BS/MD programs offer an amazing opportunity for students who are certain that they want to pursue a medical degree—which is why these programs are increasingly competitive, with most BS/MD programs having somewhere around a 1-5% acceptance rate. (As in, it’s harder to get into a lot of these programs than it is to get into, say, Harvard.)

To help increase your chances, later in this post, we’ll spend some time looking through several strong sample essays, ones that BS/MD admissions committee members gave the thumbs up to (meaning if the student didn’t get into the program, it wasn’t because of their essays).

But before we do that, we’ll talk about other aspects of the BS/MD application process, and ways that it differs from normal undergrad admissions, to help inform your writing and your understanding as a whole.

Ready, doc?

What are BS/MD readers looking for?

There are some important differences between what a normal undergrad admissions reader is looking for in your essays and what BS/MD readers want to see.

There are 4 or 5 major criteria BS/MD readers are looking at:

Academics (but these don’t help you stand out, as almost all applicants are in the 95-99th percentile for GPAs and test scores)
Letters of rec (again, hard to stand out here—guidance counselor letters are frequently glowing)
Essays (big chance for differentiation here)
Experiences (such as interning in a hospital)
Interviews (again, big chance for differentiation)

To highlight some differences between normal undergraduate admissions and BS/MD admissions, your main personal statement for the common app or coalition, for example, is used by an undergraduate admissions committee to get a sense of who you are—what are the values, skills, qualities, and insights you bring to their college campus?

And your BS/MD reader will want to understand those things as well. But they also have more specific focuses and concerns:

Are you going to make it through?

One of the biggest challenges BS/MD readers face is trying to figure out who will make it through their programs and who won’t. They’re hoping to minimize the dropout rate: despite students’ having virtually identical academic metrics, there is attrition in these programs during both the undergraduate and medical portions—some students struggle, and fail/drop out.

GPA isn’t a reliable indicator for them here, since virtually all applicants will have comparable grades, test scores, etc. So the essays and interviews are particularly important.

For the same reason (minimizing dropout rates), another thing readers are trying to figure out as they analyze an application is who really wants you to become a doctor? Is it you? Or… is this maybe more your parents’ dream? Because if you’re hoping to become a doctor just because your parents want you to, or because of the prestige of the field… you might not make a great doctor.

Sorry. But we think it’s really important to be clear on your motivations before you embark on a program like this. Be sure you’re picking this career because it’s what you value.

Do you have an informed understanding of medicine?

This dovetails with the section above—one way readers can get a sense of the likelihood of your making it through this program is through what experiences you’ve had and to what degree you understand the career path you’re aiming for.

This is why (at least some) BS/MD programs will only rarely accept someone who hasn’t had some kind of meaningful interaction with a patient—they need to know that you truly know this is what you want. For some admissions readers, this is the single biggest point they’re looking for: Do you have an informed view of the field of medicine? Have you engaged with the field? Have you interacted with a patient in some form? (Note: if you have interacted with patients, that can be great for possible essay topics)

This emphasis on patient interaction can hurt a lot of otherwise worthy applicants. And readers know this, so they will look at different aspects of a student’s application, such as their background.

For example, they may give discretionary points to people from disadvantaged backgrounds who have had paid employment, which can show grit. And they know there are equity issues here, and COVID has wreaked some havoc (a note on that below). But without experience in medicine, it’s really hard for readers to gauge if a 7ish year program and you fit together.

So if you haven’t had the opportunity to work in a hospital, should you just give up? No. But try to do things like volunteer at an assisted living facility, or be a camp counselor, or a lifeguard, or tutor elementary school kids, or… you get the point.

Show that you have had meaningful interactions with helping others. But also know that, ultimately, lacking experience with patients may hurt your chances for BS/MD programs. And so be sure to also apply to other strong undergraduate programs, and during undergrad, get some of that experience, to set yourself up for med school applications.

Another aspect of “having an informed view of medicine” is demonstrating that you understand that, while it requires great academic understanding, medicine is at its core a service field. So it’s great to demonstrate that helping others is one of your primary core values. But also make clear that you aren’t doing so just because it makes you feel good. Show that you’re doing this (hopefully) because of compassion and a strong desire to serve others.

