By Nicole Pardo
Orangevale, California
Hispanic Studies
I came to Macalester prepared to immerse myself in academia. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine, so I was excited about the science program with its small class sizes and significant funding for research. Considering the commitment that would be required of me, I decided to take a year off before college to study Spanish, my heritage language, in Bolivia. I spent the remainder of that year using my Spanish as a volunteer in a hospital near my home in California. My choice had a tremendous impact on my trajectory and gave me an opportunity to evaluate what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. The experiences kept me grounded whenever I felt disconnected during college.
My ultimate career goals are to provide healthcare to underserved communities and to work on broader community health programming. I have found my passion at Mac.
—Nicole Pardo |
I took advantage of two student support programs at Mac—the Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) and the Diversity in Science Collective (DISC). HPAC helped clarify expectations for future medical students and informed us of internship and research opportunities. DISC provided support and networking opportunities to students of color pursuing careers in science.
Through DISC, I explored research in physiology and neurology during the summer before my first year. DISC helped me obtain paid summer research in organic chemistry after my first year, funding to shadow a physician the next summer and a third summer internship at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where I examined healthcare interventions targeting an underserved Latino community.
I plan to attend medical school and obtain an additional degree in public health. My ultimate career goals are to provide healthcare to underserved communities and to work on broader community health programming. I have found my passion at Mac. I cannot imagine a better environment for developing my interests in medicine.
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