Daniel Leary, Current MD Candidate
BU Major & Graduation Date:
B.A. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, M.A. Biotechnology (2017)
Current School and Year:
Rush Medical College, Doctor of Medicine Program, Class of 2024
Preferred Pronouns:
He/Him/His
Hometown:
Greenlawn, New York
What school are you attending and what you are studying? Why did you choose to apply to this school? What do you think makes your school unique?
I am currently at Rush Medical College studying in their Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. Chicago is a bustling city in the Midwest filled with folks from all walks of life. When it came down to choosing medical schools, I ended up choosing Rush due to their commitment to the Chicagoland community. Through the Rush Community Service Initiative Program, my classmates and I were able to work on projects with community partners across the city to promote positive health behaviors, screen persons for a variety of conditions, and provide vaccinations and care to people who need it most. Thanks to this program it has given me much needed perspective of the health disparities around us that has contributed much to my education as a growing physician overall.
Is there a specialization and/or specific population you are interested in? Why? How did you get into it and/or learn more about it?
I am looking to either Specialize in Gastroenterology or Hematology/Oncology. Something I learned very early on in Med School is to pick a specialty where you like how your daily patient encounters would be structured. I personally love getting to know my patients and having long appointment times so these fields were right up my alley. I learned about it from my pre-clerkship studies but also from reaching out to doctors at Rush who are in the field to hear from them what they liked from their jobs.
What are one or two of your favorite experiences/activities and why?
At Rush, one of my favorite experiences has been organizing and volunteering at Rush’s Back to School Health fair. This event serves families of students in the west and south side of Chicago where the medical college and other programs at Rush University all come together to help students get ready for the upcoming academic year. Participants at the fair received a comprehensive sports or health physical and other preventive health services (Mental health screening, vaccinations, sexual health screening, etc.) before starting up the school year again. It’s a great day for the whole Rush community to come together on one day to serve our neighbors in the city we study in.
Did you take any gap years?
I took three gap years between undergrad and medical school. During those years, I worked as a Research Associate at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in the Center of the Development Therapeutics. I also volunteered at both MGH and BIDMC after work to get many hours of clinical activities.
What was your favorite BU course and why?
CAS CL 101 The World of Greece was my favorite class of undergrad! It was a nice break from the really intense science classes and was a great time to talk about a topic that I loved when I was a kid: Greek History! It was a wonderful class where history, linguistics and art were all blended into one wonderful course.
Were you involved in any clubs/groups at BU?
Stage Troupe – The theatre group on campus. For the years I was involved I was an Actor in the stage Show W;T, Master carpenter (Set builder), and writer for the Stage Troupe COMBAT! Events.
KDSAP – I was the social chair and one of the BU Chapter founders of the KDSAP organization at BU. Organized some of the first screenings for patients in the area starting small at around 50 patients screened to aiming high as screening a couple of hundred in my post grad years.
Have you always known you wanted to be a doctor? What/who has been your biggest inspiration?
I had know from a young age that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine. I had always had a knack for the life sciences and was very inquisitive into how the human body worked. My biggest inspiration was my grandmother who was a nurse and always loved hearing her patient stories when I was young. I felt that pursuing an MD was the correct way to serve patients and embrace my love of science in one job.
What resource at BU did you find most helpful or want to spotlight that others might not know about?
Pre-health advising appointments with my advisor (Shoutout Michelle Sherman) were crucial before applying to med school. They are essential to making sure all of you application materials are tee’ed up and that your epectations are tempered before entering the long process that is applying to medical school. Also it’s great time to hear of other schools you should apply to. My advisor recommended Rush to me 1 day before I applied and it wasn’t even on my list!
What are your hobbies/What do you like to do for fun outside of the classroom?
Marathon running, biking, baking, and hosting dinner parties!
Are there any tips/advice you would like to share with current pre-health students?
Always put your best foot forward when applying to these programs. Make your application represent the best self you can be and want to share with these schools. It is okay to take time off to make sure you have a knockout application. These schools will always be here waiting for you when you’re ready. They aren’t going anywhere!