Madi Hallare '19

Madi Hallare (she/her/hers)

What factors helped you decide to apply and also enroll in this program?

I wanted to provide care to a more diverse patient population and explore the East Coast. I knew I would have invaluable clinical experiences at the Johns Hopkins Hospital as a nursing student.

If you took a gap year before applying to medical or health profession schools, describe what you did.  

After graduating from Oxy, I worked on my prerequisites for nursing school, volunteered at two local hospitals, and coached lacrosse for the youth program in my community. Taking a gap year allowed me to reflect on my passions and strengths, which ultimately guided me toward pursuing a career in healthcare. I devoted my time to other commitments during my time at Oxy, so having a gap year really allowed me to prioritize myself and my career goals. I hope to normalize taking a gap year to pre-health students, as almost everyone I met in my nursing program took one or more gap years. This time really allowed me to find a sense of direction and create a solid foundation going into nursing school that I wouldn't have had without my gap year experiences.

What experiences helped you decide that you wanted to be a healthcare provider?

I've always been passionate about advocating and caring for others during challenging or vulnerable times. I shadowed nurses in various departments and was inspired by the effect nursing care has on driving healing. Through my coursework at Oxy, volunteer work, and shadowing, I knew I wanted to make a positive impact on patients' health.

Do you have any other advice you'd like to share with pre-med or pre-health students?

Balance your time by taking care of yourself, doing things you love, and spending time with those who lift you up. The road to becoming a healthcare worker takes a lot of foresight and tenacity, and it's important to show yourself love along the way and reflect on even your smallest accomplishments.