Duquesne Student Takes Unconventional Path to Reach Bigger Goals

The Duquesne University sophomore, who spent the summer acting in an upcoming film, is studying in the School of Science and Engineering with the goal of becoming a doctor. She was recently accepted into Duquesne’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) Early Assurance Program, which provides conditional acceptance to the COM.

But don’t think she’s giving up on her acting career.

“Ultimately, I want to do both,” she said. “I like to be part of new and exciting things, and pursing both of these goals makes that possible.”

The Pittsburgh native spent her summer as a lead actor in “The Haunting of Prince Dom Pedro,” a SAG-AFTRA feature scheduled to be submitted at film festivals next year. The movie, which filmed in and around Pittsburgh, is about a group of high school Latin American History students who regret a decision to not appreciate the “Liberator of Brazil.”

“It encompasses multiple genres, but it’s like a historical, supernatural, comedic Scooby-Doo,” she said.

Like the gang in Scooby-Doo, one of the mysteries Sclichter needed to solve for herself was where to attend college.

“I looked at so many options, different universities and majors, from computer science and math to music and theatre,” she said. “I want to see what happens if I just go for it all.”

She found what she was looking for at Duquesne—a horizon-expanding education combined with the opportunity to attend the University’s new College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Both the School of Science and Engineering and pre-med certificate program are going to provide me with a world-class education. The STEM-based opportunities at Duquesne offer new and exciting challenges that will increase my knowledge of medicine and serve me well when I enter medical school.

While pursuing a medical degree may seem a polar opposite to an acting career, Sclichter noted similarities between the two disciplines.

“Much of acting is about observing humans and learning about their experiences, and that skill will be valuable to understanding patients and meeting their needs,” she said. “Both pursuits also take a lot of hard work.”

Sclichter, who lists “Little Women” as her favorite movie, said Pittsburgh’s reputation as a health care hub and location for television and movie production added to Duquesne’s appeal.

“I’m a family person so it’s great that I can stay near home and pursue my goals,” she said. “I couldn’t have made a better decision.”