Summer 2011.

What a difference 2 years makes!! I am finally done my Post Baccalaureate Premed program at USC. As many of you know I did my undergraduate at UCLA where I graduated with a degree in Political Science with a focus in International Relations. After graduating, I played professional volleyball in Puerto Rico and trained a little bit for the Olympics. Following that I took a life changing trip with my father, an emergency room physician, to Zimbabwe and South Africa. For 3 months I was exposed to extreme poverty and insufficient health care systems. I took the trip in the spring and was to enter law school that fall. As soon as I got back to the states however, I decided to withdraw my admittance and enter the Post Bacc program at USC.



(My father (without a white jacket) and a few of the 11 medical students our foundation(The Meriwether Foundation) assists financially at the University of Zambia Medical School. On this day they were officially informed that they had completed their medical school training and were officially Medical Doctors!)


It has been 2 years of biology, chemistry, physics, organic chemistry, calculus, MCAT prep and volunteering at USC. I am done!! I took the MCAT about a month ago and am in the midst of applying to medical school. Med school apps are like no other! Applying is a year long process of preliminary and secondary applications then there is an interview round. There is a lot of writing and sitting in coffee shops, but I am loving my summer so far! After I apply I will have 4 years of medical school till I become a medical doctor! Following that I will have to specialize and enter a residency. Not sure yet, but I have a feeling I am following in the footsteps of my father. After shadowing doctors at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills, I fell in love with trauma medicine.




After finishing at USC I moved back to the east coast. I am back in Maryland(the state where I grew up in, I went to The Sidwell Friends School from K-12th grade) and couldn’t be happier. A lot of my high school friends and friends in general live in New York so I frequently have taken the Amtrak up to visit. Public transportation on the east coast is amazingly efficient, easy and affordable. I am loving the summer nights of eating out and laughing with new and old friends!! In fact I am off to the Hamptons again this weekend! Cant wait!


('The Canal near my house in Potomac Maryland. I often workout/go on runs with my mom...well if it's not too hot and humid that is!)



(I recently got to go to my first Yankees game and what a game it was! One of my friends invited me and I got to sit in the front row!! It was right before Jeter's 3000th!)


(Beautiful Montauk up in the Hamptons!! So relaxing and beautiful! If you guys are ever out make sure to try out South Edison, an amazing restaurant 2 blocks from the ocean!mmm craving some oysters right now)


With my year ‘off’ I plan on first and foremost relaxing and taking the summer off. School has been non stop and it’s nice to travel and explore with no class or lab. Come fall I plan on traveling to visit the projects my foundation, The Meriwether Foundation, supports in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and South Africa. Following I plan on finding a job (probably in research) and I have some peripheral classes like genetics and biochemistry to take!


(This month a team of volunteers departed to several of The Meriwether Foundation projects in South Africa, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This picture is of our project in Zitha village in South Africa. One of the daily activities for The Meriwether Foundation volunteers is to assist with the feeding program we initiated a couple of years ago. If you would like to become a volunteer on our next trip email us at Missions@MeriwetherFoundation.org)


I am also running for Miss Maryland USA 2012! It is my final year and I cannot wait to give it all I got. I have begun training and am having so much fun with it! I’m focused but definitely enjoying the ride. Stay tuned on updates about what gown I plan on rocking! I got the chance to go to Miss USA 2011 in Las Vegas to watch the beautiful Alyssa Campanella win the crown. On my youtube channel make sure to check out the new video of my trip to the big show! www.youtube.com/NanaMeriwether
Hope you all have a great summer!



(At Miss USA!! As a guest of the official Miss USA swimsuit sponsor, Kandy Wrappers Swimwear, I got to sit in some amazing seats! Thank you Kandy Wrappers!!)