How has JAMP helped you strive to achieve your goal of becoming a doctor?
JAMP helped me realize my full potential as a future physician. The mentors and faculty that contribute their time and energy to interact with JAMP students throughout the year provide an incredible amount of support and encouragement. They continuously inspire me to pursue my aspirations with confidence. As the first person in my family to pursue a career in healthcare or a graduate degree, interacting with role models in healthcare has provided amazing relationships, shaped my specific interests in medicine, and strengthened my motivations to become a physician. I am truly grateful for the JAMP program and everyone that contributes to making it an incredible program.

What advice would you like to offer current or future JAMP students?
I would advise current and future JAMP students to be grateful for the benefits that JAMP provides and take full advantage of every single one of them. The benefits of JAMP exceed all expectations. In addition to the tangible benefits of summer internships, MCAT prep resources, and scholarships, you also gain lifelong friendships, a support system to help you reach and be successful in medical school, and confidence in knowing that you have the ability to fulfill your dream of being a physician. These benefits don't come without a lot of hard work, so I also advise my fellow JAMP students to focus on their current and future potential and pursue their aspirations with determination.

What aspect of JAMP has been most beneficial to you?
JAMP summer internships have provided the most rewarding experiences in my journey to medical school. The preceptorship opportunities helped me begin to grasp the variety of fields in the medical profession. Through JAMP, I have observed a pediatric resident, an anesthesiologist, a dermatologist, a radiologist, a primary care physician, a nephrologist, and a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, as well as countless others in a variety of medical settings. I wouldn't have gained these experiences without JAMP, and I have grown more comfortable and confident in medical settings due to the wide range of fields that I have been exposed to through JAMP.

About Alexa:
I grew up in the small town of Llano, Texas and attended the University of Texas at Austin for my undergraduate degree. During my time at UT Austin, I majored in Human Development and Family Science and volunteered at Dell Children's Medical Center. I attended JAMP summer internships at Baylor College of Medicine and UT Southwestern Medical Center, and I will start medical school at Baylor College of Medicine in the fall of 2017.