Lina

While I was a freshman in college, I was able to register for a diverse set of classes, including basic sciences that appealed to my pre-medical side, and new disciplines including sociology, religion, economics and linguistics. I never felt that I had to follow the traditional "pre-med tract" since HPME gave me the freedom to personalize my undergraduate education. By the end of my sophomore year, I had discovered my love for French studies and decided to spend a year abroad enriching my education. Had I not been in HPME, I would have been limited to a quarter abroad, since I would need to return to the states for standardized tests and medical school applications. Instead, I spent a year getting to know the French people and culture. I spent the first semester living with a wonderful family in the town of Nantes. I attended the local university during the day, and was an active participant in the French family dinner routine at night. The second half of the year, I lived in Paris. My classes regularly visited the Louvre and attended local plays. I met other international students, learned about their background and participated in memorable discussions about our similarities and differences. During my time off, I traveled throughout Europe and explored political and health care systems unique from our own. By the time I returned to campus, I was fluent in French. I had learned a great deal from my international experiences and the array of people that I had met. This deepened my knowledge of the language and arts, and prepared me to interact with individuals from all walks of life.

Since matriculating to Feinberg, I have become involved in international organizations, including NU-AID, a group that provides medical services and supplies to communities abroad. I participated in a trip to Nicaragua with fellow students and faculty where we conducted day clinics for underserved populations. It was so fulfilling that I plan to return this summer as a senior student. I have also participated in free local clinics throughout the past year and plan to spend a month doing an international rotation in my fourth year.

My undergraduate experiences have led to opportunities I never would have imagined. HPME has provided tools to participate in health care beyond the Northwestern campus. I believe my unique opportunity will help me to become an excellent physician. By having a diverse course load and the freedom to explore areas other than medicine, I am better equipped to relate to the patients that I encounter daily in the hospital. I can appreciate our health care model but can also understand how other systems work. Ultimately, HPME gave me the opportunity to learn not only the core scientific principles of medicine, but also to delve into the humanities.