May 2016 Alumni Spotlight: Nikita Khetarpal
May 2016 Alumni Spotlight: Nikita Khetarpal
Nikita graduated from Wayne State in 2015 with a B.A. in political science with departmental honors, and she just finished up her first year at the Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM). Nikita's first year in the WSUSOM has been an intense experience, as first year medical students are challenged with rapidly learning an extensive amount of information on anatomy, histology, biochemistry, physiology, genetics, nutrition, and neuroscience. Year two will be spent learning about diseases and how to treat them, and then she will complete her clinical rotations at hospitals over the last two years.
While many students may not think of political science as a pre-med major, Nikita feels that majoring in political science gave her unique benefits that students in other majors may not have had. Nikita feels that the critical reading skills she developed in her political science courses helped to her be successful when taking the MCAT exam. Nikita also believes that studying political science made her more aware of the diverse populations she will treat as doctor, and will help her to understand the needs of the communities she will serve. Nikita joined the American Medical Association (AMA) chapter at Wayne State, and through the AMA, she has the ability to advocate for public health policies that she feels can change the medical field for the better and improve patient treatment. Nikita credits her political science courses at Wayne State for making her aware of the role politics has in shaping the medical field, and also with giving her important skills to help her form those policies.
To any student that is thinking about attending medical school, Nikita advises them to get their pre-med courses done in their first three years, and then to take some extra biology courses (Biology of the Eye, Anatomy & Physiology, Evolution, etc.) in their senior year. She also thinks it is important to apply to as many medical schools as possible, and that students should keep their FASFA up to date. To all students at Wayne State, Nikita advises them to do research, explore Detroit, and enjoy their senior year. Lastly, as a former president of the Political Science Student Association, Nikita suggest that all students find and dedicate their time to a student organization that they are passionate about.