When Atithi Multani was looking for a second chance to make good on her dreams of becoming a doctor, she enrolled in UCLA Extension’s Pre-Medical and General Science Studies Certificate Program. The courses prepared her for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and gave her the confidence to apply to medical school. On June 15, she will celebrate with family as she walks the stage at the UCLA Certificate Graduation Ceremony and commemorates the hard work it took to reach this milestone.

“I think that UCLA Extension allowed me to reinvent myself and prove to myself – more than anyone – that I was capable of doing this,” she said.

Multani was part of a freshmen class at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) that was heavily disrupted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of adjusting to the typical rigors of leveling up to university expectations, she also had to contend with remote learning on the fly.

“My overall experience at LMU was great, but I think the online learning style at the beginning did not work for me, and it ended up hurting me,” she said.

She struggled during her first two years, but as classes began to transition back to in-person, Multani settled in and performed at a higher level. She graduated with a degree in health and human science with a minor in business administration, but those initial years hurt her prospects for pursuing a medical degree like she had originally planned.

“I knew that since I had those lower grades at the start of my transcript, it just weighed everything else down,” she said.

Discovering the UCLA Extension program provided her with a new avenue to re-engage with her pre-medical path. She graduated from LMU in May 2024 and started her first class at UCLA Extension a month later. She was back on track.

“Not only could I raise my GPA, but it would also give me a good review for the MCAT, and I could make new connections within the profession,” she said.

Multani’s pursuit of medicine for most of her life has been shaped by her aptitude in STEM classes and two traumatic health incidents that struck her family.

Multani was born in a small village in India, and at and at age 2, she became very ill with food poisoning. The local doctor – there was only one doctor – was unable to treat her. Her parents were able to travel to a bigger city for treatment that saved her life, but it left an impression. They eventually moved to Los Angeles when she was 5.

“Whenever my mom brings this up, there’s always this fear and uncertainty that lingers about what could have happened,” she said. “As I got older, I would listen to this story and think about it a lot. The only difference between me, and someone who didn’t make it, was access. I want to make sure others have access to care.”

Much later, when she was in high school, Multani’s younger brother cracked his skull and scared the family anew. But she was inspired by the treatment he received from their healthcare providers. They made sure he was OK.

“I basically used that experience to guide myself to be there for other people and use my knowledge of science to help,” she said. “It also aligns with my personal beliefs of sarbhat da bhala, which is a Sikh concept for the wellness of humanity.”

The upcoming graduation ceremony provides Multani with a moment to reflect after such a long journey to reach this major achievement.

“It feels amazing knowing that my hard work is going to pay off. I’m actually in the process of applying to medical school,” she said. “It’s great to be at the end of the start, so to speak.”

Multani said she was pleasantly surprised by how personal the UCLA Extension experience was – having smaller classes than she anticipated and instructors who were very dedicated.

“I learned a lot, from the basics of general chemistry all the way to complicated physics,” she said. “I directly saw the experiments and concepts that I did in class come up on the exams I’m taking.”

She also enjoyed the community she found among her peers and instructors.

“In the classroom, there was a lot more collaboration-based learning than I expected, especially in the labs,” she said. “And one thing I really like about that is it kind of gives you a trailer into healthcare, because you are going to be working with different people in teamwork and collaboration.”

And her instructors helped keep her engaged and motivated.

“They were willing to meet with you whenever you need help, going above and beyond,” she said. “Just knowing that UCLA Extension has instructors that actually care is so heartening.”

Now, Multani waits to hear back on her medical school applications. She applied to many in California, and she hopes to make her residency in the state. She is considering orthopedic surgery, dermatology and anesthesia, and is planning on earning her MBA after she becomes a doctor.

“I think my experience with healthcare has been pretty broad so far,” she said. “But one thing that has been central to all of it was constant patient care and doing something with my hands, so that’s what I would like to continue to do.”

While she might not have envisioned this path when she was in high school, Multani has found peace with the road she has traveled, and camaraderie with her UCLA Extension peers.

“You’re not alone. We’re all in this together,” she said. “We’re untraditional, but this program does a good job reminding you that you’re not behind – not less than anyone. Everyone has their own path and you can use what you have here at UCLA Extension to make what you want out of it.”