Vassar College Supplement: Personal Experience on Studying Medicine

I have chosen to apply to St. Edmund Hall due to its outstanding reputation and excellence in scientific research. After my graduation from Vassar College, I intend on applying to graduate schools to study pharmaceutical sciences. My intention to write Vassar College supplement essay is to show my academic path in this college that can be useful for applying to St. Edmund Hall. 

Growing up in Nigeria, I was always dissatisfied by the dire state of healthcare services due to the neglect and lack of interest demonstrated by a majority of the workers. My desire to improve that state of affairs led me to pursue a major in biochemistry as an undergraduate and drives me to pursue a career in healthcare, specifically in the pharmaceutical industry. For my Biochemistry major, I have completed my core courses including General and Organic Chemistry, Introductory Physics and Biological Investigation. These courses have prepared me to take on more challenging and advanced coursework. Before the spring semester of 2020, I plan to have completed classes in Biochemistry, and Genetics & Genomics that would further prepare me for the courses I intend to enroll in at St. Edmund Hall.

In my first semester at Vassar College, I took a course titled “The Biology of the Human Microbiome” This course exposed me to relevant current topics in biomedical sciences including phage therapy, antibiotic resistance, and the dangers of continued intake of antibiotics. In this class, we learned about the use of bacteriophages in the treatment of infectious diseases including diabetes and obesity. We also examined the relationship and interaction between the human microbiome and the human body system. In the end, as a culmination of the knowledge gained from the class, I completed a final paper on the use of bacteriophages in the treatment of infectious diseases. This course sparked my increased interest in these topics. As such, I plan to enroll in Immunology & Microbiology at St. Edmund Hall, in order to gain a more in-depth and comprehensive understanding of these relevant and fundamental topics, particularly: An Introduction to Infectious Diseases, Antibiotics and Resistance, and Macrophages. The Oxford tutorial system will be a good fit for my learning style as I can explore these topics in depth and interact directly with the tutors who are specialists in biomedical sciences. Also, this further training will increase my understanding of these topics that will be relevant to my future studies in pharmaceutical sciences.

My experience as a summer undergraduate research fellow at the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in the University of Florida College of Medicine did not only heighten my desire to work in the pharmaceutical industry, but also contributed immensely to my growth as an upcoming researcher and budding scientist. During the program, I worked with Professor Torres Gonzalo in a neuropharmacology lab where I got the opportunity to design and carry out an independent research project which focused on the effect of Gβγ subunits on the regulation of the dopamine transporter. Specifically, I studied the mechanism through which the dopamine transporter serves as a receptor for both amphetamine and Gβγ subunits. Through this internship, I was introduced to research techniques like Western Blotting, performing protein assays, Assessment of Nucleic Acid Purity, and RNA Quantification. This working environment also helped foster my ability to learn efficiently and work effectively under minimal supervision. At the end of the summer, I gave a final presentation to a panel of professors, graduate students, as well as the other student participants of the summer program.

At St. Edmund Hall, I intend on taking a tutorial in Advanced Pharmacology, so I can gain more theoretical knowledge on topics like drug receptor structure/function, receptors and signal transduction. I am interested in the process of drug discovery and development of novel therapeutics, thus tutorials in target identification and validation in drug discovery and also academic drug design and discovery at St. Edmund Hall will further ground me in these topics that are relevant to my prospective career field.

Presently, I work as a research assistant in a Biology lab at Vassar College focusing on traumatic brain injuries. Through this position, I have acquired certain practical skills and learnt techniques, including RNA isolation and quantification and qPCR. Though I enjoy working in this lab, I have a strong desire to learn about more skills and techniques employed by pharmaceutical scientists. I have also become more aware of the ethics of being a researcher and a scientist since beginning my studies at Vassar. While under the supervision of my research mentor, I have realized the relevance of team-work, self-confidence, punctuality, and most importantly, persistence. I have developed my ability to work effectively in a team as I work alongside three other students in the laboratory. By performing experiments on my own, I have learned to be more independent and result-oriented. I have also learned to accept my failures and improve on them to use them as a foundation for success.

This past fall, I was part of the initiation and development of Vassar Health Care Industry Club (VHIC), focused on creating awareness of the numerous underrecognized career opportunities for individuals interested in the health industry. My commitment to the establishment of this club stems from my interest in global health and a desire to contribute to the global progress in healthcare. As the Communications Director, my role is to raise awareness for opportunities, not just in the pharmaceutical sector, but also in biotechnology, public health, global health and other underrepresented sectors in healthcare. Along with the other members of the executive board, I hope to achieve greater awareness through forums that create a space for networking and meaningful conversations between students and alumni or other contributing professionals in the health industry. I believe our actions, no matter how inconsequential they seem, can contribute immensely to the future of healthcare. Because of this, I am excited to join the Medical Sciences Society for Medics and Biomedics at St. Edmund’s Hall where I hope to actively participate in the society’s events.