Sarah Teeman’s inspiration for medical school came early and from sources close to home. She told us “My sister had muscular dystrophy, so I often went to the doctor with her. She needed more specialized care, so we had to drive 60+ miles each way for her appointments. These trips were also expensive because we had to drive a large, handicap accessible gas-guzzling van. At these appointments, I saw the challenges of her medical condition in the context of our family's own social determinants of health: growing up in poverty, living in a more rural area, and lack of disability services.”
Later, Sarah’s family was met with further medical need: “When I was 10, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and over the span of 3 years, I saw her cancer grow worse and eventually she was placed on hospice in our home and passed away. Seeing how her physicians extended her life when she had terminal cancer, I was inspired by this career pathway to provide this same service to other families. With my academic interests in science, I joined a biomedical sciences program in high school. I began volunteering at my local hospital during my junior year of high school and completed a shadowing program at this same hospital. These early life experiences reinforced my love of science and interest in medicine. After reflecting on my family’s experiences through public health coursework in college, I was motivated to pursue dual MD/MPH programs.”
As she worked to complete her Bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University, Sarah applied for ACE’s Rev Up program, a grant-funded program that allowed students from all walks of life to have access to a Kaplan MCAT prep course, help from experts on writing personal statements, interview skills, and more. After many hours of hard work Sarah completed her MCAT and began applying for medical school. To date, she has already been accepted to four medical schools for Fall 2025 entry. Sarah told us that she moved out and began supporting herself financially while still in high school. While she was in college, she worked multiple jobs in order to pay her bills while maintaining her extra-curricular activities and keeping up with her coursework. With so much on her plate, she worried about how she would afford the often-expensive MCAT prep courses, so she was relieved to find the Rev Up program: “Thanks to REV-UP, I was able to access high-quality MCAT prep without having to overextend myself even more…in addition to the MCAT resources, it was incredibly helpful to participate in the workshops and other programs. I truly believe these resources were the primary reason I was able to prepare successfully enough to gain admission into medical school.”
At this time, Sarah is researching her opportunities before making a final decision. When asked about her future, she said “I am interested in working with women and children in under-resourced areas and working to support and build sustainable healthcare in the Majority World. I am also interested in completing a program like the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service where I can further learn skills intersecting medicine and public health. I hope to specialize in pediatrics or internal medicine. I am still very much interested in the MPH and have been accepted into two dual MD/MPH programs.” We are so proud of Sarah and consider it a privilege to be able to support students from rural Oklahoma in pursuing their dreams of helping their community.