Hometown:  Spokane, Washington, USA

Undergraduate School: Private, University of Washington

Major: Bioengineering

GPA: 3.81 out of 4.0

MCAT: 35. PS: 12, V: 11, BS: 12.

Medical school application essay editing

I stood nervously among a sea of bodies in the chilly pre-dawn glow. My impulsive idea to run the 2013 Seattle Marathon was finally coming to fruition. Surging forward at the sound of the gun, it didn’t take long to settle into the familiar rhythm of all those early morning runs around Lake Washington. My love of running is not the result of winning races; instead, it is the product of a long process of discovering the euphoria that can be found in personal improvement, challenging oneself, and the freedom of being in the outdoors. I love the incremental challenges of pressing forward, the striving for constant progress toward a goal. In a similar fashion, my initial interest in medicine has manifested into a passion as I have explored the field during my undergraduate years.

My first steps into the medical field began with my fascination with the pathophysiology and treatment of diseases, which motivated me to study bioengineering. As a bioengineering major, I sought to design and build new solutions to address medical problems and impact others through research. In particular, I became involved in the development of gene therapies because of their potential to cure a plethora of diseases, many of which currently do not have satisfactory treatment options. In an effort to overcome many of the barriers to efficient gene delivery, we sought to design non-viral vectors with multiple functionalities. As a result of my research in Dr. Suzie Pun’s lab, we elucidated novel design criteria for developing cationic copolymers for gene delivery, ranging from polymer architecture to hydrodynamic morphology.

Although I was inspired by the theoretical potential of gene therapy, I also witnessed the personal, patient-level impact of bio engineering innovations. As a volunteer in Uganda, I used Hema Strip HIV Test strips to identify patients who needed life-saving antiretroviral therapy. Even in relatively unskilled hands, this product of modern bioengineering enabled rapid, cost-effective, and reliable patient diagnoses. As a doctor, my bioengineering and research background will provide me a unique toolset that will help me propel the medical field towards treating and curing more patients.

Providing excellent patient care is the first priority for any physician, but mentoring and teaching are also equally important for ensuring a high standard of care. As co-founder of the bio engineering department’s first undergraduate journal club, which aimed to create a comfortable and mentally stimulating environment for students to learn how to approach scientific literature, I was able to actively participate in helping fellow students grow as future researchers. I found a similar kind of fulfillment as a youth group leader at my church. When a high school student reached out to me about her struggles with depression and self-harm, I did my best to give her the friendship and care she desperately needed. Coffee dates and late-night Facebook chats became routine for us. Through this process, I watched her transform from timid and distant to vibrant, smiling, and social. A year later, she is involved in activities like tennis and is actively rebuilding her relationship with her parents. The immense satisfaction found in mentoring others and seeing them improve and advance motivates me to seek out opportunities to continue mentoring as part of a career in academic medicine.

Shadowing my own mentor, Dr. Joo Ha Hwang, solidified my dreams of pursuing a career in academic medicine. Through my time with him, I was ecstatic to find that my passions for medicine, research, and mentoring were all an integral part of Dr. Hwang’s everyday job. Not only does he practice medicine, he also runs his own research group and develops novel therapies and diagnostics that utilize endoscopy. As his medical students and residents were preparing to go out on consults, Dr. Hwang provided the guidance and advice they needed. Even when they were worn from the challenges they faced, he remained encouraging and supportive. Likewise, his interactions with patients and their families reminded me of the personal connections fundamental to being a doctor. When communicating with the family of a patient dying of chronic liver failure, I was humbled by his ability to deliver the realities of the situation with compassion and sympathy. Although he didn’t sugar-coat anything, even I, a total stranger to the patient, felt comforted and reassured by his words. The potential to impact others on a personal level, as well as indirectly through advancements in medicine, inspires me as I embark on the journey to academic medicine.

As my blood-stained shoes finally passed the marathon finish line, the exhilaration cancelled out the screaming agony of my body. Looking at the clock, I realized I had run a Boston qualifying time. Losing a few toenails and many hours of sleep is a minor sacrifice on a journey of discovery and improvement. My commitment to the various aspects of medicine will also be fruitful. Through my undergraduate experiences in research, teaching, and service, my passions for scientific inquiry, novel thinking, patient care, and helping others have solidified my commitment to pursuing a career with local and global impacts in academic medicine.

Analysis

Jennifer opens her essay with her experience running the Seattle Marathon. She loves running not because she likes to win races, but because she is drawn to the process of challenging herself and becoming the best version of herself that she can be. These values that she defines in the context of running she then extends to medicine, which highlights how she will thrive in an environment that is similarly physically and mentally demanding.

Jennifer then delves into her experiences mentoring others, doing research, and co-founding the undergraduate journal club. Through all of these examples, she illustrates her strengths as a leader and a critical thinker. The anecdote in the fourth paragraph not only puts further emphasis on her great mentorship skills but also attests to her passion to impact people on a personal level.

When Jennifer goes in depth about shadowing her own mentor, the reader sees how she truly values being a student as well as a teacher. She admires Dr. Hwang’s empathy and confidence and aspires to exhibit these characteristics when she becomes a physician. This shows the reader that she is excited to commit herself to the medical field, just as she has committed herself to self-improvement through running.

From 50 Successful Harvard Medical School Essays edited by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson. Copyright (c) 2020 by the authors and reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Publishing Group