One example that may illustrate this “informed view” nicely: an old interview question in one program was “What MD authored book/s have you read?” Plenty of applicants had never read one… (Hint: go read some books)

Answers to frequent student questions, and other tips on writing

Will the BS/MD reader see my main personal statement and other supplements, or just the BS/MD prompts?

A: Pretty frequently, all of it. At least, that’s true for the programs that we’ve talked to. So be sure you aren’t reusing things from your main essays and repeating yourself in your BS/MD prompts. The "super essay” approach that we usually recommend can be great for doubling up parts of, say, Yale and Stanford. But don’t do it with Brown’s undergrad and PLME essays.
- Though feel free to double up between different BS/MD programs if it feels appropriate to do so (see examples below).
- Or if you’re really hoping to reuse material, be sure to call/email the program and find out if the same readers see all the pieces.
Linked to this question, there’s some disagreement between BS/MD readers on main personal statements: some can like when a PS isn’t about medicine; others disagree. Your call here.

How important are tone/style versus the written content?

Tone/style are less important (sometimes far less important) than content. That’s not to say that tone and style are unimportant—be sure you’re demonstrating your ability to communicate clearly and effectively. But what you write about is going to be a (much) bigger factor here. What experiences and understanding can you demonstrate?
While your main personal statement doesn’t necessarily have to focus on medicine, we’d recommend writing about it at least a bit if possible.
Regarding tone/style, don’t try to write overly formally, especially if that really isn’t your natural style. Otherwise, you might even raise questions about whether your parents “helped” you write your essays.
In fact, BS/MD reviewers have told us about instances in which the admissions committee felt that the student “didn’t sound like a 17 year old.”
That student was also given deductions for essays that were too “creative writing exercise”—if a prompt says something like “describe yourself”, be sure that you’re clearly, directly addressing it. It’s fine to write a bit more plainly in your BS/MD essays.
Speaking of style and content, a small linked side note: hooks about blood are super common here. Maybe go with something else?

Wait. Interviews?

Yup. Most programs will require an interview as part of the process. Again, this is one of the primary ways they can get a sense of who is right for their program. Be ready to make it clear why medicine generally, and their program in particular, are right for you.

What if all my potential experiences were canceled because of COVID?

Yeah, that’s definitely a thing. And they know. So be sure to make it clear somewhere in your application (your additional info section can be great for this) that you put a lot of effort into trying to get that experience they’re hoping to see, and that circumstances beyond your control (like a worldwide pandemic) took over. And still be sure to demonstrate things like compassion in service and an aptitude for science through other actions and experiences.
Also, do things like virtual shadowing. Or if labs are closed to interns, do an independent scientific research project.

Regarding overall approach and focus, a lot of the strongest example essays below offer a combination of academic spark/curiosity, compassion for helping others, and an aptitude for science.

Another great tip is to make sure you’ve done your homework on the school. And then show you’ve done it. For example, a lot of programs have a particular mission. If the school’s mission is about serving those in need, for example, probably don’t just write about how you love doing research. And some programs focus on particular demographics, such as first generation students. Linked to this point, demonstrate your accurate knowledge of their program—don’t write about being excited about majors that they don’t offer, for instance. (That’ll probably be an instant “no”.)

Finally, it can be useful to keep in mind that with BS/MD programs, you’re often writing for an older, less touchy-feely population.

List of BS/MD Programs

Our friends at CollegeVine have compiled a great list of BS/MD programs (and they also talk through pros and cons of these programs). So rather than reinvent the wheel, we’ll send you that way if you’re wanting to explore options for schools.

Sample BS/MD essays with analysis

I mentioned this up top, but in case you missed it, these aren’t just strong in our opinion—we’ve had BS/MD readers check our work.

And a note that while schools may sometimes change their prompts (some of the examples you’ll see are from various versions), the focus and approach illustrated and analyzed below will serve you well.

