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Anna Olson's days wearing green and gold are nearly over. The graduate student's standout five-year career will come to an end following Vermont women's basketball's last game in March Madness.
The Catamounts' 2024-25 season could close as soon as Saturday afternoon when 15-seeded Vermont faces No. 2 NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off time is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN.
Even though Olson's college basketball career has an approaching end date, she already knows what her next challenge will be: Medical school. Olson will follow her father and older brothers' footsteps into the medical field.
"Well my dad was actually an OBGYN so I think was like my initial spark since I saw him interact with all his patients in the community," Olson said.
Last summer, Olson took the MCAT, a standardized and comprehensive exam for prospective medical students. She plans to start medical school in the fall of 2026, with interests in becoming an OBGYN (obstetrician-gynecologist) or a primary care physician.
"Building relationships with people is something I definitely want to do," said Olson, a Minnesota native from Monticello, which has a population just shy of 15,000 people. "I grew up in a pretty rural community where my dad was one of the only OBGYNs so I'm definitely inspired to go back to a rural type community and be that doctor for a community."
Head coach Alisa Kresge and the entire coaching staff has helped set Olson up for success on the court and in her academics as well.
"When I was taking the MCAT they were dropping groceries off at my house a week before the test to give me food," Olson said. "They just were so supportive. ... I just knew that for my next life they were going to set me up extremely well."
The graduate student has found a way to excel in both basketball and academics while getting experience in the medical field. Olson just won the America East's Elite 18 Award, given to the player with the highest GPA playing in the championship game. Olson boasts a 3.89 GPA while studying public health this year and guiding the Catamounts to their second America East Conference tournament championship in three seasons.
Two years ago, Olson worked in UVM Medical Center's emergency room as a scribe taking notes for doctors. That job required Olson to work overnight shifts at times, but she still showed up for morning practices the next day. Ultimately the forward had to give up her job as a scribe after a few months to focus more on basketball, yet her experience working in the emergency room confirmed Olson's desire to become a doctor.
"I saw the knowledge the doctors had was ... inspiring and saw the passion they had," Olson said. "That balance was extremely inspiring to me."
On the court, Olson has established herself as one of the program's best and most durable players. The program's all-time leader in games played (139), Olson has tallied 1,680 career points, which places her ninth all-time among Catamounts. Olson's career field-goal percentage (.545) is third-best in school history, and she's fifth in total rebounds (847).
This winter, Olson leads Vermont in scoring (12.8 points a game), the only Catamount averaging in double figures. She's also a two-time first-team selection in America East and was the conference's rookie of the year in 2021.
Besides her on-the-court production, Olson has blossomed into a leader for the Catamounts.
"She always led by example and players always respected her, but she's found a way to be that vocal leader and rally the group," Kresge said. "She's very intentional with her words and how she uses them and when she uses them."
Olson is not the only recent Catamount to pursue a career in medicine. Former Catamount Delaney Richason is currently studying to be a physician assistant at Indiana University and is already providing advice to Olson.
"She's already telling me about how she's transformed her life from basketball over to PA school," Olson said. "She's a huge mentor to me."
As of right now, Olson is focused on Vermont's game against NC State, which could be her final collegiate contest before her focus shifts completely to her career ambitions.
"I'm really happy to go out on this note and go play NC State," Olson said.
Contact Judith Altneu at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: UVM women's basketball star plans for medical school after career ends
Continue reading...
The Catamounts' 2024-25 season could close as soon as Saturday afternoon when 15-seeded Vermont faces No. 2 NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off time is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN.
Even though Olson's college basketball career has an approaching end date, she already knows what her next challenge will be: Medical school. Olson will follow her father and older brothers' footsteps into the medical field.
"Well my dad was actually an OBGYN so I think was like my initial spark since I saw him interact with all his patients in the community," Olson said.
Last summer, Olson took the MCAT, a standardized and comprehensive exam for prospective medical students. She plans to start medical school in the fall of 2026, with interests in becoming an OBGYN (obstetrician-gynecologist) or a primary care physician.
"Building relationships with people is something I definitely want to do," said Olson, a Minnesota native from Monticello, which has a population just shy of 15,000 people. "I grew up in a pretty rural community where my dad was one of the only OBGYNs so I'm definitely inspired to go back to a rural type community and be that doctor for a community."
Head coach Alisa Kresge and the entire coaching staff has helped set Olson up for success on the court and in her academics as well.
"When I was taking the MCAT they were dropping groceries off at my house a week before the test to give me food," Olson said. "They just were so supportive. ... I just knew that for my next life they were going to set me up extremely well."
The graduate student has found a way to excel in both basketball and academics while getting experience in the medical field. Olson just won the America East's Elite 18 Award, given to the player with the highest GPA playing in the championship game. Olson boasts a 3.89 GPA while studying public health this year and guiding the Catamounts to their second America East Conference tournament championship in three seasons.
Two years ago, Olson worked in UVM Medical Center's emergency room as a scribe taking notes for doctors. That job required Olson to work overnight shifts at times, but she still showed up for morning practices the next day. Ultimately the forward had to give up her job as a scribe after a few months to focus more on basketball, yet her experience working in the emergency room confirmed Olson's desire to become a doctor.
"I saw the knowledge the doctors had was ... inspiring and saw the passion they had," Olson said. "That balance was extremely inspiring to me."
On the court, Olson has established herself as one of the program's best and most durable players. The program's all-time leader in games played (139), Olson has tallied 1,680 career points, which places her ninth all-time among Catamounts. Olson's career field-goal percentage (.545) is third-best in school history, and she's fifth in total rebounds (847).
This winter, Olson leads Vermont in scoring (12.8 points a game), the only Catamount averaging in double figures. She's also a two-time first-team selection in America East and was the conference's rookie of the year in 2021.
Besides her on-the-court production, Olson has blossomed into a leader for the Catamounts.
"She always led by example and players always respected her, but she's found a way to be that vocal leader and rally the group," Kresge said. "She's very intentional with her words and how she uses them and when she uses them."
Olson is not the only recent Catamount to pursue a career in medicine. Former Catamount Delaney Richason is currently studying to be a physician assistant at Indiana University and is already providing advice to Olson.
"She's already telling me about how she's transformed her life from basketball over to PA school," Olson said. "She's a huge mentor to me."
As of right now, Olson is focused on Vermont's game against NC State, which could be her final collegiate contest before her focus shifts completely to her career ambitions.
"I'm really happy to go out on this note and go play NC State," Olson said.
Contact Judith Altneu at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: UVM women's basketball star plans for medical school after career ends
Continue reading...
