“I would say that Medical Schools is probably the single most challenging work environment, period, that I've ever been a part of. It's - for the first year and a half to two years - nothing but lectures. You're literally just being talked at for hours and hours and hours. And it is an unbelievable amount of information. It's so much stuff that they tell you right off the bat that you're never going to know everything, because that's just impossible - you're never going to know everything."– Camilla Maybee

Camilla Maybee is currently in her second year of Medical School at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She started out at West Point, after which she served as a Medical Supply Officer as well as an Ambulance Platoon Leader and role II XO in the Army for four years. After separation from the Army, she worked at the UVA Health System as Administrative Assistant. She holds a Masters of Science in Health Care Administration from the University of Maryland.

The top 2 reasons to listen to this episode are:

1. Determination - Camilla is a case study in resolve. Her military career didn’t pan out as expected - she had an unexpected medical discharge. But that didn’t stop her. She wanted to go to Medical School, but was an English Major with no med school prerequisites - that didn’t stop her either. I found her tenacity inspiring.
2. Med School - Camilla went from an unexpected medical discharge to being accepted into what US News reports is one of the top 10 most competitive medical schools in the country. Camilla is very transparent about the mistakes she made in this process, and how other veterans can learn from her mistakes in their medical school process. She is attending Med School on an 100% scholarship - that is a $250k program, for free. And she started out when she was 28 years old, while the overwhelming majority of her classmates were just 23. If you’re interested in Med School or the Health Services industry, this episode is for you.

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Selected Links

• MCAT Preperatory Courses recommended:
  • 10th Edition Examkrackers MCAT Complete Study Package
  • The Berkeley Review MCAT Complete Set-10 Books (The Berekely Review MCAT)
  • Kaplan MCAT Prep
  • Princeton Review MCAT Prep
  • Camilla highly recommends doing a program with a virtual or real person to explain things and coach you through the process

Show Notes

• 2:29 - Camilla's background
• 2:58 - How Camilla found herself unexpectedly leaving the Army much earlier than she expected and how that affected her initial job search
• 4:50 - At what point Camilla realized she wanted to be a doctor
• 7:10 - How Camilla went to Goucher College to study pre-medicine as a "delightful accident"
• 12:17 - Camilla was very proactive in volunteer work; a look at what she learned and how it prepared her for Medical School
• 14:39 - A look at the Medical School application process and advice to veterans considering this route
• 17:44 - Camilla's advice for veterans about how to prepare for the MCAT exam
• 19:21 - Resources that Camilla would recommend to veterans to prepare for the MCAT and Medical School in general
• 21:13 - Camilla is on a full scholarship to Medical School; she shares more about how she found this scholarship program
• 25:23 - How Camilla and her husband negotiate where they will work, given the rigidity of placements after Medical School
• 28:56 - What day-to-day life looks like for Camilla at Medical School
• 33:02 - What the hours look like for Camilla
• 38:28 - What it's like being at Medical School, where most people are 23 (while Camilla started at age 28)
• 44:05 - What the road ahead looks like for Camilla
• 46:40 - Camilla's final words of wisdom