Beyond Grades: How Jonathon Lewis Rebuilt After Academic Setbacks and Committed to Equity in Healthcare

Jonathon Lewis

Med School: University of Louisville School of Medicine
Expected Graduation Year: 2027
College & Major: Northwestern University, Neuroscience, 2020

Learn more about:

• Jonathon's background
• His experiences
• His application
• Why his med school chose him

Background

• Jonathon attended the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) at the University of Louisville in the summer of 2017.
• During his sophomore year of high school, he participated in a mission trip to Haiti where he and others provided school supplies to a partner school. Upon return, he worked with students and faculty to fundraise over $800,000 to build a new school.
• In his sophomore year of college, he began doing spinal cord injury research at Feinberg Medical School, then volunteered at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
• In 2020, he began working as a medical scribe in Chicago and was able to shadow physicians and scribe in a healthcare setting.
• He completed a Master’s in Physiology at the University of Michigan to strengthen his academic record, after his undergraduate university moved to Pass/Fail system during the pandemic, limiting his ability to improve his undergraduate GPA.  
• He was accepted to the University of Louisville School of Medicine for his commitment to serving his community and alignment with the school’s mission.

Experiences

Jonathon Lewis’s interest in medicine began from a young age with a single interaction with an orthopedic doctor. Diagnosed with Sever’s disease, a condition affecting the growth plates in his feet, Jonathon was heartbroken to learn he would not be able to continue playing football. Jonathon recalled his doctor advising, “If you keep your grades up, you can take over for me one day.” Over time, Jonathon kept this memory in mind as he became fascinated with the idea of a career as a future physician.

Jonathon shadowed physicians throughout high school and also participated in a mission trip to Haiti in his sophomore year. During this experience, he “built good relationships with the locals and delivered school supplies to the children there…[and] listened to what many of the village leaders said they needed, which was a school for the children.” Upon returning home, Jonathon collaborated with a group of students and faculty to lead fundraising efforts for the construction of a new school. Jonathon shared insights from his experiences in Haiti while speaking at events attended by students, alumni, and donors. Ultimately, the group raised over $800,000 to build a new school in Haiti.

At Northwestern University, Jonathon began researching medical school preparatory programs for undergraduate students and discovered the Summer Health Professions Education program (SHPEP) at the University of Louisville (UofL). He participated in the program the summer following his first year. There, he connected with faculty and medical students and gained valuable insight into the medical school application process. During his time at the school, he became familiar with the campus, developed a fondness for its mission and focus, and had the opportunity to meet with the admissions dean, who outlined the specific requirements for admission.

Jonathon continued to build on his experiences while in undergrad. During the spring of his sophomore year, he began doing incomplete spinal cord injury research at Feinberg Medical School. He shared, “I found this opportunity by first asking my college advisor about research positions. [He] told me to look at the school research website and filter for labs that I found interesting. I found the incomplete spinal cord injury lab fascinating due to the patient population they worked with and the technology they used.” Jonathon expressed his interest to the work in the lab and contributed to several of his research projects.

During his junior year, he began volunteering at Northwestern Memorial Hospital as a hospital assistant, a role he discovered through a college friend. Through this opportunity, he said, “I was able to learn what it's like to be in an inpatient facility and see what the day-to-day activities are like in the hospital.”

"After failing physiology during my sophomore year, I retook it my junior year but later earned a master’s in physiology to prove my academic strength to medical schools," said Jonathon. "I have lofty goals for my future as a physician. One of my main drivers for pursuing medicine is to help close the health inequity gap in underserved populations."

In the Fall of 2020, Jonathon worked as a medical scribe for Oak Street Health, where he prepped patient charts for morning rounds and communicated with medical assistants, phlebotomists, and physicians to improve patient care. While working at Oak Street Health, he gained firsthand experience providing care to underserved communities.

“While there, I witnessed the closing of Mercy Hospital, which was the community’s only hospital that provided comprehensive specialty care. Due to Mercy's closing, patients who came to our medical clinic needed to be referred to hospitals that were now 30–40-minute drives away from them. Since many relied on public transportation, their commutes to receive care lasted upwards of an hour. They also reported that their issues were not taken seriously after visiting these hospitals.”

This experience was a key factor in solidifying Jonathon’s future goals. He shared, “Working at Oak Street Health has changed my entire motive for attending medical school, and I now feel a sense of purpose and duty in my pursuits. I want to become an orthopedic surgeon and use my resources and network to help create affordable specialty medical centers that can help underserved populations.”

