Quinn Rademaker '22

Title
Former HPA JockDoc
Education

AB in Chemistry, Class of 2022

Pursuing an MD at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University, entering class of 2024

Bio/Description

Pursuing an MD at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University, entering class of 2024

Chemistry major with a certificate in The Language and Culture of Ancient Greece

Significant college activities: Princeton Varsity Swim Team, Organic Chemistry TA, Leach Summer Scholars Program in Chemistry, Internship in Global Health at Rutgers Cancer Institute of NJ 

Glide year activities: Clinical Research Coordinator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Arlington Street Church Soup Kitchen volunteer, reading mail to blind Boston residents 

Words of wisdom about being prehealth at Princeton: It can be frustrating to see how medical schools ask for you to have a solid GPA, an excellent MCAT, a few publications, hours of volunteer work, even more hours of clinical experience, hours of shadowing, college activities, and still have the gall to ask you if you have any hobbies (as though you have the time!). It’s a daunting task, but one that you can take one step at a time, one semester at a time, to work towards. 

What’s important is not that you just check the boxes that med schools provide, it’s that you make lasting memories during those activities and learn something during them. Your application isn’t going to be talking about how you did X hours of service, it’s going to be about the relationships you made during those hours, so it’s important to not take any of your activities for granted and simply go through the motions, but to take some time to reflect on your activities and why you’re doing them. 

Princeton is tough and it’s very easy to keep yourself busy with any number of things. I fell into the trap of thinking that as long as I kept myself busy I would be a great candidate. Busy with school, busy with swimming, busy with research, busy with friends, I always had a full schedule in some way, but med schools aren’t looking for just “busy.” They’re looking to see that you’re actively working towards your goals. Your time in Princeton is not one to waste as there will never be a time again when you have so many opportunities just an email away. It sounds daunting with your busy schedules. but finding the time to put in a little of everything will go a long way to not only strengthening your resume, but also providing so many opportunities to learn and grow. That growth, again, is the true key, the secret sauce to an excellent application, because being able to illustrate how and why your activities have made you who you are and driven you to your goals is what makes an exceptionally compelling applicant. 

Premed is no joke and can easily become a monotonous grind of working through a busy schedule. If you ever want to chat about your application or process feel free to reach me at [email protected]. I’m always happy to talk about the process, strategy, and/or applications, just shoot me a message. Good luck!


HPA Jock Doc Bio (2021-22)

Pronouns: he/him/his

Relevant prehealth experience: Volunteering at a hospice center and school for mentally disabled children. Shadowed several physicians, mostly anesthesiologists. Have done research concerning both skin health as well as the disproportionate prevalence of colorectal cancer in the Black population.

What topics can students ask you about? Anything really. Time management, regrets, opportunities that I missed or took advantage of, what majors are best, whether to take certain classes, etc.

What advice would you give to a first-year, prehealth, student athlete? Keep in touch with HPA. They're here to help you but they can't if they don't know you