Aspiring Docs Diaries

Meet the author:

Luke Burns

Resident

Born in Hong Kong to a British mother and German father, Luke spent most of his childhood following his family around the world. Luke studied Politics & Sociology at University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, graduating in 2008. He returned to the United States in 2011 and enrolled in the Mills College Pre-medical Post-baccalaureate Program in Oakland, California. Today, Luke is an M.D. candidate at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and is currently enrolled in his 4th and final year. He plans to pursue a career in Obstetrics/Gynecology when he graduates in June 2018.

Stories by Luke

Feb 28, 2020

Becoming (And Staying) Human

Luke Burns

It’s funny how strictly we label each phase of our medical training. We carefully divide and demarcate each stage: premed, […] Read More

Jul 5, 2017

Choosing My Specialty

Luke Burns

I have wanted to be a pediatrician since before I started medical school. I was the first to sign up […] Read More

Jan 13, 2015

Surviving Interview Day

Luke Burns

One of the greatest moments of my life was receiving an email notifying me that I had been invited to […] Read More

Oct 29, 2014

Body of Work

Luke Burns

When I started preparing for my MCAT, the first thing I did was buy textbooks. Lots of them. Not just […] Read More

Sep 9, 2014

Freefall – Applying to Medical School

Luke Burns

For my eighteenth birthday, my sister bought me a voucher to go skydiving. I remember sitting in the tiny airplane […] Read More

Jul 28, 2014

Changing Your Mind

Luke Burns

For most of my life I wanted to be a journalist. Eager to have an impact on the world and […] Read More

Jun 24, 2014

The Professional Volunteer

Luke Burns

For some students applying to medical school, volunteering is just another item on their pre-med checklist they need to cross […] Read More

Jun 18, 2014

Finding Your Motivation

Luke Burns

I’ve always been jealous of the person hit by that lightning bolt moment, the one who can pinpoint the exact […] Read More