Valuable Experiences in Classroom, Lab, and Community Bolster Med School Goals

Growing up in San Francisco, Michelle Chang ’23 witnessed at an early age the challenges her immigrant family faced in accessing medical care for her grandmother with Alzheimer’s. The experience sparked her interest in medicine.

Later, as she translated conversations between her family and their physician, Michelle observed the impact of the doctor’s empathy and patience. This shaped her aspiration to become a physician who not only provides medical care but also understands and supports patients and their families.

“I formed an idea not just about pursuing medicine as a career but also about the type of physician I aspire to be,” Michelle says.

A standout student during her high school years at Mercy High School, Michelle balanced a demanding schedule that included athletics and multiple advanced placement classes. When it came time to select a college, she carefully evaluated her options to ensure the best preparation for her goal to attend medical school. Although she initially considered UCLA and Cal Poly SLO, a family member’s advice led her to explore smaller private schools, where students often receive more personalized attention.

“He said that most of the people he hires were from small private schools and were stronger applicants than people who attended larger schools.”

It was an advisor with College Track, a nonprofit organization that supports students to become the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree, who suggested that Michelle check out Dominican University of California. When Michelle investigated Dominican, she was drawn to the university's biology program and its emphasis on undergraduate research and faculty mentorship.

“I’m a first-generation student and an only child, so I really wanted a faculty mentor and a close-knit and supportive community to help me reach my goals,” she recalls.

At Dominican, Michelle worked with faculty and advisors determined to help her reach her goals.

Although Michelle’s first year as a college student was primarily on Zoom, she got to know the faculty researchers in the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics through the department’s unique Research Methodology Course Series, which infuses flexibility into the curriculum. Seven units of hands-on laboratory or field-based research are integrated into the biology and chemistry majors, with pathways for scientific writing and research. 

Through a first-year service-learning course, Michelle also began working with Next Generation Scholars (NGS), a Marin County nonprofit that empowers under-resourced, first-generation middle and high school students in Marin County to succeed in college and beyond. The program and its students were like her own College Track experience.

Joining NGS amid the challenges of the pandemic inspired Michelle to take on challenging projects to make an impact not only on the organization but also the young students. What started as a semester-long placement transitioned into a three-year commitment to NGS. Michelle tutored 6th and 7th grade students in science and math. She also served as the organization’s social media manager, creating highlight stories that increased both visibility and donations.

As COVID restrictions eased, Michelle was delighted when all students returned to campus beginning her sophomore year. The full residence halls, along with the research activity taking place in the Science Center labs, provided the community she had been seeking.

“I was really ready for – and really excited about – getting the true college experience,” she recalls.

Competing as a NCAA Division II athlete on Dominican’s track and field team remains one of her most meaningful experiences at Dominican. She learned to enjoy the process rather than be anxious about the immediate outcome.

“In my early college years, perfectionism affected my performance, especially in jumps,” Michelle recalls. “As I prepared to spring down the runway, I couldn’t get myself to stop thinking about the outcome.”

Instead, she started to set small benchmarks, focusing on improvements. 

“This shift allowed me to appreciate small achievements, making a substantial impact on my overall performance.”

After rotating through several research labs during the first-year Research Methodology Course Series, Michelle applied to join the Johnson Lab. Dr. Tyler Johnson, who earned his PhD in chemical oceanography from UC Santa Cruz and completed his postdoctoral research in natural products chemistry at UC Berkeley, focuses on the discovery and medicinal chemistry of natural product compounds for treating cancer, inflammation, and neurobiological disorders.

“Dr. Johnson really connects well with his students. Early on he asks everyone about their career aspirations and then tells us that he can help us get there,” Michelle says. “I also knew that his work involved a lot of cancer research, which was a good fit for medical school.”

In the Johnson Lab, Michelle assisted in lab operations to extract oils from marine sponges for anti-cancer research and medicinal trials. The work involved collaborating with researchers from other universities working on the same topic, analyzing their research, and discussing findings, and documenting in lab notebooks. Michelle, who remained with the Johnson lab through graduation, particularly enjoyed taking on the role of mentor. To better guide first-year students through lab protocols, she created an instructional video version of the written lab technique guide.

“By publishing the video on YouTube, my lab also made this technique more accessible to students around the world, decreasing barriers to conducting the type of research we were doing,” she notes. “Seeing the first-had impact of innovation in a previously neglected area to increase information accessibility is something I want to take with me not only to medical school, but also into my career as a physician.”

Michelle’s preparation at Dominican made her well prepared to join research labs at other universities. Her association with College Track made her eligible to apply for competitive summer positions as an Emerson Collective First-Generation Intern. At Stanford University, she researched molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s. While at the University of California San Francisco, she worked on a project detecting synapse loss in the brain.

Back at Dominican, Michelle co-authored a groundbreaking study by the Johnson Lab and the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology that explores how small molecules derived from sea sponges affect energy production in mitochondria and details their remarkably targeted effects on various types of cancers. In spring 2024, the findings were published in the journal GeroScience.

Dr. Johnson has strong praise for Michelle’s strengths both in and outside the lab. Her work ethic and resilience, he says, will bode well for her ability to handle the rigorous and dynamic problem-solving environment that is ahead in medical school.

“Michelle is a rare gem in terms of her work ethic and her teamwork to get the job done at a high level,” he says. As an NCAA Division II student scholar-athlete, who served on our women’s track team with a high GPA, her performance with us is a testament to her resilience and adaptability.”

Taking on leadership roles with chemistry honors society Gamma Sigma Epsilon gave Michelle the opportunity to work alongside another faculty mentor, Dr. Christine Koh, assistant professor of Chemistry and Dominican.

Dr. Koh’s teaching style had helped Michelle overcome a rocky start in Dr. Koh’s physics course.

“I did not do well on her first exam, but the way Dr. Koh taught and explained complex subjects made everything so clear,” Michelle says. “She helped me through challenges and helped me move from not understanding to getting an A in her class.” Michelle later became a TA in Dr. Koh’s biochemistry class.

Her junior year, Michelle received the Lillian L.Y. Wang Yin Scholarship, awarded by the faculty in the Department of Health and Natural Sciences to an upperclassman representing high scholastic performance throughout academic years. Michelle was on the Dean’s List all five semesters - an achievement that she attributes largely to the support she received from NSM faculty.

“The science faculty at Dominican are so supportive, and so connected with each other and with the students,” Michelle says. “There are so many opportunities to interact one-on-one. I received a great experience and a great education. This support and this community helped me so much at Dominican.”

In December 2023, Michelle graduated from Dominican Summa Cum Laude – in just 3.5 years.

As Michelle awaits her MCAT results and works on her medical school applications, she remains committed to the goal she set herself while helping to care for her grandmother – to form meaningful relationships with patients. For several summers she had volunteered at an assisted living and memory care home serving patients with dementia. She returned again this spring.

“The rewarding feeling of helping ease loneliness reinforces my desire to form meaningful relationships with patients as a physician.”