As a first-generation medical student, Jonathon brings a deep understanding of patient care and a strong passion for health equity. One of the main driving forces that shaped his application process was witnessing the impact of healthcare disparities firsthand. He shared, “As an African American aspiring physician who works for a company serving underserved communities, patients have felt very comfortable detailing to me the prejudices they have experienced in hospitals. Hearing their stories has allowed me to learn the dos and don'ts of providing equitable healthcare.”

How Jonathon Addressed Deficits or Concerns in His Application

Before Jonathon began his application, he realized his GPA was not where it should ideally be, because he took chemistry and physiology together before preparing to do so. Ultimately, he failed both classes and recalled how he went through a tough period. He shared, “I doubted myself and if I even had a path to becoming a doctor. However, I kept working and improved my grades slowly over the next three years.”

In the spring of that year, he found a new sense of direction through his research at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (NU/FSM) and his volunteer work at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. By the time he reached senior year, his GPA had improved. Unfortunately, in the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced NU/FSM to become pass/fail. Jonathon explained, “This meant I would no longer be able to improve my GPA, which was still recovering from my sophomore year.”

This led Jonathon to reach out to the student success coordinator at the University of Louisville’s Student Affairs office, whom he’d met while attending SHPEP. They discussed his potential readiness, reviewed his current experiences, GPA, and spoke about the competitiveness of his application. The coordinator informed Jonathon that even with a perfect MCAT score, his GPA and current experiences would likely not be sufficient for admission to medical school. They suggested he pursue a graduate degree to strengthen his GPA and demonstrate academic readiness.

Jonathon recalled, “Although it was complex information, considering I worked so hard to feel confident about my application, I knew deep down that my GPA was still lacking, and I agreed that graduate school may be the best thing to fix it.”

He studied for the GMAT and researched the graduate programs for preparing students for medical school. Eventually, he found and was accepted into the University of Michigan’s Master's in Physiology program. The rigorous coursework and dedicated faculty helped demonstrate he was ready for medical school.

During the summer of 2022, he graduated from his master’s program, took the MCAT, applied to 25 medical schools, and received one interview and acceptance from the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

University of Louisville School of Medicine on Why They Chose Jonathon

University of Louisville School of Medicine (ULSOM) chose Jonathon because his application clearly reflected the school’s mission and values and demonstrated several key competencies.

According to Ms. Jennifer Coffey, Director of Admissions at ULSOM, although “Jonathon wasn’t as strong” as some other applicants academically, she shared that “his essays and extracurricular activities compelled the admissions committee to give him further consideration.”

“His compassion for others came through in the descriptions of his experiences and in his personal essay,” Ms. Coffey explained. “Even when he talked about his struggles to get to this point in his journey, he never lost sight of his goals. He has had to overcome so much and still wants to give back what he has learned to his peers,” she added.

When considering his application, the medical school admissions committee also noted this commitment to serving underserved populations. Jennifer Coffey, director of admissions at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, explained, “Through [Jonathon’s] response to our secondary application question, [Jonathon] showed how his cultural experiences shaped the way he sees himself contributing to the medical field and strengthened his ability to provide equitable care for a diverse patient population.”

 Jonathon’s experience as a member of his college rugby team showed his competency with teamwork and collaboration, as well as interpersonal skills. His participation in the SHPEP program at ULSOM also strengthened his candidacy. Ms. Coffrey shared, “Having had previous experience with Jonathon through SHPEP, we saw his drive and heart for others up close.” The program also helped deepen his connection to the greater Louisville area. “As a state-supported institution, we look for significant ties to the state and/or the university to help us identify non-resident applicants who may meet our mission,” Ms. Coffrey added.  

Jonathon’s involvement in service-oriented activities like the MEDLife program, which seeks to improve health conditions in third-world countries, also made him stand out. Ms. Coffey explained, “He was an active leader of this organization as a member of the executive board, specifically responsible for organizing fundraisers, recruiting new members, and assisting members with medical school information.”

While reading the letters of evaluation provided in the application, reviewers shared how Jonathon “was a reliable classmate on group projects and was resilient and adaptable when he struggled with academic materials. He wasn’t afraid to accept help and adjust his learning style,” which demonstrated his reliability and dependability.

Assistant Dean of Admissions and Associate Professor at ULSOM, Dr. Brittney Richardson, shared her thoughts about her experience with Jonathon, “his interview day has held true during his time in medical school. He has shown a solid academic performance while exhibiting service orientation through his involvement with We Got Next, a student-run mentoring program, and teamwork and collaboration through his medical school leadership position. He has developed great relationships with his peers and is often revered for his humility and kindness.