Jasmine Patel
B.A.-M.D. and Macaulay
Biology and Economics
Jasmine Patel has a lot of interests. "From a young age, my grandfather would tell me that I was going to become a doctor. I would say, 'No, I will become a nurse or maybe a nun.'" A student in the B.A.-M.D. program, Jasmine is well on her way to making her grandfather's prediction a reality, but that hasn't stopped her from exploring her multitude of other interests.
As an active member of the Speech and Debate Club for four years, Jasmine has seen the club go from one that won no awards to a club that won 18 awards last year. "A highlight for me was a debate on the toxic assets that banks have. I had recently learned about that in my economics class so I was really excited to use that knowledge to win the argument. Another great thing about being in the club is all of the travel we've done both nationally and internationally."
When not digging up facts for her next debate argument, you might find Jasmine digging for bones and artifacts. She has spent time in both Iceland and the tiny Caribbean island of Barbuda. In Iceland, she spent the summer digging for bones. In Barbuda, she was part of a team looking for remnants of the Saladoid people. "There was a field school there, so we were learning the basics of excavating, surveying and how artifacts are preserved. We found human burials, the types of animals they ate and pottery shards. We set up a museum with the things we found."
And if you're curious about her majors — biology and economics — Jasmine is interested in pursuing her M.B.A. in addition to her M.D. degree because she is interested in the business aspect of healthcare. Sounds like she will have all her bases covered!