AP courses, hospital volunteering and special programs, high school students are diving headfirst into the field of medicine long before their term in medical school even begins. Whether it be neurology, medicine, psychiatry, surgery or nursing, several West Ranch wildcats are preparing themselves for a future in medicine.
Aileen Kwon
Senior Aileen Kwon is a medicine-focused student at West Ranch. Kwon’s interest in medicine began during the pandemic from watching medical dramas on television..
Inspired by vivid glimpses into medicine, Kwon took a keen interest in biology as a whole. Kwon explained the beginnings of her interest in medicine, saying, “Honestly, I was watching a medical K-drama with my mom, and I was like ‘Wow, this looks really cool’ and when I got to high school, I started taking classes like AP bio, joined ICSTEM and then that’s when I kind of locked in.”
Kwon’s love for biology was also fueled by volunteering at local Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital before beginning to take special opportunities provided by the ICSTEM club on campus. “We’ve been to speaking meetings where medical or just STEM professionals will just come in and talk about their careers,” Kwon explained when asked about ICSTEM.
But for Kwon, the moment the reality of biology and medicine came into focus was during a hands-on shadowing program last summer. “I did a summer program where I was able to shadow a bunch of medical staff and doctors, which was really cool,” Kwon said. A particularly noteworthy moment from this program, she recalled, was the moment a speaker in pathology brought out an amputated foot, giving her and the other students a raw, unfiltered look at the reality of the career. She explained how these various opportunities have broadened her perspective on medicine and emphasized how important exploring different fields was for her.
Next year, Kwon aims for enrollment at an in-state school for her freshman year of college. She hopes for acceptance into UCLA, UCSD, and perhaps even Stanford to pursue her dream.
Madison Paek
West Ranch Sophomore Madison Paek is one Wildcat already making her mark on the pre-med track. Having found her love for service years ago, Paek has participated in numerous leadership activities such as ROTC, ASB and volunteering opportunities to carve the path to her goal of medical service. Specifically, Paek emphasized her interest in pursuing cardiology, a field focused on treating heart disorders. Her passion for cardiology was sparked by her own unique experience: “I have a faster heartbeat than other people, so I’ve always kinda been more keen towards the heart,” Paek shared. She also explained how an experience in eighth grade contributed to her love, saying, “When we learned about the heart and the different arteries and things like that, I took a particular interest to it.”
Similar to a lot of students trying to enter medicine, Paek has decided to take a STEM route to reach her career in cardiology. Having taken multiple science AP courses, Paek hopes to continue this going into her junior year. Outside of her regular classes, Paek has further taken on medical opportunities. She explained, “Last summer I did medical research about epigenetics at Columbia University and [was endorsed to] present my research at Harvard University [at their Global Health Leadership Conference]. I’m also a sports medicine intern currently.” With her numerous experiences, she wishes to make it to an Ivy League university on the East Coast.
Paek put much emphasis on knowing the answer to the question “why?” She says the most important part about going into medicine is knowing your purpose for pursuing it.
Ethan Yi
Freshman Ethan Yi has already set his sights on medicine. With a foundation of medicine running in the family, Yi explains how his dad’s work sparked his passion for medicine in him years before high school. “I want to become a family doctor, dealing with minor injuries, like my dad. He’s a doctor himself, and I’ve always loved seeing him help others, and it’s so inspiring to me,” Yi shared, elaborating on how the stories of his father’s patients and work are specifically what pushed him towards this path.
Yi has already secured a position to further his dream. He’s working for his dad’s office, getting to learn the details of being a family doctor: “I definitely feel like it’s helped me understand it more and get a better connection to it,” Yi emphasized. He has also taken on several volunteering opportunities to gain more experience in public service outside of just medicine.
Yi hopes to attend Brown University upon graduating and aims beyond for acceptance into medical school afterwards.
These students and many others are on a long journey into medicine Though pursuing different paths within medicine, they are brought together by the same passion for making their mark in the field of healthcare. By combining their dedicated efforts and time sacrifice, they are quickly climbing the career ladder to become our future medical caregivers. Make sure to cheer these future doctors on, Cats!
