As a successful applicant to medical school, Carleen understands the concerns that applicants have at the primary, secondary and interview phases of the application process. In the three years that she has been a consultant for Kaplan, she has thoroughly enjoyed working with clients from a wide variety of backgrounds. While many applicants apply upon, or soon after, receiving their undergraduate degrees, others have worked in another profession for some time and are pursuing their deferred dreams of becoming a physician, dentist or veterinarian. As a consultant, Carleen assists applicants in highlighting their strengths and developing a list of schools that fit their backgrounds and interests. Receiving news about acceptances from clients with whom she has worked with is greatly rewarding, and she looks forward to assisting future applicants in achieving their goals.
Carleen has been an instructor at Kaplan since 1999, and specializes in teaching courses for pre-medical students preparing for the MCAT, pre-dental students preparing for the DAT, and nursing graduates studying for the R.N. licensure exam. In both 2004 and 2005, she received the "Teacher of the Year" Award at the Pasadena, California Kaplan Center and continues to teach extensively in the Los Angeles area. In addition, she trains newly hired instructors and conducts information seminars for pre-medical and nursing students at colleges and universities.
Carleen received her B.S. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from UCLA and her medical degree from The UCLA School of Medicine. As an undergraduate, she received departmental honors for her senior honors thesis investigating virulence genes in Y. enterocolitica. She was also awarded a competitive President's Undergraduate Fellowship to support this thesis project. Prior to entering medical school, Carleen worked as a research assistant at the Los Angeles VA Medical Center in a laboratory conducting studies in the area of infectious diseases. In addition to her acceptance at UCLA, she was offered admission at numerous medical schools including Stanford, USC and Creighton University. While at The UCLA School of Medicine, she was awarded a Letter of Distinction in biochemistry. After completing her medical degree, Carleen received training in pediatrics at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles from 1998 through 1999.