Med School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Expected Graduation Year: 2026
College & Major: Florida International University; Honors College Graduate, BS in Biological Sciences and BA in Natural/Applied Sciences, 2020; Barry University, MBA in Health Services Administration, 2021
Learn more about:
- Anitza's background
- Her experiences
- Her application
- Why her med school chose her
- Premed Competencies
- Anitza's Tips
Background
- Volunteered at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (NCH) from age 16-20. As a senior in high school, NCH provided her with her first clinical experiences in the NICU, CICU, and Post and Hospitalists departments.
- Sophomore year at FIU, served as student advisor to the College Board, speaking at conferences about improving the SAT and college admissions process.
- Worked throughout high school and college as an office aid and receptionist at the Radiology center.
- Anitza’s role as a certified Spanish interpreter further equipped her to bridge language barriers and provide culturally sensitive care to Latin and Hispanic communities.
Experiences
At the young age of eight, Anitza found herself navigating the complexities of the medical world alongside her Abuelita, holding her hand, and translating for her grandmother throughout her diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Anitza recalls, “It was just her and I, making our way through public transportation and bustling clinics.” Being the family translator became a defining part of Anitza’s experience as a first-generation Cuban-American. Her own medical journey began at thirteen when she was diagnosed with chronic gastritis. The countless hours spent as a patient at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, coupled with patient-doctor interactions, deepened her desire to learn more about healthcare and kindled a profound yearning to one day help others in need, just as she had helped her Abuelita.
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Anitza has always been passionate about medicine and dedicated to making a difference in her community. From the age of 16 to 20, she volunteered at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (NCH), the same place where she had once received care.
“NCH offered me my first clinical experience. I gained invaluable insight from multidisciplinary professionals and patients at four different units. For instance, the CICU, NICU, Post-Op, and Hospitalists.”
Throughout her four years volunteering at NCH, Anitza experienced professional growth while supporting patients and medical teams. She began with basic tasks such as distributing towels, blankets, toiletries, and providing comfort. As her experience expanded, she took on more responsibility, assisting nurses with procedures like blood gas collections and small bedside procedures. She even got to shadow doctors during rounds and observe clinical decision-making. Anitza recalled, “Each stage of this journey reinforced my passion for medicine and my commitment to providing compassionate, patient-centered care.”
During her sophomore year of high school until the end of her second year of college, she served as a Student Advisor for the College Board. “I spoke at national conferences to share insights on improving the SAT and college admissions process.” After graduating from high school, Anitza began working as an office aide and receptionist at Life Radiology, a position she held throughout college. Over time, she oversaw patients and managed daily operations. Anitza shared, “Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team and managing conflicts allowed me to refine my interpersonal and leadership skills, both of which have been invaluable in medical school and will continue to be essential in my future as a physician.”
At Florida International University (FIU), Anitza’s leadership shone brightly as President of Students Taking Initiative Through Collaboration in Honors (STITCH), an Honors College pre-health club that partnered with a non-profit organization called Alternative Breaks (AB). With AB, she participated in medical mission trips, eventually organizing and helping to lead medical aid ventures to underserved communities in Peru and Costa Rica. (Note: numerous colleges have Alternative Break programs, check with your school to learn about similar opportunities.)
As the Site Leader for a medical brigade to Peru, Anitza guided a team of nine students on a transformative journey with the non-profit organization, Tarpuy Sonqo. Together, they worked alongside two nurses in remote villages and schools, where they set up makeshift clinics, often under tarps. During their one-week stay, the team addressed a range of health concerns from respiratory infections to skin conditions and chronic illnesses for over 1,200 patients. Anitza recalls, “Our team played an active role in triaging patients, taking vital signs, assisting with basic wound care, and distributing medications, while also learning how to adapt to resource-limited environments.”
Anitza later led a trip of ten students to Costa Rica, partnering with Maximo Nivel (MN). There, they visited churches and elementary schools with a physician, offered physical exams, dental check-ups, vaccinations, and donated medical supplies. Anitza shared, “as a doctor, I plan to continue applying ideas of reciprocity, active citizenship, and cultural humility. I am thankful for AB, STITCH, and the service sites for showing me what it truly means to change the world one school break at a time and for letting me be a part of it.”
