanford School of Medicine — Research Assistant & Lead Presenter
      2019 – Present

    Arts

    • Community Choir

      Music
      2018 – 2019

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Muhabet Social Psychiatry Cafe — Volunteer
      2018 – 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.