Destination: MD/MBA

By Jake Goodman, UGA '15, MBA '20

I always knew that I wanted to be a doctor. I remember proudly proclaiming this during elementary school during career days. I didn’t know what kind of doctor that I wanted to be, but the decision to pursue medicine was clear from an early age.

What I didn’t know was that the path to medical school was like running through miles of thorn bushes while trying to avoid a stampede of buffalo in the dark of night, during a tornado. Maybe I’m being dramatic, but I remember what it was like every step of the way, and it was not easy.

I was never the smartest person in the class. As I say in the video: I failed my driver’s test twice, I took the SAT three times to get the score I needed, and I had to take the MCAT twice. I got denied from 25 medical schools and it took me nearly two years to get accepted. Hard work, resilience, and patience got me to where I am today.

After 3 years of medical school up in Philadelphia at Sidney Kimmel Medical College (Thomas Jefferson University), I decided to pursue a unique opportunity to get my Master of Business Administration at my Alma Mater, the University of Georgia, in the MD/MBA Dual Degree program.

When I returned to UGA, I wanted to give back to the University that gave me so much and shaped me into the person I am today. I decided to begin volunteering for the UGA Pre-Health Advising Office, speaking at panels, hosting presentations, and meeting with students for one-on-one advising. When the new year rolled around, I decided that I wanted to make a larger impact.

We all know the value of a mentor who’s been there and done that. During undergrad at UGA, I had a small handful of these mentors who were accepted into medical school and they provided me with powerful advice. What about the people that didn’t have these mentors? Imagine a space where an entire community of doctors, dentists, physician assistants, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more, many of whom are UGA Grads, provide advice and motivational stories to Pre-Meds.

In January of 2020, I launched Destination Med School, an online community of medical professionals sharing their advice, insight, and lessons they’ve learned along their journey. As I write this post today, the account has far exceeded 2,000 followers on Instagram since launching one month ago and has grown to a community of nearly 100 medical professionals. Future medical professionals, anywhere in the world, can now tune in to receive daily content from mentors in all fields.

I want to thank the Georgia MBA program for empowering me to embark on this journey, my professors for teaching me valuable business skills, and the UGA Pre-Health Advising Office for providing me with a platform to give back to this University.

I am proud to continue speaking to future medical professionals at UGA. I am proud to run an account that provides mentorship to students that need it. And I am proud to now, and always, be a Georgia Bulldawg.

Check out Destination Med School on Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/destinationmedschool/