Brown PLME: Committing to a future career as a physician while in high school requires careful consideration and self-reflection. What values and experiences have led you to believe that becoming a doctor in medicine is the right fit for you? (250 words)

“Hello?” someone yelled. I ran towards the call. “Dylan, what can I do for you?” I asked. “Where am I? Why did my daughter leave me here?” he yelled. I explained that he was at an elder care facility, and his daughter put him here for his well-being. His questions and accusations intensified as he asked if we were kidnapping him. I realized Dylan was having a schizophrenic episode.
I met Dylan when I became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), assisting the elderly with routine tasks and checking on their mental health to ensure they aren’t hurting themselves or others. I have to be adaptable and find creative solutions, especially with residents with mood swings. This experience has motivated my career choice: a psychiatrist.
I understood Dylan wasn’t going to listen to me because I was a stranger to him, so I Facetimed his daughter. Dylan initially reacted adversely, thinking that we were hacking into the phone lines, but after speaking to his daughter, he apologized and thanked me for helping him.
Dylan left the nursing home a couple weeks ago, but he may return if his delusions worsen. Medical school will equip me with the neurological understanding of varying mental disorders and the medicinal and therapeutic plans that can most effectively treat them. As a CNA, I tend to the mundane needs of the elderly with compassion, but I look forward to becoming a psychiatrist, when I’ll impact the mental and physical states of patients like Dylan more profoundly.
— — —

Analysis:

This essay does a nice job directly demonstrating and contextualizing some of the student’s experiences related to medicine (that “informed view of medicine”—a great thing to show in your essays, as it can be one major factor readers take into account when thinking about how you fit their program). And the author does so in a way that demonstrates both problem solving skills and compassion, in particular with how they related to Dylan without making it seem as though there’s a hierarchical relationship between practitioner and patient (we’ve seen essays that make it seem as though doctors are above/speaking down to their patients, which has the potential to hurt how a reader sees the writer, as it could come off as immature at the least).

Brown PLME: Most people describe a career as a physician/doctor as a "profession", beyond a job. Describe for us what "professionalism" and "the profession of a physician/doctor" mean to you. (250 words)

As a member of the IB Program since Kindergarten, I’ve been raised on the 10 “IB Learner Profile Traits.” The traits include caring, communicator, inquirer, thinker, and open-minded. As I graduate and look towards my future, I can appreciate how these values that I have cultivated throughout school will help me advance in my profession.
To me, “the profession of a doctor” means going beyond caring for patients clinically, by maintaining connections with them, researching medications and treatments, and advocating on their behalf.
As a CNA, I’ve gone beyond my job requirements, using my breaks to connect with residents in order to help them feel less lonely. I’ve had the opportunity to analyze the distinction between mental illnesses in my virtual research fellowship. In my IB Extended Essay, I concluded the validity of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and advocated for decreasing the stigma of mental illness, specifically DID.
At Brown, I hope to continue exploring the detection and treatment of mental illness by participating in Dr. Elena K Festa’s cognitive neuroscience lab, where I can develop tools to detect and treat Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders. In my future career, I aspire to not only treat patients with care, but to also discover effective medications and promote discourse within the medical community in an effort to make mental illness less prejudiced.
The tools to build professionalism that I will gain at Brown will allow me to achieve the mission of the IB program in the clinic, lab, and community.
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Analysis:

Here, we like how the author frames their response to the prompt around values that they have cultivated and will continue to cultivate. They clearly lay out how those values directly relate to “professionalism/the profession of a physician/doctor”, then do a nice job walking us through specific details from their life that have helped them develop those values and understanding.

Note that because PLME has its own giant Why Us essay (see next example), in addition to Brown’s regular Why Us, the author didn’t necessarily have to include why us details here, but it also probably doesn’t hurt to demonstrate how Brown will help the student continue to develop in ways directly related to the prompt.

And as we discussed above, notice that content is far more important and effective than style—the author is skipping things like a hook or purply prose, instead focusing on clarity and specificity.

