Alana Munger almost never applied to USC’s medical school.
After graduating cum laude with an undergraduate degree in physiological sciences at UCLA and spending five seasons on the women’s soccer team as a goalkeeper, the crosstown rivalry almost got to the Bruin alumna.
But after considering other schools like Ohio State and UCSD, Munger decided to make the move from Westwood to Figueroa Street.
“I actually joked about not applying, because it was ‘SC,” Munger said. “But I got over my bias and I’m so, so happy that I applied and they accepted me.”
Munger said it was the resources that the Keck School of Medicine offered, such as opportunities to work at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, Keck Hospital of USC and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles that drew her to make the crosstown transplant to pursue her dream of working in the field of pediatric medicine.
In addition, studying medicine at Keck also contained the familiarity of an aspect that has followed the former soccer player all throughout her entire playing career.
“Keck is very much centered on the team aspect of medicine. Keck residents are known for being able to work in teams.” Munger said. “For me, I’ve been on a team my entire life and I always know you can achieve so much more with a group of other people than you ever could as an individual.
But going with the decision to continue her education at a school that’s known as UCLA’s most storied rival made Munger a target for some tongue-in-cheek teasing from her former teammates who still represent UCLA.
“It’s a big rivalry, obviously, so for her to go to USC medical school is pretty funny,” said senior midfielder Sam Mewis. “If we saw her I’m sure we would give her some crap for it.”
And just like they said they would, Munger’s old teammates delivered.
“I went back (to UCLA) and they were saying, ‘can we be friends?’” Munger said.
But as they caught up with Munger’s days at USC and listened to the goalkeeper talk about the various studies and lessons she was able to do at her new school, Munger said she noticed how her old teammates began to share her excitement for Munger’s new life as a Trojan.
“We support her regardless of where she goes. Even if it’s our rivals,” said senior midfielder Sarah Killion. “She’s doing great for herself and that’s exactly where she needs to be.”
The opportunity to poke some rivalry-based fun wasn’t lost on the dean of the medical school, Carmen A. Puliafito, either, especially since Munger’s cohort is the first class at Keck to have more undergraduates from UCLA than USC.
During a reception in his home, the dean revealed his special surprise for the class. Munger said she recalls the dean declaring that they might have been Bruins once, but were now officially Trojans right before bringing forth several members of the marching band to play a rendition of the Trojan fight song.
But since starting at USC in August, Munger said she noticed that the rivalry is less pronounced at the medical school than it was during her undergraduate years at UCLA, to an extent that she’s able to even wear certain Bruin apparel around her campus.
“I’ll sometimes wear my grey jacket. I don’t bust out the Bruin blue, I think that’s a little bit over the line and I don’t have that much confidence,” Munger said. “I think everybody realizes we’re all at Keck and we’re here to become great physicians. That whole UCLA-USC thing isn’t as prevalent as it is with undergrads.”
But whenever it comes to sports, the rivalry always returns to prominence.
Two weeks ago, Munger received an email from Trojan Fever – the USC equivalent of UCLA’s The Den – promoting a showdown at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum between the USC women’s soccer team and Munger’s old team and asking USC students to show their support.
Munger, however, didn’t oblige. She immediately went on Twitter and declared that her loyalties still remained with the team she won an NCAA championship with.
“She supports us. And we make sure of that,” said UCLA women’s soccer coach Amanda Cromwell.
So come Saturday, when Munger experiences her first UCLA-USC football game as both a Bruin and Trojan, there’s no question where her loyalties will lie.
“I’m a UCLA student-athlete through and through,” she said. “I will always cheer for UCLA student-athletes. I might attend a USC tailgate, but deep inside I will be wishing that they lose.”