Who Am I?
Hi, I’m Vik! I created this course to share the insights and strategies that helped me succeed in my own pre-med journey. My goal is to provide you with actionable guidance, helping you craft a strong application and navigate the competitive medical school admissions process.
I’m currently a medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Before that, I attended Vanderbilt University, where I earned a B.S. in Neuroscience with a 3.94 GPA and scored 520 (97th percentile) on the MCAT. My journey began at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), where I graduated with a 4.51 GPA, a 36 ACT, and multiple AP exam scores of 5 across subjects like Calculus BC, Chemistry, and Macroeconomics.
Research & Publications
I have a strong background in neuroscience and addiction research, working at:
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Research in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), with projects in metabolomics for Parkinson’s disease and testicular cancer.
- Vanderbilt University – Research at the Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, focusing on the neurobiology of addiction.
- George Mason University – High school research through the Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP).
I have also published multiple papers, including:
- First author on "Nutritional Ketosis as a Potential Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder" (Frontiers in Psychiatry)
- Co-author on a high-ranking experimental research publication
- Co-author on a review article
Additionally, I have presented my research at Vanderbilt's Undergraduate Research Fair and NIH's Summer Research Fair.
Medical School Admissions Success
When I applied to medical school, I received interviews from 11 top institutions, including:
- Johns Hopkins (#3), Duke (#6), Vanderbilt (#13), the University of Pittsburgh (#14), and Washington University in St. Louis (#11).
I designed this course to give you a clear, strategic roadmap for pre-med success—from coursework and research to MCAT prep and extracurriculars. I’ve also attached a summary of my application to serve as a reference.
I hope this course provides the value and guidance that I wish I had during my journey. Let’s get started!