Renee Rodriguez, MSIV
Age: 26
Hometown: Sierra Vista, AZ
College: Arizona State University
Major(s): Biochemistry
Highlights of Pre-Med Career: Studying abroad in Sydney, Australia for 4 months was one of the best experiences of my life. My favorite college memory was rushing the court for our basketball win over our arch rival U of A. My friends were the best part of college. They talked me through my pre-med freak outs, helped celebrate the end of organic chemistry and the MCATs, and so much more.
Why medicine?
Medicine was all that I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember. At eight years old, I had the opportunity to be present in the delivery room to witness the birth of my cousin. That experience uniquely stands out in my childhood memories as a moment where I felt something come alive inside. I am sure that I was the only third grader in my class who asked their teacher how to spell Obstetrician Gynecologist during the “What do you want to be when you grow up?” assignment.
Why Pritzker?
When I interviewed here, I knew it was where I was going to end up. I remember walking into the Pritzker School of Medicine office and being greeted by first name from the admissions staff. The staff and administration at this school know so much about each and every student and they really take the time to make the students feel valued and supported. The biggest reason I decided to come to Pritzker, however, was due to the students I met here. During my interview and revisit, I knew that the people I met here loved being at Pritzker. The students were people who I could see working side-by-side with for the next four years.
On Being an Orientation Chair
Being selected as an Orientation Chair during my first year was the biggest honor that I’ve received since being at Pritzker. It provided me the unique opportunity to get to know an entire incoming group of fellow classmates before they stepped foot on campus. It is very apparent to everyone who knows me how much I enjoy this school and all the people here. For that reason, it became my personal goal to help instill a sense of pride and excitement to the class of 2011: an excitement for both starting their paths toward careers in medicine and for making the best choice to come to Pritzker.
The Value of Service
There are a great deal of student groups at Pritzker that provide fantastic opportunities for service. I had the unique and incredible experience of being a part of the Recovered Medical Equipment for the Developing World (REMEDY) group at Pritzker. The goal of REMEDY is to collect unused medical supplies for developing countries, while also being able to witness health care disparities in needy areas. Our REMEDY group decided to return to the Dominican Republic for the second year, and I was able to help our REMEDY group raise more than $35,000 in grants and fundraising as a fundraising co-chair. We worked throughout the entire year to send 25 of our classmates to the Dominican Republic for two weeks along with tons of medical supplies. Being a part of a group like REMEDY has helped to make each of us true health care advocates and realize that there is a long way to go to get care to all people who truly need it.
Tips for keeping motivation high throughout the second year
Second year of medical school has been a very unique year. It is that year when you are finally starting to gain the medical knowledge that will be used throughout a medical career. It is very intimidating to realize the vast amount of material that will be learned in a short amount of time.
My biggest tips for keeping motivation high is to remind yourself why you went into medicine in the first place—go back and reread your personal statement! Don’t lose touch with the important people in your life, they will keep you sane. Throughout a medical career that can be very easy to do, but if this is a priority that is started early it’ll be easier to maintain. Finally, realize how close you are to finally becoming a doctor.
