Matched to Stanford Pediatrics, Sara Vukojevic, MS ‘20, MD ’24, was a member of the first graduating class in the Med Prep Master of Science in Medical Technology program
“I’m incredibly grateful for how my Match Day went! I got my top choice—a residency in pediatrics at Stanford. So many dreams have come true. I’m very grateful,” Sara said. After spending five years in Syracuse, she’ll return to the West Coast, where she was raised. “I’ll have a lot of family support.”
A year before her birth Sara’s parents immigrated to the United States. “My parents grew up in Yugoslavia during the war there. After earning a degree in computer science, he was offered a job in California.” Sara is grateful for the opportunities he provided her and is inspired by his example.
While completing a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology with a minor in Global Health at UC San Diego, she applied to forty medical schools across the country. “I was looking for an institution with a focus on community involvement and volunteering, not just bench research and publications. SUNY Upstate is very involved in its community, which is why I applied initially.”
“Unfortunately, that round of applications was not successful. I didn’t get a single interview, which was devasting,” she said.
A competitive gymnast during grade school, Sara injured her wrist doing a back handspring. The sports medicine doctor, who helped her return to competition, “was so positive, so calm and knowledgeable, I left her office knowing I wanted to be doctor.”
It was Sara’s childhood doctor, also from Serbia, who influenced her decision to become a pediatrician. She never criticized Sara’s mother for using traditional remedies. In addition, Sara’s paternal grandmother was a pediatrician in Yugoslavia.
“I want to carry on that legacy.”
After her first round of applications proved unsuccessful, Sara applied to special master’s programs designed to prepare students for the rigor of medical school. Instead of choosing a post-baccalaureate program, Sara said she saw a chance to learn something new and to earn an MS degree.
“I received three different offers. It was easy to choose SUNY Upstate College of Health Professions Med Prep in Medical Technology. They were the only school that asked for an in-person interview. When I arrived at Upstate, they made me feel so welcomed and supported, I felt like a person instead of a number. The College of Health Professions looked at all my grades, they saw my MCAT, they looked at me holistically and they gave me a shot. I proved myself in their master’s program.”
“I found a university, which invests a lot of time and energy in their students. The Med Prep faculty were amazing. They taught me so much. The students love them, because they really care about teaching and they understand education theory. Dr. Margaret Maimone took extra time for students. She made study guides. Dr. Glass worked hard to make the lectures interesting, fun and memorable. Dr. Aiash had so much personality and energy, I’ll never forget his lectures on physiology.”
The program’s small size proved very beneficial. Sara and all of her entire Med Prep cohort were accepted to The Norton School of Medicine.
“The faculty did such an excellent job preparing me for medical school, I blew through the first two units and then I TA’d them.”
During their Med Prep year, students are required to write a thesis. According to Sara, it’s one of the best parts of the program. Students have opportunities to participate in faculty research projects or they can engage in a literature review on a research topic of their choice.
“I researched something close to my heart: the microbiome in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). I have IBS. My dad has it. Dr. Maimone and Dr. Glass helped me. I made a detailed spreadsheet looking at all the different bacteria from prior studies. I found something statistically significant. People who suffer from IBS-D, appear to lack a beneficial bacterium.”
Sara recommended her father take a supplement containing that probiotic. “It relieved my dad’s symptoms. I was overjoyed. My master’s year taught me that research and an understanding of scientific literature can benefit your patients. Keeping up with research is very important to me now.”
Sara is grateful for the special attention the Med Prep faculty provided the students. “They were there for me. One day, Dr. Glass found me sobbing in the library. I had one of those moments, when I felt overwhelmed, which happens. Because of their support and kindness, I made it to where I am now. I don’t regret traveling across the country for that first interview. It was an excellent decision. I hope everyone after me has as good or even better an experience.
“Next month, my Med Prep cohort will graduate with me. I’m so proud of them. We helped each other get through both programs. We were in it together, trying to achieve the same goal.”
The first cohort to graduate from Med Prep MS in Medical Technology pose with program chair, Dr. Aaron Glass, at the 2019 White Coat Ceremony.