During the Fall of 2019 and Spring 2020 at FIU, Anitza led discussions in physics with calculus twice a week with 120 students as a teaching assistant. She says, “Physics is tough for most premeds, including me." Anitza recalled. "Helping students as a Learning Assistant naturally came to me because their questions used to be my questions. I gave lessons that encouraged collaboration among their peers and saw them show more confidence in themselves." After completing her undergraduate studies, Anitza pursued a Master of Business Administration in Health Services Administration at Barry University in Miami Shores, which she credits equipping her with strategic thinking, leadership, and communication skills essential for healthcare. Anitza continues, “I also plan to use my MBA skills in Health Services Administration to enhance healthcare delivery. By combining my medical expertise with my business knowledge, I aspire to improve access to quality care and support vulnerable communities with empathy and dedication.”
Next, Anitza became an emergency case manager at BCFS Health & Human Services. During that time, she lived in a small border town between Texas and Mexico. This gave her exposure to the urgent needs of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum. She explains, “I was responsible for the urgent intake and discharge of more than one hundred minors daily, and for providing critical support and coordination for young asylum seekers while navigating the complexities of their situations. This role underscored the importance of compassionate care and reinforced my commitment to serving vulnerable populations.”
Anitza’s continued, “Some were children as young as four years old traveling alone, others were young mothers or pregnant teens, and many were caring for younger siblings while fleeing gang violence, physical or sexual abuse, or simply searching for safety and a chance at a better life.”
As a medical student at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM), she aims to combine her experiences with her studies to make a significant impact as a future primary care physician for underserved communities.
After graduation, Anitza is committed to becoming a pediatrics physician, dedicated to taking care of complex patients while helping underserved communities enhance their access to healthcare delivery and address disparities. She shared, “Growing up in Miami as the daughter of Cuban immigrants exposed me to a vibrant, diverse community and a wide range of healthcare needs, which ignited my passion for medicine and reinforced my commitment to serving underserved populations,” She continued, saying she would be particularly “dedicated to bridging language barriers and providing compassionate care.”
"Many resources exist to facilitate the application process, but sometimes students are not aware until it’s too late. Make the most of tools like the MSAR and the AAMC Fee Assistance Program. The MSAR helps you find the best-fit schools, while the Fee Assistance Program can ease the financial burden of applying," said Anitza.
How Anitza Addressed Deficits or Concerns in Her Application
In 2020, during the pandemic, Anitza learned valuable lessons in patience and perseverance. Balancing undergraduate classes, three jobs, and extracurricular activities, all while preparing for the MCAT exam, was a daunting task. COVID only added to the difficulties, with three canceled test dates exacerbating her patience.
“I finally took the MCAT exam in July of 2020, but unfortunately, I did not achieve a score I felt was competitive enough. I was determined to try again because failure is the predecessor of success.”
She redoubled her efforts, increasing her study time, and utilizing additional resources, and sought guidance from mentors for her second attempt. Her mentor, Dr. Barbra Roller, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and faculty advisor for the Honors Club STITCH at FIU, played a crucial role. Anitza began working with Dr. Roller in the summer of 2017. She recalled, “As Anitza was enrolled in my classes for two semesters, we had the opportunity to meet regularly in and outside of class. The class also had students write personal statements, discussed holistic review, communication skills, interviews, and I reviewed AMCAS applications.”
In addition to her academic work, Anitza’s knew she needed to continue to work on strengthening and growing her leadership skills and clinical experiences. With her involvement as president of STITCH she was responsible for organizing monthly meetings and special events. Dr. Roller shared that “in my 30+ years of teaching at FIU and being a faculty advisor, I have never seen someone who is so focused, pays such attention to every detail, gets along so well with the other students, and has such excellent communication skills at such an early point in her academic career.”
Anitza says Dr. Roller helped her better prepare for medical school through her invaluable advice and support. She also found student mentors through campus organizations, premed clubs, and volunteering opportunities. Together they offered guidance on everything from MCAT preparation to navigating the application process, and their insights were instrumental in shaping her path.
She was involved in the Pre-Medical Undergraduate Program (PUMP) which is an interactive networking opportunity for 50 undergraduate premed students to be mentored one-on-one by current FIU medical students. “I gained insight into the life of a medical student as well as developed professionally through the many events hosted by PUMP. I went to application workshops, mock interviews, medical simulations, and even became close friends with the medical students,” she reflected.
