Now in its 23rd year, the Medical Humanities Scholars Program, a sequential BA-MD program that stresses intensive study in the humanities, arts, and social sciences as part of premedical and medical school curricula, is off to a great fall semester. Nearly two hundred high school seniors applied this past spring, and we were able to admit five students from California, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas. They are profiled below. These students were warmly welcomed at the traditional Hideaway Pizza get together this fall, and they each received a Medical Humanities Scholars Program t-shirt— the first we have had!—designed by Chloe Ngo and Rishika Garg.
All of our graduating seniors, meanwhile, applied and have been admitted to OU College of Medicine (CoM). Andrew Hojjat who is among those accepted at OU CoM has organized a medical humanities reading group; the first book they are discussing is Doctored: The Disillusionment of an American Physician by Sandeep Jauhar. Steven Lee, who is in his second year of the MHSP, spent his summer and fall 2023 semesters at boot camp in the U.S. Marines and passed this rigorous training with flying colors. He will return to the Honors College in January as a reservist. And "Kudos!" to Rishika Garg, who is graduating in three years and received the Honors College "Outstanding Senior" Award.
We are proud of all our MH Scholars! Biographies of the most recent additions follow.
Jayden Lee hails from Yorba Linda, California, where he graduated from Valencia High School. Jayden says that he has always been passionate about music, medicine, and service. These passions have propelled him to holding principal positions in a renowned youth orchestra, winning a cello concerto competition, obtaining a dual IB and Val Technical Academy diploma, and being awarded a Congressional Gold Medal (from the U.S. Congress for outstanding youth leadership and service), and multiple Presidential Service Volunteer awards (administered by AmeriCorps). He is a National Merit Commended Student. While in high school Jayden founded a non-profit youth string orchestra to serve at senior living centers, homeless shelters, and VA facilities. This activity allowed Jayden to combine his passion for music and service. His engagement in medical research over his last 2 years of high school inspired Jayden to be a physician-scientist, aspiring to extend access to medical care through innovation and discvery. Jayden also notes that he acquired 200+ hours of shadowing physicians before arriving at OU and that this helped him realize the importance of empathy and trusting rapport between patient and physician. Jayden believes that the Medical Humanities Scholars Program is an invaluable opportunity to deepen his understanding of the humanities, which he sees as fundamenta.ly about connections and relationships.
Sanika Navalkar graduated from the Millard North High School in Omaha, Nebraska. She is a National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction, a HOSA Behavioral Health Event state champion, and a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. In her senior year of high school, Sanika was selected to be in the U. of Nebraska Medical Center High School Alliance to complete coursework in genetics, community health, anatomy, and pathology. Sanika has interned in the technology innovation department at Kiewit, a Fortune 500 construction company, and in the Human Resources department at Werner, a fortune 1000 trucking company. This summer, she was selected as Nebraska delegate for the National Youth Science Camp—a residential program in partnership with the U.S. State Department. In her spare time, Sanika draws, paints, and sketches still lifes, landscapes, and everyday objects. She chose to attend the OU Medical Humanities Scholars Program because she wanted to enrich her STEM education with coursework and opportunities that provide a human perspective on health and healing. Sanika is drawn to the medical specialty of anesthesiology because it helps to ensure patient comfort and safety during surgeries. She believes that everyone deserves access to high quality medical care.
Originally from the Bay Area. Meghana Nuthi graduated from Dougherty Valley High School. She plans to major in Public Health and minor in both Medical Humanities and Dance. Meghana's vision for a medical career is firmly anchored in empathy and cultural sensitivity. She is considering careers in pediatrics or obstetrics and gynecology and is committed to serving low-income and underinsured persons and advocating for women’s and reproductive health. Meghana envisions herself as a future physician actively engaging with NGOs and championing underserved communities. Meghana was drawn to the MHSP because of the program's commitment to nurturing well-rounded physicians and fostering holistic perspectives on health, disease, and healing. Meghana was drawn to the arts from an early age. An internationally accredited competitive Kuchipudi dancer, Meghana has performed in Malaysia and India, and participated in numerous solo competitions, Broadway adaptations, and charity events. Beyond dance, Meghana enjoys both singing and the visual arts. Active participation in her school’s choir during her high school years, as well as harmonizing with friends in small acapella groups and performing in musical shows, has strengthened Meghana’s musical proficiency. Truly a multimedia Medical Humanities Scholar, Meghana looks forward to blending her creativity in the arts with activities that make a social impact.
Ritika Jagerlamudi hails from Chesterfield, Missouri where she graduated from Marquette High School. Ritika plans to major in biochemistry and hopefully studying dance history and healthcare business as a part of MHSP. During her high school years, Ritika started a personal research project studying neuronal regeneration mechanisms in zebrafish, a project that she presented at national youth science conferences. Like her fellow MH Scholar, Meghana Nuthi Ritika has been a competitive dancer since a very young age. Ritika enjoys all styles of dance and has a passion for movement in all forms! During high school, Ritika invested many hours in the Best Buddies program to develop meaningful one-on-one friendships with students who have intellectual disabilities and to bridge in special education schooling. Whether going on hikes, playing pickleball, or having karaoke nights, Ritika sees the Medical Humanities Scholars Program at OU as "the perfect program" to allow her "to harness both my interests in the biomedical sciences and my personal passion for dance [through] a holistic, humanities-based pre-med education." Ritika hopes to pursue a career in rehabilitative medicine and/or pediatric neurology and to develop innovative therapies for patients with mobility disorders and neurological disabilities.
Vignesh Anand graduated from Centennial High School in Frisco, Texas. Vignesh sees himself as someone who loves learning more than most people— so much so that he earned his associate's degree before he graduated from high school! He has spent long hours in the lab conducting his behavorial biology research on mosquitofish at the University of Texas; he also conducted his AP Research project on education in medical ethics. Vignesh still finds time to enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities, many of them in community service. Starting a chapter of the Spanish Honor Society at Centennial High School and volunteering with the American Heart Association to promote awareness of the role that physical activity plays in preventing heart disease are just two examples. Vignesh also attended a national Brain Bee and international HOSA conferences to learn about epidemiology and cultural diversity in health care. He is especially interested in public health because it can help him to understand the context of health issues in his future patients. Vignesh was drawn to OU and to the MHSP because of the ability to network with others interested in the medical humanities, the flexibility to major in whatever he wanted while keeping a spot at OU's College of Medicine, and the wide range of opportunities for scholarship. In the future, Vignesh envisions working as a physician-scientist who also helps promote health in his community.
