Anh-Tuan Tong '19
Your Name: Anh-Tuan Tong
Graduation Year: 2019
Major: Biology Minor: political science
Your Story: I am a first generation Vietnamese-American, son of refugees that settled in the Twin Cities. My father’s side of the family owned a medical interpretation company, so from a young age I witnessed the health disparities in my community. I followed my father as he visited the public housing projects of Minnesota to interpret for refugees dealing with chronic health issues and barriers to accessing healthcare. As I grew older I got to interact with more communities, from other people of color to lower-income families. I saw the same health disparities I witnessed first hand in my Vietnamese-American. My empathy grew from my childhood experiences into my life as a young man, and I knew I wanted to help the people in my community.
Gustavus Adolphus College gave me the opportunity to thrive in a smaller academic environment while receiving substantial scholarships and grants. I knew going into college I wanted to pursue a career in medicine but I wanted to explore my options as well. I took time to explore different classes and extracurriculars. I loved my political science classes and ended up minoring in it. I made the best friends in my fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and had plenty of leadership opportunities at Gustavus. As a student of color I worked hard to pursue diversity and inclusion on campus, from working in the Diversity Center, to founding Asian American Outreach. The environment at Gustavus helped me thrive and set me up for success as a pre-med student. From a unique academic perspective from the wide array of classes I took, to the opportunities to become a leader in a tight knit community, Gustavus gave me the confidence and experience to apply for medical school.
My involvement continued outside of Gustavus as well. I enlisted in the Air Force Reserve as an Air Transportation Specialist after my freshman year of college. I spent the rest of my summers conducting training in the Air Force. After all the time I had invested in class, extracurriculars, and the Air Force, I knew I was burning out and needed time to develop and prepare to apply for medical school. I took a position as a pharmacy technician near home, while studying for the MCAT, navigating the application process, and working throughout the pandemic. Although I had some hiccups during the application cycle, with the help of my friends from Gustavus and continued support and resources I received from Heather Banks and the Career Development office I was able to find success! I am grateful I received acceptances to Kansas City University - College of Osteopathic Medicine and Michigan State University - College of Osteopathic Medicine. All the hard work I put in has paid off, and thanks to the experiences and help I got from the Gustavus community I am ready for the challenges ahead in medical school!
Top Five Activities/Experiences: (in no particular order)
- United States Air Force Reserve: Air Transportation Specialist
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon: Minnesota Gamma Chapter, Vice president, Brotherhood Chair
- Asian American Outreach: Founder and President
- J-Term Pre-Health Career Exploration: River’s Edge Hospital
- Pharmacy Technician: Cub Pharmacy Arden Hills
Advice:
1. Choose activities because you genuinely care about them! Don’t do activities just cause you believe that’s what medical schools are looking for. There are many applicants that have thousands of hours of scribing or research experience, but what sets you apart from them? When you do something you care about it will show when you write and speak about it and it will make you as an applicant that much stronger, and it will show in your writing and interviews!
2. Slow down and take things one step at a time! I thought I would be prepared to apply for medical school during undergrad but I was invested in a lot of extracurriculars, work, and my classes. I needed time to make sure my life was in order before I applied so I took two gap years. Sometimes it’s better to take time to gather yourself so you don’t burn out. In my gap years I was able to help my family through the pandemic and save money while gaining valuable experience to strengthen my application!
3. Work hard so you can crush your application! Your MCAT and GPA get your foot in the door so make sure you get the best score and best grades possible! There was a lot I still did not understand about the application process when I started, make sure you take time to do research, and be prepared to write a lot! I was not prepared for the onslaught of primary and secondary applications. Then find time to practice for interviews! It is a long process but be prepared and you can make it!
Future Plans: Attending Michigan State University - College of Osteopathic Medicine, starting Summer 2021. I was also selected for the Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program, which provides full tuition, living stipends, book and equipment costs, and a bonus for medical school! I hope to serve my country again as a medical officer in the Air Force!
Update HAB 6/7/2021