Brown PLME: How do you envision the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) helping you to meet your academic personal and professional goals as a person and as a physician of the future? (500 words)

The PLME program will provide me with a holistic and humanistic approach to medicine by affording me broad and diverse opportunities to engage in neuroscience, research, clubs, and enrichment activities.
As a psychiatrist, I hope to help those with cognitive issues inside and outside of the clinic. Specifically, I’m interested in enhancing the mental health of the geriatric population. At Brown, I’ll investigate the effects of aging and of geriatric neurological disorders on the elderly’s attention and memory using imaging techniques and other cognitive neuropsychology in Professor William Heindel’s lab. This will allow me to continue my impact as a CNA from a more therapeutic perspective, as I discover novel markers and treatment for mental illness in the senior population.
In Alpert Medical School, I’ll be able to achieve my goal of combining the clinical, research, and advocacy facets of psychiatry through an interdisciplinary approach. I’m excited to have the opportunity to choose a Scholarly Concentration in Aging to explore further psychology’s role in clinical or health issues among the elderly. Through this program, I’ll interact more with the elderly and the larger Providence community. Furthermore, by participating in a Summer Assistantship, I can receive funding to conduct a project either related to how loneliness in nursing homes affects mental health or how LGBTQ+ residents are treated in facilities. By conducting research and creating my own project, I’ll raise awareness for the community and try to decrease the stigma within society of mental health issues among older populations.
I’ll also take advantage of the plethora of clubs and student activities offered at Alpert Medical school in order to fulfill my personal and professional aspirations. I’ll join the Aging Interest Group to connect with senior citizens and gain insight into the social, political, and medical aspects of aging. I’ll be able to learn more about the prejudice of aging from a biomedical standpoint which will prepare me for my future as a psychiatrist. Additionally, the Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurology Interest Group will allow me to create relationships with professors and students who share my interest in Neuroscience and Psychology, listen to speakers and professionals, and gain clinical experience through shadowing opportunities.
Finally, I hope to take advantage of the student enrichment opportunities at Brown. I want to volunteer at Samaritans of Rhode Island Suicide Prevention Resource Center in order to save lives and enhance my communication and listening skills that will be useful in my future career. After the 3rd year of medical school, I aim to join Dr. Oz’s team of medical professionals to ensure that the medical information on his show is accurate, since misinformation in the media of mental illnesses can contribute to its stigmatization.
The PLME program will afford me an opportunity to holistically explore the medical field from research, medical, advocacy, and communal perspectives. I look forward to the day I’ll receive my own white coat, reflecting my commitment to a scientific and humanistic approach to the practice of medicine.
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Analysis:

This prompt is essentially a large, more-focused-than-usual Why Us. And remember that, because the reader is also seeing your response to the undergrad Brown Why Us, you’ll want to make sure you’re covering different details and “so whats” here vs there.

Again, rather than with a hook, the author opens with a clear, direct statement that frames the response to the prompt—clarity and content over style. Each paragraph opens with a clear topic sentence that sets focus for the reader, followed up by nice specific details about the PLME program (e.g., “a Scholarly Concentration in Aging”). And the author doesn’t make the mistake of simply listing details, but instead clarifies why these details are important to their goals (and in so doing, illustrates core values).

Overall, there’s a strong focus throughout the essay on helping others. And the final paragraph offers a nice summary of different perspectives on medicine.

Together, these three PLME essays do a strong job of communicating how the author’s experiences and insights have prepared them to do well in Brown’s PLME program.

