Major: Biology
Certificates: Environmental Studies and Global Health
Year: Senior
When she arrived on campus, Emily Barker was a “stereotypical freshman with a campus map in my pocket that I didn’t want anyone to notice.” She walked into her first lecture three minutes early, a mistake she has never forgotten, “it was a 320 person lecture and I was sitting in the back of what felt like a stadium.”
It didn’t take Emily long to get into the swing of things. She got involved with a research lab her freshman year by knocking on doors and asking if anyone had openings. She does have regrets about being so excited to get a research position and wishes she would have investigated more labs before committing. “I think if I would do it over again my freshman year, I would have been networking more and talking to people,” said Emily. “However, I probably wouldn’t have gotten my internship with the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation the summer after my freshman year without my lab experience.”
Emily has come a long way since her first year. She has been very involved in student organizations, volunteering opportunities, study abroad and internships. These pursuits played a large role in her recent acceptance to medical school here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It has been really helpful that I have been as involved as I have, and whole-heartedly involved, not just showing up,” said Emily.
Emily decided to defer her admission to medical school for a year to teach math and science in Tanzania. “People have asked me why I would teach if I am going to pursue healthcare, but I have learned from the global health certificate and my study abroad in Kenya that education and health outcomes are so interconnected,” said Emily.
Emily’s extra-curricular involvement and professional experience played a large role in her acceptance into medical school. When asked what she felt made her stand out from other applicants she said, “I don’t think it was my grade point average or test scores because they are both good enough to get in, but right at the averages.” It was the breadth of her experiences while in college that made her a great applicant.
