The unique nature of the Healthcare Studies program has made graduating senior Sarah Ahmed ready to take on the hard science and the even harder real world aspect of med school. In her Spotlight interview, she talks about what to expect from HCS classes, why getting involved with student organizations is a good idea and why UTD’s Honors College was the right fit for her.
Where are you and your family from?
My parents are originally from Pakistan and my dad immigrated to Dallas to study and he went to UT Arlington. We grew up in the Dallas area; I grew up in Frisco, and now I’m at UT Dallas!
What made you choose UT Dallas?
I chose UTD because it was close to home, and that meant I got to stay with my parents and spend more time with my family. And also UTD gives a lot of scholarship money. It just worked out because I wanted to pursue medicine so I knew that eventually I would be leaving home.
Why did you choose Healthcare Studies?
I knew I wanted to pursue medicine. Healthcare Studies is a really cool major to me because it was like combining my pre-medical prerequisites for medical school with also making sure I got a really good understanding of what I was getting myself into. So, I got to see the reality of medicine with classes like Issues in Patient Education and Pre-Health Development. Dr. Byrnes was able to use her professional expertise to show us that medicine is not just the textbook science that we were learning.
Did COVID-19 influence your decision to pursue healthcare?
I don’t think it influenced my decision to pursue medicine but it definitely has influenced how I interact with patients, like very holistically looking at not just their physical health and the problems they bring but any underlying issues they might not be saying — even mental health and prioritizing that to make sure they can recover fully from a health issue, so that everything can be solved, not just the problem that they’re bringing.
Healthcare Studies really gives you a holistic view of healthcare and honestly it’s something that I brought up in all my medical school interviews and the people interviewing me are always very impressed by how much I know.
sarah ahmed
Do you have a favorite course or instructor?
My favorite instructor is probably Dr. Byrnes just because she has so much valuable information and she’s supported me throughout all four years here at UT Dallas. And then my favorite course might have to be The US Healthcare System because Dr. Don Taylor the professor who was teaching it at the time had such real experience and I was able to learn about the political side of healthcare and that’s something that you don’t really get exposure to I think until you’re actually in it.
What are your plans after graduation?
I’m planning on starting medical school in Fall of 2025 so that’s very exciting. I currently have one acceptance but I’m waiting until Match Day to have that secured and really know which city I want to end up in.
What organizations or programs made a difference to you?
Being a student ambassador was super cool because I got to see a whole different side of campus. Also, I was an orientation leader for two years and I’m a peer tutor.
The Honors College has given me a lot of opportunities, especially in a medical sense. I was able to do a program called Comets Help, where I went to UT Southwestern and got to work with geriatric patients, and I think that was really fulfilling. It’s an opportunity that a lot of people don’t get. I was also able to connect a lot deeper with professors and take harder classes that were kind of like, Yeah, this is what I want to do. I can handle the pressure.
What advice would you give other students?
In terms of of whether a pre-med or pre-health student should choose UTD, I think that UTD has so many good opportunities. Our Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC) is super well-developed and they’ve helped me throughout almost the entire application process. They’re super supportive.
In terms of Healthcare Studies, I think HCS is such a cool major. It really gives you a holistic view of healthcare and honestly it’s something that I brought up in all my medical school interviews and the people interviewing me are always very impressed by how much I know.
Advice I would give to a Healthcare Studies major that’s just starting out: if you’re passionate about it, just stick with it. It’s gonna work out. You’re gonna get through it. I know that it can seem difficult and hard at times, but if I can do it, you can do it.