Med School or Bust

Long before Mackenzie Shank ’23 came to Queens University of Charlotte on a volleyball scholarship, she knew she wanted to be a doctor. You might even think the honor student was in a hurry given that she earned an associate’s degree in biology from Hagerstown Community College in Hagerstown, Maryland in 2020 a month before she even earned her high school diploma.

This month, the biology major, who minored in chemistry, has reached another milestone. Having completed all of her coursework, Shank now has time to prepare for the MCAT before she walks across the commencement stage to receive her Bachelor of Science degree from Queens in May.

Shank, who came to Queens on a volleyball scholarship, looks forward to a career in orthopedic medicine. Though her interest in becoming a doctor dates back to her early childhood, her motivation grew after two separate incidents that took place when she was a teenager. First, watching as her mother recovered from a torn ACL and MCL. Second, watching her best friend recover from a broken leg.

“Learning about the anatomy while watching my mother’s muscular strength progress to help stabilize her knee was very interesting to me and inspired me to investigate becoming a doctor,” Shank explained. “Not long after, my best friend endured a severe leg injury. Her surgery entailed putting a metal rod in her leg to stabilize it. I was able to watch her rehabilitate and eventually commit to college for volleyball. It was very inspiring and I wanted to transform lives the same way the doctors were able to transform hers.”

The oldest of two girls, Shank beams as she talks about the support of her family and her desire to set a great example for her younger sister.

In addition to the support of her family, Shank credits her success to the small class environment and the close rapport she was able to establish with the faculty and staff at Queens.

“The entire biology department has been phenomenal,” she said. “I’m super close to my professors. I feel like I can come to them about anything. It’s just a nice breath of fresh air just to go into your classroom and know that your teacher knows your name.”

Despite her full schedule as a student tutor, student union board member and lab assistant, for her capstone project, Shank reached out to the City of Charlotte and the Chief Urban Forester to discuss gaps in research or understanding of Charlotte’s urban tree canopy.

“I chose this topic because the beautiful abundance of trees in Charlotte is what attracted me to attend this school many years ago, and I was interested in learning more about it; specifically, where Charlotte’s tree canopy is suffering,” she explained. “Overall, my project revolved around informing the City of Charlotte of which corridors require the most assistance, as well as being able to educate the general public on the importance of this topic and how to get involved to preserve Charlotte’s tree canopy.”

Though she knows how tough the road the med school is, Shank remains confident that she will achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor.