Marcos Duran
Class of 2025
Home city and state: Salt Lake City, Utah
Undergraduate study: Cornell University, BS in Biological Sciences
Student organizations and affinity groups
- Latino Medical Student Association
- Catholic Medical Association
- Student Admissions Subcommittee
- Docappella
- Endocrinology Interest Group (President)
Hey everyone! My name is Marcos Duran, I'm a member of the Class of 2025 here at Feinberg! I am a first-generation immigrant, having been born in Lima, Peru. I moved here to the US when I was eight years old, and have since then lived in Winnemucca, Nevada; Woodland Park, Colorado; and currently Salt Lake City, Utah. I attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York for undergrad, where I earned my BS in Biological Sciences, Magna Cum Laude, with Distinction in Research. I'm so excited to meet you and to show you everything there is to see here at Feinberg!
What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting medical school?
The biggest challenge I faced coming into Feinberg was the adjustment to new academic rigor. Just like the transition from high school to undergrad, I realized my old study habits weren't going to cut it. I floundered for the first couple of weeks before using the resources provided by Feinberg and meeting with our amazing Dean of Academic Success. With their help, I was able to both ace my exams and study efficiently, but most importantly, retain the material that I know will one day serve me well in treating my future patients who have placed their trust in me.
Why did you choose Feinberg?
As I was researching good schools to apply to, Feinberg immediately jumped out at me as a unique and rewarding school. Not only did they offer state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for their students to use, they also provided a unique and challenging curriculum by combining early clinical exposure and research. In addition, Feinberg's commitment to diversity and inclusion and the opportunity to work with a patient population as diverse as the one in Chicago was just too good to pass up. Feinberg even assisted me in the application process by reaching out to me and acknowledging that the application process was expensive, offering to waive the secondary application fee for me. After being fortunate and blessed enough to have received an interview invitation and seeing (albeit virtually) firsthand what the school had to offer, I knew that this was the place I wanted to call home for the next four years of my life.
How would you describe the curriculum at Feinberg? What do you find unique or innovative?
Feinberg's curriculum is one of the most unique I have seen, and that is thanks to both the ECMH (Education-Centered Medical Home) and AOSC (Area of Scholarly Concentration) programs.
The ECMH program allows you to get clinical experience from the first month you arrive by placing you in a primary care clinic that you will attend every other week and get to join your ECMH family, consisting of four medical students from each year and your faculty preceptor for all four years you are in medical school. Through those four years, you not only get to see the diverse patient population, but also form bonds and friendships with your ECMH family, relationships that will stay with you beyond medical school.
The AOSC program requires you to perform a research project that will result in a thesis or publication. However, the kicker is that it can be in ANY area of your choosing related to medicine. If you can think it and find a faculty member to support and mentor you, it can be done. Not only does this provide necessary research experience; it also provides you with a chance to dive in deeper in a topic of your own choosing and learn more about it than you would have otherwise.
Topics I can discuss with prospective students
- Life in Chicago
- ECMH
- AOSC
- Student Wellness
- Academic Support (studying, learning)
- Campus Life
- Student Organizations, Affinity Groups
