During my first two years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I began taking premedical courses to prepare for a career in medicine. In addition to the requirements, I took a number of classes examining humanistic perspectives of medicine. Community service helped me acquire the patience, heart and willingness to help those in need. What I had not yet realized, however, is that medicine consists of much more than a physician's determination to help his patients. An internship the summer before my junior year changed the way I view health care.

I was accepted into M.I.T.'s Washington internship program, sponsored by the political-science department, for the summer of 1998. Ten undergraduates per year are given the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical training to public-policy issues in government agencies, the private sector and advocacy groups. In addition to offering academic credit and the full cost of summer living expenses, the program provides avenues for its interns to become more involved in — and familiar with — the Washington policymaking community. We had the opportunity to hear and meet many speakers, ranging from Dr. Harold Varmus, director of the National Institutes of Health, to members of Congress.

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My summer assignment was to analyze health-care policy at the Alliance for Health Reform, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that educates elected officials and opinion leaders about health-policy issues. Its goals are extending health coverage to all Americans and containing costs. I studied some of the policies designed to address our nation's medical needs, such as the State Children's Health Insurance Program, offering broad insurance coverage for children, sponsored by Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, the alliance's chairman.

It was the first time I was able to witness firsthand the power of legal action in addressing the needs of individuals. My eyes were opened to the realization that doctors do not practice medicine autonomously: they are altogether dependent on the resources and means allocated to them. The Alliance for Health Reform taught me that the practice of medicine, in addition to centering on caring for those in need, hinges on a health-care system that is an endless power struggle among the needs of corporations, doctors and patient-consumers.

I devoted a significant portion of my energies to preparing for a briefing — which was broadcast live on C-span — on the current implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which became my area of specialization. I helped prepare numerous briefing materials for press kits and compiled lists of experts on hipaa and its intricacies.

I came to realize the importance of networking with policy and opinion makers. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the alliance's annual fund-raising event at Senator Rockefeller's home. The real incentive to attend such fund raisers is to have a chance to meet with Senators, members of Congress and other important figures in the political and health-care arena. I helped conduct briefings on Capitol Hill and at the National Press Club. I also had many opportunities to reach out to journalists at various conferences, including the National Association of Black Journalists' annual gathering held at the Washington Convention Center.

As a result of my internship experience, I want to improve America's health-care system by becoming a policymaker in addition to becoming a physician. Next year I plan to study politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University as a British Marshall Scholar before going to medical school.

I saw how medicine's reach ultimately lies in the hands of legislative power and not necessarily in the hands of any given physician, despite his ability and compassion. If the only role of a physician were to serve his patients in a clinical setting, he would in effect practice medicine in a vacuum. Doctors must be aware of the broader context of medicine in order to be advocates for their patients.

Source: TIME/The Princeton Review's The Best College For You 2001