Alumni Spotlight: Lexi Leonetti, Columbia Postbac '20, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) '24
Lexi (she/her/hers) is a first year medical student at Oregon Health and Science University. After graduating from Reed College in Portland Oregon, Lexi moved home to Arizona and took some time to decide what she really wanted to do next. She knew she wanted to go into medicine, but she wasn’t yet sure what type of pre-med program she wanted to pursue. During this time, Lexi worked as a barista and medical assistant while applying to different pre-med programs around the country. Columbia’s pre-med program interested Lexi most because of the unique opportunities within the Columbia community and New York City. Lexi says Columbia and New York “completely turned my trajectory in a different direction”.
Lexi is passionate about community involvement, education, and social justice. As an English major in undergrad, she was fascinated by literature and the humanities. It wasn't until after taking a medical anthropology course in her last semester of college and graduating that she had the opportunity to nurture her interests in wellness, health, and science and saw how they intersected with her humanities-based passions. Through her volunteer work at Planned Parenthood, Project STAY, and Vaccines for Parents at OHSU, Lexi has continued to intertwine her passions, hoping to be a physician who leads the way for more inclusive medical care, health systems, and patient services.
“[I thought about] what a challenge it would be to study, work and adjust to such a wildly different environment… New York is a place where you have to hustle and I knew I had to hustle.”
While navigating her first year at medical school, Lexi noted that having structured time for herself built into her busy schedule helped her stay balanced and energized. Her self-care time includes activities like hiking along the Oregon coast and Columbia River Gorge or challenging her cooking skills with new recipes. She encourages others who are in the process of applying to avoid comparing themselves to others. Lexi’s main advice for those applying to medical schools: “be true to yourself on your application… to attract the schools that fit you best.”