The path to STEM and happiness by Priscilla

The path to STEM and happiness by Priscilla - June 2023 Scholarship Essay

As the daughter of a nurse and niece of several medical professionals, medicine has been at the forefront of my mind because professionals in this field can help people through some of the crucial and hardest times of their lives. Seeing my mother in this role has excited me at the prospect of building very meaningful connections with patients and ensuring their comfort as they seek care. As a young woman herself, the injustices I see in the medical field for people of color and women, pains my heart. Hearing my eldest sister, who graduated from my current University, talk about how eye opening the classes were to her has furthered my interest in Women’s Health and the medical field.

On top of my passion for helping people, I’m heavily considering pursuing the medical path and becoming an OBGYN because I see the lack of representation of minorities and women in this field and the school I currently attend is the perfect place for me to begin this journey. I hope to change this stigma and inspire others, while also providing the respectable care that patients deserve. Attending the University of Michigan has allowed me to further explore my interest in medicine. Before attending this school, I knew I was interested in Women’s Health and diversity in the workplace. Upon taking the Women & Gender Studies my first year, I narrowed down my interest into wanting to be an OBGYN. In ten years I see myself in this field because sadly the status quo is not changing fast enough. I see myself attending conferences and discussions aimed at addressing the lack of diversity in medicine and providing solutions. I see myself not only attending, but learning and participating in closing these gaps in the workplace. I see myself running programs and summits like the Future Physicians Summit at U of M that I attended when I was a younger classmen in high school. This program saw the adversities many students of color faced in pursuing higher education and it opened our eyes to paths we never deemed possible.

Currently I am the Publicity and Marketing Chair for the Black Undergraduate Medical Association (BUMA)- an organization that focuses on equipping Black pre-med students with the resources needed to succeed. Through BUMA I am able to speak with doctors and other medical representatives as I continue to explore the field and possible career paths. This school and organization has pushed me to find my community, especially as a woman of color pursuing medicine. In ten years I see myself doing things that make me happy. Though science and STEM are among those things, I also enjoy the artistic world. I am currently the Vice President of one of my two dance teams, I am on two model organizations, and I sing in my church choir. I believe that the key to my success in ten years is incorporating the things I love outside of my profession. Yes, I hope to be on the path to becoming a doctor but I also want to be on the path of self care and happiness. My education will put me on the path, but it will be that in combination with everyone else that makes me who I am, that will allow for the dreams I have to be fulfilled.