Shrikhande's dream of becoming a doctor 'actually happening' at Augustana

When making her college decision, 20-year-old Davenport native Maitreyi Shrikhande '26 strictly weighed academics and athletics.

After learning her odds of acceptance into medical school are roughly 50% higher at Augustana College compared to national averages — coupled with the opportunity to continue playing tennis — her choice became clear.

"I was really, really impressed with that," Shrikhande said of Augie's pre-med program. "They were also really great with scholarships here, so that was very helpful as well. But, mainly, it was that pre-med push."

Now in her second year at Augie, she was also impressed by head tennis coach David DeSimone and former teammates, as she and other first-year players felt welcomed by the team.

Shrikhande called the diversity at Augie a "great surprise" to find when she started at the college.

"As someone who's grown up here, I had no idea about the large population of international students," she said. "It's really cool to go to school with people from all over the world. With that brings a lot of cultural events to campus, which are really fun to go to." 

While she was aware the fall 2023 semester might be her hardest yet, Shrikhande said she now feels "accomplished."

In an interview with the Quad-City Times, the pre-medicine and psychology double major talks about:

• How vulnerability can positively impact education
• Maintaining mental health and self-image as a student
• Her favorite campus features
• Embracing difficult conversations
• Getting closer to her goal of becoming a doctor

→ Read the full interview with the Quad-City Times