Mikaela Thompson
(She/Her/Hers)
Class of 2026
Home city and state: Weston, MA
Undergraduate study: Harvard University
BA, Psychology - Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology track
Graduate Study: University of Kentucky, MS
Sport and Exercise Psychology
Student organizations and affinity groups
- Jewish Medical Student Organization (JMSO)
- Student National Medical Association (SNMA)
- Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)
- Admissions tour guide
- Chicago Medicine and Street Outreach
- CYP Clinic
- Student Senate
- Sports Medicine Interest Group
- Surgical Society for the Underrepresented in Medicine
Why did you choose Feinberg?
Being from the Northeast, Feinberg was not initially on my radar, as I originally wanted to go to medical school closer to home. However, I fell in love with FSM at Second Look. Being able to meet members of the FSM community in person and talk to both current and prospective students, as well as the faculty helped me envision how Feinberg and Chicago could become home for me. I could tell that I would be well supported at Feinberg both from my peers and also from faculty. I felt like the current students embodied a balance of being medical students, while also enjoying life outside of school, and the faculty and administration seemed very supportive of the students working to find this balance, which was incredibly important to me.
Academically, I appreciated how early our clinical experiences begin (the first week of school!), how they continue longitudinally (ECMH), the integration of research into the curriculum (AOSC), as well as the longitudinal threads emphasizing areas outside of the science aspects of medicine such as health equity and advocacy and teamwork and leadership. Meeting and interacting with current medical students made a huge impact on me throughout my medical school application process, so I look forward to talking to you more about Feinberg! All of my experiences here so far have only served to validate the reasons why I was initially drawn to (and ultimately decided to) come to Feinberg. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have about the medical school application process, FSM, why I chose FSM, or just to chat!
What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago?
I love living in the Midwest! I grew up and went to college just outside of Boston and then lived in Lexington, Kentucky for 2 years for grad school, and Chicago feels like a perfect intermediate between the two. There's so much do to in Chicago whether it’s trying new restaurants, farmer's markets, enjoying the lake, going to live concerts and comedy shows, taking a boat ride along the river/lake, trying new breweries, or enjoying one of the many museums. Since graduating/during COVID I became a runner, so I love being able to go out for runs along the lake and often either run with or run into fellow FSM students! There are also lots of options for living depending on whether you would prefer to live close to school in Streeterville or live somewhere more residential like Lincoln Park.
Additionally, something that was important to me in choosing a medical school was going somewhere where I would be able to learn from diverse communities and patient populations and have opportunities to work directly with community partners. Through Feinberg, there are a variety of ways to get directly involved in the community and even work with particular populations that you may be specifically interested in working alongside.
Topics I can discuss with prospective students:
- Life in Chicago
- Campus Life
- ECMH
- AOSC
- Student Wellness
- Academic Support (studying, learning)
- Student Organizations, Affinity Groups (please see list above)