Rice BS/MD Program with Baylor Medical Scholars Program: What aspirations, experiences, or relationships have motivated you to study in the eight-year Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Program? (500 words)

“Hello?” someone yelled. I ran towards where I thought the noise was coming from. “Hi Dylan, what can I do for you?” I asked. “Where am I? Why did my daughter leave me here?” he yelled. I explained that he was at an elder care facility, and his daughter put him here for his well-being. His questions and accusations intensified as he asked if we were kidnapping him. Dylan was having a schizophrenic episode.
I met Dylan when I became a Certified Nursing Assistant last summer. As a CNA, I work to enhance the lives of the elderly by assisting them with routine tasks and by checking on their mental health to make sure they aren’t hurting themselves or others. These parts of my job have motivated my career choice: a psychiatrist.
As a CNA, I have to take risks, especially with residents whose mood swings make it difficult to anticipate how they will react to the most insignificant questions like, “How are you doing today?” With Dylan, one hour he’s polite, whereas the next, he thinks that our facility is trying to hurt him. I have to be adaptable and find creative solutions.
I understood Dylan wasn’t going to listen to anything I had to say because I was a stranger to him, so I called his daughter. Dylan reacted adversely, thinking that we were hacking into the phone lines. I took a risk and facetimed his daughter instead. After some conversation with his daughter, he apologized and thanked me for helping him.
At Rice, through courses such as “Psychopathology, Development, & Aging,” I’ll be able to learn about the underlying causes behind cognitive and mood disorders of aging adults, like Dylan. In addition, I’ll enroll in “Sociology of Mental Health” to investigate the meaning and significance of mental health, with emphasis on the social construction of the word “mental illness” and the stigma behind it.
In medical school, I’ll use my time outside of class to participate in student organizations at Baylor, like the American Women Medical Association (AWMA) and the Neuroscience Student Association, where I can connect with a strong group of women STEM and neuroscience majors, and learn from the wisdom of older students.
I’ll look to join one of Baylor Medical School’s research labs, which examines the identification, diagnosis, and treatment for a variety of mental illnesses. I’m particularly interested in Professor Joshua M. Shulman’s lab, studying Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and Professor Raymond Cho’s lab, studying schizophrenia by using imaging technologies like fMRIs.
Dylan left the nursing home a couple weeks ago, but he may return if his delusions worsen. Medical school will equip me with the neurological understanding of varying mental disorders and the medicinal and therapeutic plans that can most effectively treat them. As a CNA, I can tend to the mundane needs of the elderly with compassion, but I look forward to becoming a psychiatrist, when I’ll impact the mental and physical states of patients like Dylan more profoundly.
— — —

Analysis:

I’m sure you spotted it, but to state the obvious, this is a different (longer) version of one the PLME essays above. Again, you should avoid doubling essays for a single school (for it’s undergrad program and BS/MD program), but because prompts between BS/MD programs are often similar, you’ll likely be able to reuse essays to some degree. We wanted to include this piece to illustrate how that’s possible.

We already covered some strong aspects of this essay above, so we won’t repeat. But to add to what we pointed out there:

Here, the author does a nice job using their experience with Dylan to frame their motivations and aspirations, and links them nicely to specific opportunities with Rice/Baylor’s program. And while the prompt doesn’t explicitly ask for “why us” details, this essay demonstrates how you can do so fluidly and effectively by linking very specific details to your specific experiences and values.

UMKC School of Medicine: What motivates you to pursue a career in medicine? What would you like the UMKC School of Medicine to know about you that isn't available in other parts of this application? (500 words)

