As a part of the 2023 Laidlaw cohort, I'm planning on researching structural inequities in the healthcare education pathway and how that results in pre-med dropout and excludes underrepresented students from certain medical school programs such as the Early Assurance Program (EAP) to Georgetown School of Medicine. Currently, as a pre-med student at Georgetown, I have seen first-hand how "pre-med activities" such as research and clinical work is unpaid. Because I am also a first generation low-income student at Georgetown, I experienced how difficult it can be to fulfill one's financial need by working multiple part-time jobs and becoming involved in "volunteer" research and clinical experiences on top of paid jobs. I have previously done work on this project through the Hub for Equity and Innovation in Higher Education which is a unit at Georgetown focused on improving diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education. 

The ultimate goal of my project is to link pre-med dropout with the systemic barriers I have identified from my prior research, and evaluate how these barriers also prevent students from being able to apply to medical school programs such as EAP. Additional topics of exploration include specific courses that prompt students to drop out of the pre-med track, lack of clinical work, lack of financial opportunities in undergrad and other personal reasons for why underrepresented students decide that they do not want to continue their pre-med journey. 

At the end of this summer session, I hope to gain a better understanding of which systemic barriers play the largest role in discouraging underrepresented students from pursuing the pre-med track and how these barriers most negatively impact students with financial need. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to learn alongside my fellow Laidlaw scholars and gain leadership, collaborative and communication skills that will benefit the development of my project in the future. So excited to be part of this network and meet you all!