Democracy Dies in Darkness

She finished chemo then got a medical degree: ‘The dream is real now’

Keri Cronin has her sights on her next goal: becoming an oncologist to help other cancer patients like herself.

May 18, 2024 at 8:49 a.m. EDT

Keri Cronin holds a bouquet of flowers after graduating from Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, N.J., on May 9. Cronin was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in 2021. Now in remission, she is on the path to becoming an oncologist. (Courtesy of Keri Cronin)

5 min

About a week after her 25th birthday, Keri Cronin received a shocking diagnosis: She had Stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“I broke down crying,” said Cronin, who was then nearing the end of her second year at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, N.J.

The cancer had spread to her abdomen and bones, and doctors initially said her chances of survival were slim. But Cronin was determined to carry on with her studies, and also remain optimistic about her future.

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