Anitza’s dedication to blending clinical experience with research was evident in her shadowing experiences in radiology and her research at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. During her six-month shadowing experience with the chief radiologist, she observed reading room sessions and gained first-hand knowledge of radiological practices. Anitza shared, “I also had the opportunity to assist radiology technicians with imaging exams, learning to differentiate matter based on density across X-rays, MRI, and CT scans, as well as observing ultrasound, PET, and nuclear imaging.”
In addition, she also conducted research at NCH for a year, focusing on developing safe standards to improve image quality and reduce radiation exposure for pediatric patients.” I analyzed national guidelines from organizations such as Imaging Gently and Choosing Wisely, comforted patients through procedures, and presented my findings to the Principal Investigator.”
Even during her role as a private tutor and physics assistant, she was able to help her demonstrate her commitment to mentoring and supporting others.
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine on Why They Chose Anitza
GCSOM found Anitza to be a competitive candidate due to her well-rounded application, which aligned with their mission. According to Dr. Michelle Schmude, vice provost for enrollment management and professor of medical education at GCSOM, Anitza presented “experiences, attributes, academic metrics, and competencies that indicated she would be a candidate we should meet for an interview.” Her key strengths were demonstrated in her application through her experiences, personal statement, and letters of recommendation.
Anitza’s dedication was evident through her extensive community involvement and her passion for helping others, which resonated with GCSOM’s holistic admissions approach. Through their holistic review process, the admissions committee at GCSOM felt Anitza's application materials and interview performance aligned with the institution's mission.
Dr. Schmude also noted that Anitza further impressed the admissions team during the interview process, saying, “We utilize multiple mini interviews to assess premed competencies for entering medical students. In Anitza’s case, the multiple mini interviews allowed her to demonstrate further that she possessed and excelled in the competencies of ethical responsibility to self and others, resilience and adaptability, cultural competence, teamwork, reliability and dependability, and social skills. She also demonstrated and excelled in the competencies of service orientation, oral communication, and capacity for improvement.”
Anitza’s alignment with Geisinger’s mission was further solidified through her acceptance to the Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program. “This service commitment program offers an extraordinary opportunity by covering all medical school tuition and fees and provides a monthly stipend, freeing students to serve the community without the burden of overwhelming medical school debt. Abigail Geisinger Scholars become Geisinger-employed physicians immediately post-residency to complete their service commitment,” she said.
Anitza's Strongest Competencies
Learn more about the Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students.
Professional Competencies
- Commitment to Learning and Growth
- Retaking the MCAT after not achieving her desired score, and seeking increasing levels of responsibilities as a volunteer at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
- Commitment to Learning and Growth
- Overcoming the C+ by seeking out tutors/mentors and creating and implementing a vision for the Pathways Scholar program.
- Cultural Humility
- Leading medical missions in underserved communities in Peru and Costa Rica.
- Empathy and Compassion
- Acting as a caregiver for her Abuelita and working with vulnerable populations, such as unaccompanied minors at the border.
- Reliability and Dependability
- Managing intake and discharge for over 100 minors daily as an emergency case manager.
- Oral Communication
- Speaking at national conferences as student advisor to the College Board.
- Service Orientation
- Leading extensive volunteer work, including medical missions in underserved communities.
Thinking & Reasoning Competencies
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Assisting peers in physics with calculus as a teaching assistant.
- Scientific Inquiry
- Conducting research at NCH focusing on developing safe standards to improve image quality and reduce radiation exposure for pediatric patients.
Science Competencies
- Living Systems
- Participating in patient care (e.g. taking vital signs, assisting with basic wound care, etc.) during medical mission trips and clinical experiences.
Anitza's Tips
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Many resources exist to facilitate the application process, but sometimes students are not aware until it’s too late. Make the most of tools like the MSAR and the AAMC Fee Assistance Program. The MSAR helps you find the best-fit schools, while the Fee Assistance Program can ease the financial burden of applying.
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Engage in volunteering and research that genuinely interests you, but remember, it's how you convey these experiences that matter most. Focus on the impact and what you learned rather than just listing activities.
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Reach out to current med students at schools you're interested in. They can offer invaluable insights, share their own application tips, and help you understand the school’s culture and expectations better.
