Princeton students and alumni are called to medicine for a variety of reasons, and they end up pursuing many different paths within the field. Figuring out one's fit within the field or within a specialty area can be its own endeavor entirely. So, what does the journey to and through medical school really look like, as well as the reality of work in some of the specialty areas? Find out from a couple recent alumni who have done it! 

Enjoy dinner and learn from Patricia Hernandez '18 and Clara Kerwin '16 about their career paths in medicine. Space is limited, so sign up to reserve your spot!

Summer City Connections is a location-based program designed to foster relationships and professional development among current Princeton students, recent graduates and alumni during the summer.

Alumni Bios

Patricia Hernandez '18

Patricia Hernandez '18 is a third-year Emergency Medicine resident at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency program at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's Hospital. She graduated magna cum laude from Princeton where she studied Molecular Biology and Global Health Policy and attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. 

Currently, she serves on the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine board for residents and serves as co-chair of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion Resident and Fellow Committee at Mass General. She is interested in academic research, with a focus on health equity initiatives and medical education. Looking ahead, Patricia plans to pursue a fellowship and continue her career in academic emergency medicine. 

Clara Kerwin '16

Clara is originally from Southern Oregon. At Princeton she studied Politics and completed a certificate in Global Health and Health Policy. She subsequently worked in health research for two years in Boston before moving to Denver to attend medical school at the University of Colorado. She completed a surgical intern year at UCSF East Bay in Oakland, California and received her MPH in Global Health from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. 

She is now continuing her training in Diagnostic Radiology at Boston Medical Center. In her free time, she loves traveling, baking, and listening to audiobooks while going on long walks across the city.