Medical School Admissions

Esther Wu has long been fascinated by the brain. A neuroscience and biology double major at Dartmouth, she worked at a clinic where she interviewed families of patients with dementia, held a social engagement group for kids with autism spectrum disorder, and did her senior honors thesis on developmental prosopagnosia.

But before committing to years of medical education and training, the Pasadena, CA, native wanted to try something different, and found a job with a life sciences consulting firm in Boston. “I felt a few steps removed from helping actual patients, and I knew then that it was time to head to med school,” she says. 

As a third-year student interested in neurology or neurosurgery, Esther researches traumatic brain injury and helped organize the National Student Neurosurgery and Neurology Research Conference at The Warren Alpert Medical School. She serves on the Medical Student Senate, co-led a preclinical elective during her second year, and volunteers with the Rhode Island Free Clinic.

A figure skater, Esther competed at Dartmouth and still skates occasionally with Brown’s club. “I knew from the moment I got to campus for my interview that I could build a community here,” she says. “I’ve been impressed with the resources, shadowing opportunities, and the willingness of professors and attendings to serve as mentors. I’m glad that I went with my gut.”