Navigating the Path to Medical School: Georgetown's Role in My Pre-Medical Education Journey
"Yo, here's the tea on pre-med at Georgetown, straight from a third-year SFS student, Harnoor, who's studying science, tech, and international affairs with a focus on biotech and global health,"
Parents frequently bombard me after my Blue & Gray tours with questions about the pre-med program at Georgetown and my own pre-med journey. "Is it hard? Is it worth it? Why did you choose Georgetown for pre-med?" my parents ask. Well, I'll tell you all about it, because hey, it kinda chose me!
My pre-med fascination dates back to when I was just 13 and selected "pre-med" for my STEM high school. I engaged in research projects and loved my science electives. But as I explored opportunities, I discovered my love for policy, public speaking, and social impact. As those interests grew, I found myself torn between medicine and policy, figuring there was no overlap.
Fast forward a few years, and Georgetown has been the game-changer. The university has provided me spaces to not only reignite my passion for medicine, but also redefine what it means to be "pre-med." Several key experiences have steered my path to medicine, demonstrating that policy and social impact are indeed intertwined with medicine and health.
My Journey in India
At the end of my freshman year, I frantically searched for an internship, only to end up in the depths of Google, LinkedIn, and Handshake. Feeling down and weary, I made one last attempt. I remember Googling "Global Health Opportunities in India" and clicking on the first search result.
I stumbled upon the Public Health Research Institute of India, which has done remarkable non-profit work on women's health and awareness in Mysore, India. Inspired, I contacted the organization and landed an internship four weeks later, a turning point in my pre-med journey.
At the Institute, I aided research projects concentrated on women's health and qualitative analyses. After facilitating discussions with participants, I learned about the systemic inequities impacting patient care and how global health policy and impactful clinical work have the potential to revolutionize the quality of patient care. This exposed me to the distinct link between structural health disparities and real communities, sparking my interest in becoming a physician who not only treats patients but also advocates for underserved populations.
EMS Training and GERMS
After my summer in India, I was eager to immerse myself in more clinical spaces on campus. I became involved with the Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service (GERMS) and completed their EMT class. Although it meant committing to a semester of night and weekend classes, extra study hours, and a grueling cumulative exam, the clinical exposure I gained was invaluable. I loved shadowing in the Emergency Department and on GERMS shifts, realizing that we could make a significant impact on healthcare efficiency and access as students. Most importantly, I realized that there was a direct correlation between clinical care and healthcare access, and I saw myself working in both realms as I ventured into a career in medicine.
Global Health Institute and CGHSS
In my sophomore year's second semester, I became a fellow at the Global Health Institute, connecting me with the Center for Global Health Science and Security. Here, I contributed to research examining how health systems prepare for and respond to global events, such as mass migration and the COVID-19 pandemic. This work shed light on the broader infrastructure behind medicine, including how policy, diplomacy, and surveillance shape health outcomes across borders, reinforcing the idea that being a physician today necessitates engagement not only in clinical care but also in global health systems determining who gets access to that care in the first place.
STIA: the Magic Combination
Finally, as I delved into more major electives in my sophomore and junior years, the intersection of health and policy I observed in my extracurriculars came to life in the academic sphere as well. Courses like "Medicine and Power in India" demonstrated the importance of policy interventions in clinical settings and how clinicians can contribute to policymaking, inspiring me to continue on my unconventional path towards medicine. Overall, the STIA department offers a range of courses and skills that have validated and fueled my non-traditional approach to pre-med. This summer, I will be returning to India to work on my own research project for the STIA Honors Thesis!
As I prepare for the less glamorous aspects of the pre-med journey (like the MCAT), I'm grateful for the opportunities Georgetown has provided me, shaping my unique and unconventional path to medicine. My advice to students, whether they're pre-med or not, is to embrace opportunities you may not have thought to engage with before. These unexpected experiences can end up defining your passions and redefining the meaning of "pre-med" for you.
Extra Class Credit:
1. Choosing a Major in Health Care Management and Policy
2. Why Georgetown's Core Curriculum is Actually Not That Scary
3. 'Isn't that School Just for Politics and Finance?' Why I Chose Georgetown as a STEM Student
[1] The Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA) department provides courses that blend health and policy, enabling students to develop a unique perspective on healthcare and policy, thus inspiring students to continue their unconventional paths towards medicine.[5] Georgetown offers programs like the Anatomy & Physiology course for younger students, demonstrating the university's commitment to early exposure to medical education.
- My unique journey in pre-med at Georgetown, as a student studying science, tech, and international affairs with a focus on biotech and global health, has been shaped by a fusion of academics, research, and international affairs.
- Despite my initial fascination with academics and research, I found my passion for policy, public speaking, and social impact growing. This led me to question the traditional path of medicine, but Georgetown has shown me that these interests can intertwine in the realm of education-and-self-development, fostering personal-growth.
- Through experiences such as my internship at the Public Health Research Institute of India, EMS training and GERMS, Global Health Institute and CGHSS fellowship, and STIA Honors Thesis, I have learned that career in medicine requires not only clinical skills but also understanding of global health policy, international affairs, and self-development.
- The STIA department at Georgetown, with its courses blending health and policy, has validated and fueled my non-traditional approach to pre-med. This intersection of health and policy encourages students to redefine their understanding of pre-med, opening doors to a myriad of possibilities in education-and-self-development, personal-growth, and career opportunities.
