1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.  Currently there is not too much to me, but I plan on changing this very soon. I am DeMario Malone, a sophomore at the University of Missouri-Columbia majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology and Black Studies. I am from St. Louis, and grew up in a majority black portion of the city with over 90% of my graduating class being African American, making the transition to Mizzou a difficult one, but a major factor in being a great student is adaptability. I hope to be the first person in my family to earn the title of MD, or complete graduate school in general.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you? My favorite teacher so far in College has been Dr. Bush, my introduction to biology teacher. While the class itself was somewhat of a gut class, she has been so much of a source of motivation for all of my classes that I know my second semester would have went much differently if I did not go to her office hours just to talk about life. She is an extremely empathetic person and has invaluable advice about the journey of a college undergrad. While I may have only completed one year of college, I know I will be seeing her for the next 3 years of my undergrad journey and potentially beyond.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why?  While I first amused the idea of becoming a doctor around the age of 13, I did not establish my decision of becoming a doctor until I was 17 years old and my mom explained my families history with cancer and how my uncles and grandfather all died from preventable cancers, but could not afford the high cost of going to the hospital. Along with my family’s medical woes, I spent a majority of my freshman and sophomore years in and out of hospitals and watched the bills rack up for my family. Due to these factors, I decided I wanted to be a cheap doctor in an underrepresented community in order to spread confidence in the medical system in communities of low socioeconomic status.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in? My first choice for the past 4 years had been dermatology but I am also considering psychiatry.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey? While my experience has been brief, with Mizzou’s chapter of MAPS, I was able to experience the Medical School’s anatomy lab, and was able to explore the anatomy and organs of human cadavers when at that point I have only done dissections on mice.

6. What is your favorite book?  My favorite book is an interesting question, I read regularly and my favorite changes so much! Currently it is either Brian Stevenson’s Just Mercy or Ta-Nehisi Coate’s Between The World And Me.

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know. In high school, while I was primarily known as an athlete, I was also a pretty skilled musician! I played the Baritone in my school’s band and one of my proudest moments was becoming first chair in the highest level band senior year after starting in last chair of the lower level band my freshman year.

8. If you couldn’t be a doctor, what would you want to do? If I couldn’t be a doctor, I would go to graduate school and attempt to get a doctorates in psychology. If medical school does not work out I want to one day be either a psychologist in a clinic, or an educator in psychology. Social work in a different country is not off the table either.

9. What has been your biggest obstacle as a premed and how did you (or are you) overcome it? My biggest obstacle on my journey (besides chemistry) is the lack of adequate mentorship. While my parents try their hardest to help and support me, they know nothing about the journey to medical school and are apprehensive of my undergraduate research, hospital volunteering, and wish to study abroad. I am currently looking for a doctor, educator, or someone who has the experience to assist me on my path.

10. What do you like most about PreMed STAR? The PreMed STAR community welcomed me with open arms!! Everyone is so friendly and willing to help each other. I have received so much good advice from this blog concerning both undergrad tips, the MCAT, and what to expect in Medical School.

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