Throughout preschool, I was only fluent in Tamil, so I carried a bright green piece of paper covered with crayon scribbles and coffee stains. Wrinkled beyond perception, it was my key to communicating with those around me. Over the course of two years, my mother had written translations that would enable my teachers to understand what I was saying at any given point in time.
After that green paper had come and gone, I started to notice new ones appear every once in a while. First, it was just a simple guide on verbs in Spanish, then it was a trigonometry review in Precalculus, until finally it was my formula sheet for Chemistry. At this point in time, the green sheet of paper represented a bridge between two worlds: one that was unknown and one that was familiar. Since I had encountered it so many times and I valued it so much, I made it my goal to become just such a bridge. At the hospital where I volunteered, I spoke in Spanish, Telugu, and Tamil in order to help visitors find what they were looking for. This is where my interest in the medical field stems from.
UMKC’s direct medical program will give me the opportunity to explore all of my interests in a shorter, more structured timeframe, while also encouraging growth in various fields during my two years as an undergraduate student participating in medical school coursework. I hope to take part in UMKC’s study abroad programs (if Covid allows it!), participating in extensive learning in places like Mexico and Austria. There I will have the ability to learn more about fascinating and diverse cultures, immersing myself in biology and medicine, while simultaneously growing as a student and a person. Additionally, within the community, I’d be privileged to be able to take part in the Sojourner Clinic and the Kansas City Free Eye Clinic.
As a medical student, I would like to participate in extensive research. When I was a research assistant at the University of Illinois, I collected data from previous studies on pancreatic cysts; but I never had the chance to participate in research related to something I am particularly interested in: neural pathways and how they relate to cognitive function. Consequently, I am interested in collaborating with Dr. Bennett because of her research on myocardial infections and the subsequent effects they have on people’s lives in a social, emotional, and literal manner. I might also finally get the chance to conduct the study on total recall (not the movie) that I designed in my psychology class.
From the limitless opportunities for exploration to a simultaneous science-oriented and clinic-oriented approach throughout my medical school experience, I’m confident that UMKC will be a place in which I can thrive and become the bridge I have always sought to be. I will be that green sheet of paper, connecting the known and unknown.
— — —

Analysis:

This essay has a lot of the same strengths we’ve covered in other examples, so I won’t repeat, though I do want to highlight how clear it is that the author has done her homework on the program. Instead, I’ll point out something the author is doing well, but could perhaps have done even better, so you can uplevel your own writing:

The author briefly discusses volunteering at the hospital, and it’s great to point out that she used Spanish, Telugu, and Tamil to help visitors. But it could be strengthened by discussing some specific interactions (at least one?) that ideally demonstrate some experience dealing with patients. Otherwise, a reader might get more of a “researcher” than “clinician” vibe.

And in case you want to see further examples, here are a few more strong essays:

An important emphasis of PittHonors is working for the public good. Please describe how you have worked for the public good in the past and how you expect to continue to do so as a student at the University of Pittsburgh and after graduation?

Service. A seven letter word that has changed my perspective on others. As a kid, I often visited India to visit friends and family. I often saw people in utter poverty, asking for money and scavenging through the trash for food. It was a rude awakening for me, as I realized how removed I was from the suffering. As a kid, I thought suffering was going a week without playing Mario Kart Wii, and now I realize that I'm fortunate to live in such a safe and fulfilling environment, where I can learn the most and enjoy life without wondering whether there was a roof over my head or food on my table. My friend encouraged me to join Boy Scouts, as it was an organization that helped him to help those in need. In Boy Scouts, I have ingrained the value of service and helping others. The motto of Boy Scouts ("Do a good turn daily" ) became embedded in my ethos and guides my life.
Within Boy Scouts, I have worked in the program "Scouting for Food", where I go around the neighborhood asking for leftover non-perishables and donated them to local food banks to help feed hungry families. Boy Scouts also enabled me to engage in food drives that ended up collecting over 150 pounds of food to help send to India.
At Pitt, I would continue this tradition of charity and service, by joining the Doctors without Borders club. This club, which is a chapter of an organization I greatly admire and plan on joining one day, will allow me to help the people most in need and make a difference. I know I am one person, but I might do my part in getting the world in the right direction.
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Tell us about something you have read/watched/listened to that made an impact on you. Tell us why it made an impact.

