Ever since she was little, Grace DeMary ’26 knew there was something special about Notre Dame. Her dad bringing their family to Irish football games every year, she was drawn to the campus.
More than simply attending the University, DeMary wanted to become a doctor. Her dream specialty? Orthopedic surgery.
Hailing from Fairmont, West Virginia, she spent her high school years involved in a little bit of everything: academics, basketball, volunteering. DeMary describes the moment that made her realize she wanted to be a pre-medical student—after tearing her meniscus playing basketball, she endured two complex surgeries.
During this tough time, her doctors helped her immensely. Through showing DeMary her MRI, talking her through procedures, and explaining what was going on with the surgeries, they further sparked her interest in the medical field. Recovering from an injury is challenging, but she recalls that she actually enjoyed learning about it: “They made it less scary,” says DeMary.
Now a graduate with a degree in science pre-professional studies with a minor in Italian, she’s able to actively pursue this interest and make it a reality. She describes her experience at Notre Dame as a special one. Her very first year here, DeMary was able to participate in a unique opportunity: The University of Notre Dame Medical Brigades in Panama.
There, she served the community and assisted with mobile clinics at local schools. Seeing medicine from a new perspective and learning about the lack of healthcare access in underserved nations expanded her understanding of the need for improved healthcare.
On campus, DeMary says that some of the best pre-med courses she took are within the Science and Patient Advocacy department. They’ve solidified her understanding that the patient is more than their diagnosis. Medical conditions impact people daily, and there are conditions that are so rare, it’s hard to get treatment for them. She says: “There’s a possibility that in the future, I might run into something that no one’s ever seen before. Notre Dame helps prepare students for that.”
Courses such as Abled in a Disabled World also moved her. Learning about accessibility and compliance issues that impact disabled people helped her gain a more comprehensive understanding of the frameworks that impact different members of society.
On top of that, studying abroad for the semester in the Rome program led her to make meaningful friendships, learn about cultural differences, and further gain a global mindset that she’ll continue to take with her through life.
When she wasn’t in class, DeMary was on the field at Notre Dame Stadium working for Fighting Irish Media. Having grown up a Notre Dame football fan, she always wanted to be part of that scene. DeMary describes one of her core memories as an undergraduate student being the day that she worked the USC-ND game, running equipment on the endzones. “My parents were also there for that game,” she reminisces. “I remembered my dad telling me to look up and take it all in, and hear everybody cheer. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Getting to work in Fighting Irish Media has been one of the highlights of her Notre Dame career, serving as an additional creative outlet that balances her interests.
In her senior year, DeMary continued to prepare for her future, shadowing surgeons and working in labs. After working as a nursing assistant last summer, she focused on patient-centered care. She explains that getting to know the patient was a significant experience in her pre-med journey. “You get to see the person as a whole,” she says. Following graduation, DeMary plans to do a master’s program in biomedical sciences for a year before applying to medical school.
