Hi everyone! My name's Daniel, and I'm a 25! I'm from Orange County, California and Seoul, South Korea. I'm hoping to major in Biomedical Engineering and Anthropology Modified with Global Health. If I'm not under my sheets watching a new Netflix series, you'll find me spending time at Still North Café or at the engineering building. I hope you learn something new about Dartmouth today!
Academic Program
Biomedical Engineering and Anthropology Modified with Global Health
This class had an emphasis on really learning the material, rather than mindless regurgitation. Every class lecture truly excited and interested me, and readings were thought-provoking, The final was also a project instead of an exam, which was very fun to complete. I could tell Prof. DeSilva was also very passionate about the class materials as well!
As a "seminar" course, we focused on enjoyable discussion-based lectures. Each and every one of Prof. Kangas' lecture topics were engaging and intriguing, constantly pushing me to think. While we had reading assignments, they weren't necessarily linked to graded discussions/quizzes, which allowed me to feel more relaxed and stress-free (I didn't need to go crazy and write notes in-class). All in all, I loved learning about Pompeii!
A classic pre-med requirement course. This class has a basic structure of problem sets, two midterms, labs, and a final. I thought the points were well-distributed and the exams were fair. I personally enjoy problem-solving, which allowed this class to be more exciting personally. I'd suggest you pick the right professor for you as each professor has a different way of teaching!
This class is taught by Prof. Shipley, a professor who teaches mainly during summer terms. It was very different from the previous anthropology courses I've taken –– we had a filmmaking component as well as a collaborative project. I enjoyed this class because the assignments had a very broad, overarching outline and allowed you to explore your interests very freely. For example, for my final project, I created a podcast that delved into the educational inequity in South Korea.
My first sociology course at Dartmouth. It goes very in-depth about the macro immigration policies in-place in America and how it relates to different immigrants' experiences. I found it intriguing because I'm an immigrant myself, and I also was able to analyze and develop a different outlook on my family's experiences as well. We had interesting projects such as immigrant interview assignment, immigration policy brief, and in-class discussions.
Another first - my first Asian Societies, Culture, and Language (ASCL) course here at Dartmouth. Essentially, through a 3-hour class block each week, you watch a Korean film that provide insights into the different aspects of South Korean culture –– from Korean independence of Japan to modern economic disparities. Very interesting discussions and minimal work: the course focuses a lot more on student learning than testing!
I know what you're thinking: no way this guy liked MATH 13 the best out of his classes. I was thinking the same going into the class, but I enjoyed the problem-solving aspects. Math was one of my favorite subjects in high school, but I didn't get a chance to take any courses here at Dartmouth until I changed to an engineering major which made MATH 13 a prerequisite. All you do is solve problems, practice, grasp concepts, and take exams. But, after a bit, you get the hang of it.
One of my favorite, favorite courses throughout my whole time at Dartmouth. If you thought you know medicine and health, think again –– evolutionary perspectives open up a completely new spectrum of thinking. Have you thought about institutionalized racism in BMI indexes? How about adolescent growth differences between women who give birth in birth centers versus hospitals? Conversations you've never thought of within the medical realm happens in this class. Highly recommend it!
ANTH 76 - Evolution of Upright Walking is a biological anthropology senior seminar. The class itself is very discussion-based, reading books/articles/literature to grasp different aspects of bipedalism. Prof. DeSilva allows you to explore areas YOU are interested in with the midterm paper and final project, and there is little emphasis on grading so you can focus on learning!
A very collaborative course –– daily discussions, guest speakers, and group data analysis assignments. I also really enjoyed the term-long ethnography project where you can choose a community to analyze. Essentially there are different frameworks and theories that can be applied to the way we talk within linguistic anthropology, and it was super interesting seeing how everything is connected to our conversations on a daily basis!
Medicine, Academia, Industry: Dartmouth's Take on Expanding the Healthcare Viewpoint
High schools tend to provide a narrowed scope on careers; personally, at least, I was certainly limited to exploring pre-professional programs like becoming pre-law or pre-health when looking at higher education. However, coming to Dartmouth, within the realm of medicine specifically, I was able to gain a broader outlook on what careers / optionalities are "really" out there, and I'm here to tell you the resources that were leveraged!
Let's first dive into what are traditionally offered as options:
Getting a MD
Probably the most well-known pathway out there to impacting the healthcare industry. Pretty streamlined path: you finish your pre-health prerequisites, apply and attend medical school, finish residency, and boom you're a doctor.
Getting a PhD
Another popular option. Once again, you finish your bachelor's, apply for PhD programs within your interest, and produce research that betters the healthcare industry.
However, there is more to that. And here are some things that allowed me to recognize the broader picture.
Hands-on Research
Dartmouth is (personally) one of the best institutions out there to conduct research. You simply email a professor or match through the numerous undergraduate research programs on-campus to take on a science research project. I leveraged this from freshman year, was exposed to ~3 laboratories until I found the "right" one for me. But, also, throughout it all, as I gained more autonomy over what I can do, I realized that scientific planning and experimentation was not my cup of tea. Do I enjoy it? Yes. But do I see myself doing this long-term? No. I think this realization is pivotal, and the only way to realize it is to actually take on these experiences!
Beyond that, what did research teach me –– that there exists a translational aspect. Many professors and even PhD students unlock discoveries that impact thousands of people in our world today. This means, certain innovations can be patented or monetized. Though as undergraduates we only stay partially throughout this process, ultimately the research these labs do can be utilized by pharma giants or biotech startups to create products and therapies that impact thousands. This is something that is often overlooked as one sits at a bench pipetting.
If that impact is what interests you, then this class is a must. Prof. Gerngross takes a unique spin to this class, allowing students to recognize the business-side of healthcare that is intertwined with the day-to-day pipetting. The healthcare market is ginormous, and there are individuals that sit at the other end of the spectrum, evaluating the potency and effectiveness of these discoveries and translate into monetary value –– and there are many, many actors that are situated along the process.
From pharmaceutical portfolio strategy, healthcare consulting to healthcare private equity and venture capitals, there are many actors bringing a discovery into a real-world setting for use (including doctors and academic researchers). They all make equally as important of an impact!
These more obscure jobs (as aforementioned) are difficult to envision unless you get hands-on experiences. Dartmouth has many opportunities for that. From TUCK 3 where you actually think in the perspective of a business (even some being healthcare-focused) to DIAC where you get to be a part of a biotech startup pitching process, you can expand your outlook on what different healthcare careers have to offer.
As a pre-health student, I've continued to foster my hope to become a doctor one day. However, these different opportunities also expanded my viewpoints beyond just bedside care. How are the therapies physicians administer developed? Why are these drugs so expensive? What institutional actors are present in making a lab bench discovery into reality? I believe these are important questions to ask and these curiosities have been satiated throughout my Dartmouth journey.
If any of these interest you, I hope you check them out.
A bit about the different organizations celebrating Lunar New Year on campus, and a photo gallery of Dartmouth Chinese Student Association and the Chinese Language Houses' celebrations!
The first-generation community at Dartmouth is an extremely tight knit and supportive community! This past week, we celebrated first-gen week, with a myriad of activities and lots of chances to meet new people!
One of the most important aspects of being a Dartmouth student is knowing how to be a college student and manage your time effectively. As a first year student, these are resources that have helped me.
