Ruchira Ankireddygari

Major and Minor: Neuroscience (major) and History (minor)

Favorite class you took at Michigan:

My favorite class was my freshman year Spanish 232, which I took with my twin sister.  It was an 8 am class with only 14 students in the MLB. I enjoyed how interactive the class format was. Since I conversed with all my classmates in Spanish regularly,  I got to know them pretty well.

When/How did you study for the MCAT:

I originally planned to take the MCAT during January of my junior year after I took TPR prep class in the summer. This gave me about 6 months of part-time studying. However, I had to adjust my study plans because I came down with a chronic case of keratitis. I ended up taking the MCAT in September 2021 after the shortened version had been put into place during COVID 19.

In my experience, I regretted taking the Princeton Review class. I essentially had to restudy everything with the books because of the large time gap between when I took the class and when I took the exam. While studying on my own ( with the help of prep books) seemed intimidating to me at first, I think that it can actually be a great option for many students who may be non-traditional learners.

When did you take the MCAT:

Sept 2020

What was your pre-med experience:

My experience had its ups and downs. There were several moments where I felt overtaxed or things didn’t go as planned. Due to illness, I also had to alter my schedule several times. Overall, I still had a positive and meaningful experience at U of M as a premed. I had a chance to have a lot of good classes and unique extracurriculars that gave me a chance to develop myself even outside of being a premed.

Recommendations/advice for current students:

Medical school extracurricular requirements of research, clinical, and non-clinical hours, as well as leadership, can be met in several different ways. Look up the specific (and suggested) requirements for the schools that you may want to attend or apply to, several years before you apply to medical school. Rather than thinking about what you can do to meet these requirements, consider how you can explore your passions/ interests while still meeting the requirements. Do not feel the need to do the same activities as other students, and take the time to explore what makes you happy.

I would also recommend that students try to be prepared for the unexpected, and ready to adapt their plans, as well as their mindsets. You never know what will happen in the future, so let yourself learn and reflect on your experiences and the reasons why you want to pursue a career in medicine.

Classes: