About
I’m a published author and a Lecturer of Creative and Scientific Writing. For the last five years I’ve been teaching a course I designed to help students write in the sciences, with an emphasis on applying to graduate healthcare programs—medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, physicians assistant programs, you name it. I’ve helped hundreds of students get into the programs of their choice.
After college I was accepted to three of the four medical schools I applied to, but in my one-year gap before med school I decided to ride a motorcycle from New York to the tip of South America. Along the way I wrote a book about my journey and decided that the life of a writer was what I truly wanted. I began writing fiction and later attended the country’s top writing program (The Iowa Writers’ Workshop), where I was an Arts Fellow. My fiction has won several awards, and I have been a fellow at The MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and other writers’ residencies. I have also won numerous awards at the University where I teach, including commendations from the Center for Teaching and the Career Center.
I specialize in narrative and absolutely love helping applicants find the best way to tell their stories! When committees speak about applicants they don't say, “Pass me Jane Doe's application.” They say, “Pass me the one about the young woman who ferried medical supplies in the jungle in Guatemala.” Human beings can remember some facts, but we are hardwired to remember stories. I want application committees to love you. They will do so by first falling in love with your story.
For the last twenty years I have worked in a variety of roles in both business and publishing that have prepared me for this particular niche. I’ve been a proofreader, copy editor, technical writer, executive recruiter, professional writer, and university professor. With my background in the sciences, I’m also familiar with scientific terminology and admissions requirements and can help you decide which academic and extra-curricular experiences will best complement your application.
Admissions committees from several programs have told my students that they lacked certain criteria--grades, test scores, experience--but that the program was willing to give them an interview based solely on the strength of their application essay. The same goes for job applicants. One of my students had zero experience for a medical assistant job, but she manged to beat out several others (one with a decade of experience), based solely on the strength of her resume and cover letter. When you need the best shot at getting in, don't take any chances on your application materials! Let’s make yours superlative.
