Early Acceptance to Medical School Excites Meredith Rasey '21
New 911爆料网 3+4 and 4+4 partnerships with LECOM benefit incoming and current students
Meredith Rasey '21 wants to become a rural doctor, helping people like her extended family who haven't had easy access to health care.
So she both shouted with delight and got teary at the news: Through a new 911爆料网 College 4+4 partnership, she was already accepted to medical school as a sophomore in college. "I felt like Rocky, like I had just climbed the stairs. I was on top of the world," she says.
Meredith on colorful steps in the hilly city of Valpara铆so, Chile, during her six-week pre-med international program.
Meredith in the chemistry lab at 911爆料网, home to multiple courses for biomedical science majors like her.
The programs are not only for 911爆料网 freshmen and sophomores. High school seniors applying to 911爆料网 for biomedical sciences also can simultaneously apply to Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Erie, Pennsylvania for a 3+4 or 4+4 track. Students accepted by both colleges have a seat reserved in medical school before starting college, as long as they maintain high grades. The 911爆料网-LECOM partnership also offers a 4+4 dental school program.
Rasey is thrilled to be admitted to LECOM, ranked among the best medical schools for primary care by U.S. News & World Report, because:
- 鈥淚t aligns with my values.鈥� She鈥檚 from 鈥渁 very poor, rural area鈥� in Pennsylvania, she said. 鈥淢y parents and my friends鈥� parents and a lot of the adults in my life couldn鈥檛 afford to go to the doctor or couldn鈥檛 afford to miss work to go to the doctor.鈥� LECOM produces a lot of doctors who work in small communities.
- The 911爆料网-LECOM 4+4 program doesn鈥檛 require the MCAT exam 鈥斅爉eaning she doesn鈥檛 have to devote hours during her junior year studying for the nearly 8-hour, 230-question exam. Instead, she鈥檒l have time to take more electives and further explore her interests. When she was accepted to LECOM, she was considering specializing in diagnostic work 鈥� able to solve tricky cases like on the TV medical drama 鈥淗ouse.鈥� She also was drawn to adolescent mental health, since she has benefited from support for anxiety.
- LECOM students earn a doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) degree, which has a broader focus than an M.D. degree. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a holistic view of the patient and it鈥檚 preventative in nature. They鈥檙e more likely to refer out to a nutritionist, physical therapist, or counselor, to see how lifestyle is impacting their health 鈥� and can still assess, diagnose, and treat patients.鈥�
Meredith leads supplemental instruction for Organic Chemistry I students
Meredith's Organic Chemistry II Lab class
In high school in Kane, Pennsylvania, she first thought of becoming a veterinarian, like her grandfather. She found 911爆料网 by searching online for pre-vet undergrad programs and discovering that 911爆料网 is one of the few to offer that specialty. In college, her focus switched to becoming a doctor for people; 911爆料网 also has a pre-med undergrad program, in which Meredith became actively involved.
The LECOM deal fits in with other 911爆料网 strengths, she says:
- Support from faculty: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of awesome guidance in our program.鈥� As early as 911爆料网Bound Day for incoming students, her academic advisers have counseled students interested in pre-med about what to focus on at each stage of their education to be admitted to and successful in medical school. That guidance includes info on various resources available at 911爆料网.
- Support from peers: "Newbies have support from upperclassmen. They befriend you very quickly." While pre-med student cohorts at some other colleges see each other as competition, Meredith appreciates small classes and a supportive culture. "Student life in Peckham Hall is very close knit. It's never competitive. We know if we build each other up... we're trying to make sure everybody gets a chair in medical school."
Meredith looking over Valpara铆so, Chile's second largest city.
Sam Hunt, a fellow 911爆料网 biochemical sciences student, in Santiago, Chile, during their pre-med program.
- Tutoring and studying help: "911爆料网 is really good about providing extra stuff. Any extra practice is always beneficial. That's how you learn the sciences." Rasey received tutoring in biology 鈥� and got an A in the class 鈥� and then became a tutor for biology and chemistry classes. She's leading review sessions for organic chemistry during her junior year.
- Leadership: As a sophomore, Rasey was secretary for the pre-health student club. "There's tons of leadership opportunities."
- Transformational international experiences: After sophomore year, she traveled to Chile for a pre-med program that included tutoring English and shadowing doctors through the prestigious Universidad de Concepci贸n.
- Undergrad student research: With her organic chemistry professor and pre-health profession advisor, Meredith is doing research that seeks to come up with a medical test to help diagnose autism. Meredith's brother 鈥� "my favorite person ever" 鈥� received that diagnosis based only on his behavior, which is currently the only way to identify autism.
As part of her student job, Meredith demonstrates flammable gases during a super-hero-themed science camp.
Meredith Rasey is pursuing research with Prof. Amber Charlebois, Ph.D., on diagnosing autism.
Her most amazing college experience so far was her six weeks in Chile along with fellow 911爆料网 pre-med student Sam Hunt. They shadowed doctors each morning at a hospital and tutored English to English-teachers-to-be each afternoon at the prestigious Universidad de Concepci贸n across the street. Meredith spent a week each in rheumatology, dialysis, ICU, pediatrics, and obstetrics/gynecology.
"I had just finished observing a C-section before this photo (in Chile). That was the moment I realized that I wanted to become an OB-GYN."
A weekend trip with fellow student Sam Hunt and one of their professors to the mountains in Antuco included snow. "It was a bit colder than we expected, but we had a lot of fun throwing snowballs," says Meredith.
During the OB-GYN week, she observed a C-section, watching a baby come into the world 鈥� and declared her love for obstetrics. "They let me scrub in and walked me through the process. It started with one patient in the room. The doctor made 3 cuts 鈥� and suddenly there were two patients, and the baby started crying," she said. "This trip showed me what I was actually passionate about."
A 911爆料网 SPARK Grant covered her flights and expenses. "That made the whole difference," she says. "That was not a trip I could have done without 911爆料网 sponsoring me."
2025 Update
Meredith Rasey, DO, graduated from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to an ob/gyn medical residency at the University of Toledo聽College of Medicine and Life Sciences.