Leveraging Military Service for a Pathway into Medicine

For Lauren Kitner, getting into medical school was a goal that took shape in high school. As a senior, she was anxious to take the first step, so she joined the military to begin gaining real-world skills.

“I was looking for a meaningful, more nontraditional experience that would help me learn about healthcare and how to take care of patients,” she says. “I grew up in a small town in Minnesota, so I wanted to be a part of a larger organization, meet new people, and have more diverse experiences.”

How a Flexible Degree Fit Her Complex Experience

At age 18, Lauren attended Basic Training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and completed AIT (Advanced Individual Training) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio to become a combat medic and emergency medical technician.

"I enjoyed getting to learn how to take care of patients in settings where the only materials you have are what you're carrying on your back," Lauren says. "It was an amazing experience to get to learn alongside others who are also motivated to serve their country."

Lauren then began studying public health as an undergraduate, but she soon longed for a bigger city that would provide more opportunities and exposure to different communities. "That was a big reason why I transferred (to the U),” she says. “I wanted to gain cultural competence … that was really meaningful."

She was also looking for a major that offered a "more individualized plan and a more comprehensive scope of the healthcare system, including public health."

Lauren found her fit in the Health and Wellbeing Sciences (HWS) major at the University of Minnesota. "The individualized plan in CCAPS was appealing to me because of my previous public health background," she says. "The advisors were extremely helpful and helped me figure out this was a good option for me."

The HWS major allowed her to take her medical school prerequisites, as well as relevant courses like nutrition, human anatomy, physiology, and ethics. She also took advantage of the many resources and opportunities in the Twin Cities.

She volunteered at the Masonic Children's Hospital and was a research intern in the emergency room at Hennepin County Medical Center. She also worked as a scribe, on top of her ongoing military responsibilities and full-time school. Eventually, she had to dial back her commitments to find a manageable work-life balance.

"It took a while for me to figure out that it's equally important to spend time with my friends and family and do the things I love outside of my commitments so that I’m able to show up 100% for all these different areas of my life," she says.

An Innovative Path to Medical School

What made the University of Minnesota an even more perfect fit for Lauren was the opportunity to apply to the Military Medic to Medical School (MM2MS) Program. This unique program leverages the specialized skills of military medics and provides them with a pathway to admission at the University of Minnesota Medical School. The MM2MS advisors make sure you meet prerequisites for medical school as well as any other degree requirements. The program also provides MCAT preparation.

Lauren graduated from the Health and Wellbeing Sciences major in 2024 and was admitted to the MM2MS program in the summer of 2025. She plans to take the MCAT in January 2026. Once she meets all the requirements of the program and completes the application process, she is guaranteed admission at the UMN Med School. 

"Your gap years leading up to med school can be isolating," she says. "You want to prepare, but you also want to have more experiences and do the things that you love. That's why I'm very excited to have great mentors within the Medic to Med School Program that are helping guide me into med school. It's just an incredible opportunity both professionally and personally."

Lauren is a member of the second cohort. All the students have military experience, but they come from different branches and units, as well as different universities. Lauren says that being in a small cohort means "working together and figuring out each other's strengths and getting to know each other," so that they form relationships before starting medical school together.

"But we're really focused on the larger goal of becoming good providers and how we can best prepare for the long, challenging journey to becoming a doctor."

Training Beyond the Classroom

Lauren is still serving in the National Guard with her unit HHT 1-94 CAV (Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 94th Cavalry Regiment) in Duluth and completes most of her training at Camp Ripley near Little Falls, MN. She recently picked up her E-5 (sergeant) slot in Cottage Grove with C Company 134th Brigade Support Battalion and will start drilling with this unit in January of 2026.

"One of my favorite parts of my job as a medic is when we get to see and treat patients," she says. "We primarily do this at our annual training. We set up a field hospital with the doctor at our unit. We get to see patients for whatever happens in the field. It might be someone who has tweaked their back, suffered a heat injury, or accidentally smashed their fingers … we have to be prepared for any trauma or medical scenario in the field."

Another exciting part of being a medic is working alongside the provider to see patients. She takes patient histories, conducts exams, determines a diagnosis–all the things that providers do.

This type of training is essential. "I've been on multiple state active duty missions, and the provider is not always readily available," she says. "So anything that happens on these missions is my responsibility. We have to coordinate care and get our patients to the appropriate echelon of care." That added challenge pushes her to think critically and adapt quickly—skills she knows will serve her well in medical school and beyond.

Memorable Courses

Human Physiology with Dr. Dalay Olson

"I enjoyed both the lab and lecture components of the course. Studying the different body systems was something that was extremely interesting to me and valuable in my preparation for medical school. Dr. Olson not only was an inspirational professor, but she also served as a great mentor to me in preparation for med school, especially with writing my personal statement."

Introduction to Chicano and Chicana Literature with Dr. Amelia María de la Luz Montes

"This course was particularly fascinating to me because I had such a science focus at the core of my major. (Dr. Montes) focused on teaching us about the importance of detailed research, finding credible sources, and learning people's stories in order to learn their culture. That was very meaningful, especially going into medicine, because people are so much more than what you see at face value or what they're coming in for. They're a collection of their stories and their culture. There's so much more baggage that comes into any conversation or any experience than what we're truly able to see."

Pro Tips for HWS Students

• Cater your major to your interests. It makes it so much more fun and exciting to be in charge and navigate a program that's entirely your own.
• Reach out to your advisors frequently. I had tremendous academic advisors that really helped me with the transition from another university to the University of Minnesota.
• Work closely with your professors. There's so much more to learn from them outside of lecture. Don’t be afraid to ask additional questions and try to get more from the courses than just the course material.

Lauren is a recipient of a J.W. Buchta Memorial Scholarship, awarded to students who have demonstrated academic achievement while working toward an interdisciplinary baccalaureate degree.

All photos provided by Lauren Kitner.