Alex Erickson '12
Name: Alex Erickson
Graduating Class: 2012
Major: Biology
Your Story:
I’m Alex Erickson, and I graduated from GAC in May 2012. I am from Minnetonka, MN, and graduated from Hopkins High School. My freshman year of college I attended Colgate University in Hamilton, NY, before transferring to Gustavus. At Gustavus, I was on the tennis team, in the Tau Mu Tau Sorority, and was a Gustie Greeter.
I chose Gustavus because it had the best balance of everything I wanted in college –a liberal arts school with a great science department, a strong athletics program, and plenty of other social and extracurricular activities to keep you busy.
My interest in pre-medicine started in 10th grade. I took biology and absolutely fell in love with it. I began looking into a medical career while still in high school by talking to and shadowing physicians. I started on a pre-med track at the beginning of college. It wasn’t until my sophomore or junior year though that I decided this is what I 100% wanted to do. The combination of shadowing and informational interviewing was key for me in making this decision, since it gave me a good idea of what different areas of medicine are like.
My most influential experience at Gustavus confirming pre-medicine path was shadowing during one of my J-terms. I was able to learn about so many professions - other than various physicians I shadowed clinical researchers, principal investigators in labs, and those working in medical sales and medical technology development. By seeing all the different areas of science and medicine that I could go into, I knew that being a physician was the best fit for me.
Top Five Activities/Experiences:
- Shadowing various doctors
- Playing four years of a varsity sport (tennis)
- Gustie Greeters
- Australia/New Zealand J-Term
- Being a part of the Gustavus community in general
My Class Schedule (click to view PDF)
Advice:
1) Do what you love. Even if you are interested in something that has nothing to do with medicine, still pursue it. Play sports, join clubs, take non-science classes. Although it is important to have some medical experiences so you know what you’re getting into, college is a great time to explore other interests. And oftentimes, these are things that will contribute to your application in ways you can’t predict.
2) Plan ahead. There’s a lot that goes into getting accepted to medical school, so if you can space it out over college your life will be much easier. I scheduled my MCAT way in advance so I could take it during the summer instead of during the school year. Completing your applications early also gives you a huge advantage in the admissions process. Yes, this means you should start working on your personal statement sooner rather than later.
Future Plans:
Attending University of Minnesota, starting Fall 2013.
Updated 7/3/2014 HB