Answer this: “Where does success come before work ? “ As a little kid when my dad posed this riddle, I answered the dictionary. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell shows that in life, however, work comes before success, along with a myriad of other variables. Gladwell found that opportunity, timing, upbringing, effort, meaningful work, and legacy are all crucial to achieving successes. He utilizes the birthdays of prominent Canadian hockey players to drive home the point that often timing and opportunities can help determine a person’s trajectory in life. He further deconstructs the cult of successes that surround successful people, by illustrating how affluent upbringing of Bill Gates and J. Robert Oppenheimer enabled their future sucesses by providing them with real world experience to nurture their intellect and skills. He fundamentally changed my perception of success by reframing the narrative that it is a byproduct of purley hard work. I was personally struck by the tragic story of Christopher Lanagan , a highly intelligent student with an estimated IQ of 195, and who never achieved a proper schooling due to a dysfunctional home and school environment. This story of unfulfilled potential of a bright pupil struck a personal tenor with me. I am cognizant of my own advantages of a student who has access to amazing education and support systems that are not often to the vast majority of my peers. I realized that success is often not achievable due to systemic factors in people's lives, and therefore as a society we should attempt to even the playing field. I became more involved in afterschool tutoring, helping kids at school and volunteering to help serve and engage underserved and low income kids in areas of STEM. I know the limitations of my efforts, but I know that helping one kid pushes the needle further in the right .
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Yahweh and Vishnu. These 2 gods, central to their religions of Christianity and Hinduism respectively, were confusing to me at a young age. How can something so incorporeal and sublime be responsible for all the natural processes we observe as humans on a daily basis. It was my first experience in a temple that changed me. I saw the energy and mantras that were taken into service at the temple, and it spoke to me on another level. I understood at that time that religion is a powerful force, as it allowed me to connect with people of all walks of life, and try and understand what uniquely binds us together. Religion really helped to nudge me in the direction of service I wanted to make a difference in and introduced the concepts of service leadership and spirituality. These 3 concepts have all tied back to my interest in how this world really works. The synergy of these 3 concepts really came to a head for my Eagle Scout Project, were I spearheaded a beautification project that created new flower gardens and pathways, as well as cleaning up the local temple grounds of trash to enhance temple beauty. Involving around 15 people, me and my crew in a day's work helped to improve a monument to our religion. This experience really spoke to me about the unifying impact of spirituality and service, as we all took a Saturday to make a place of worship a better place to get closer with everyone, and in modern times of division and polarization, it was nice that service and love of nature and getting to know each other was able to bring us together. I feel my spirituality and growing in a multi-religious background allows me to better understand and empathize with the patient's spiritual and cultural beliefs, allowing for better care, while doing God’s work. I want to continue to aid in service by joining the Doctors with Borders and Akshaya Patra foundation, in order to effectively utilize my efforts to make meaningful impacts.
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Tell us about something you have read/watched/listened to that made an impact on you. Tell us why it made an impact.(750 words)

Our school has multiple murals portraying several key events in pop culture or in current events central to that senior year. My favorite mural is that of 2019, portraying everything from scenes from Avengers Endgame to viral dance trends like Woah. The most impactful one for me, however, was the class of 2012, which vividly depicts the Occupy Wall Street movement. With slogans of “We are the 99%”, it brought issues like income inequality and racial inequality to the forefront, systemic issues of American society that hurt opportunities and people around the nation. It was not until the shadowing experiences that made me realize that these societal diseases appear heavily prevalent in healthcare settings. In India, I shadowed a private cardiologist who had many wealthy clients. In a country where the Gini coefficient, a marker of income inequality, comes close to that of the United States, I saw that many of the patients were healthy and vivacious, conversing with the doctor frequently and seem so full of life. I knew that this one side of the coin, so I volunteered at a government-run hospital in India. Immediately entering the patient's room, I realized the stark difference. People had to sit and wait for hours on end just for a physical, and doctors often didn't need medical training to be employed. These people were receiving abhorrent care when they should receive the same quality care as the patients in the previous clinic.In order to alleviate this problem, the government has utilized community-based health clinics to provide better healthcare services in a more targeted and localized success. My relatives were able to spot fast-growing cancer due to visiting one of these shelters. I realize that to solve the issues of racial and income disparities prevalent in healthcare, unorthodox ideas and looking outside of the U.S are ways to help fight this problem, and my experiences have enlightened me on the extent of this menace. My interest in healthcare law stems from the fact that issues like racial disparity still exist, and it is only through systemic change can a meaningful difference be made.
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Special thanks to Andy for contributing to this post

Andrew has worked as an educator, consultant, and curriculum writer for the past 15 years, and earned degrees from Stanford in Political Science and Drama. He feels most at home on mountain tops and in oceans.

Top Values: Insight/Growth | Truth | Integrity