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Emma Pristo

2x

Finalist

1x

Winner

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Biking And Cycling
  • Advocacy And Activism
  • Animals
  • Soccer
  • Volleyball
  • Community Service And Volunteering
  • Weightlifting

Reading

  • Academic
  • Health
  • Leadership
  • Literary Fiction
  • Mystery
  • Thriller

I read books daily.

Bio

For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of working in medicine. But it wasn’t until my family’s struggle with healthcare insecurity that I discovered my true purpose: to create equitable opportunities for the medically underserved. In college, while still navigating financial challenges, I took on leadership roles in Special Olympics (SO) and Remote Area Medical (RAM). With RAM, I provided compassionate care to rural patients with limited healthcare access, and at SO, I learned that many athletes faced unaddressed mental health conditions, inspiring me to design a gap-year project to expand mental health resources available to DC’s intellectual disability community. While these endeavors empowered me, the pivotal experience came while working with physicians focused on lessening barriers to care for oncology patients in Tanzania. Beyond medical knowledge, I learned enormous lessons in the importance of compassion, connection, and social justice in medicine and witnessed how healthcare accessibility can nearly double survival rates for underserved patients — which left me wondering how I can bring this impact to patients facing similar barriers at home. Now, as I prepare to join the health equity track at my dream medical school, I now know how to make this dream a reality. I plan to return to Tanzania to continue learning from their initiatives, while pursuing my medical degree. My ultimate goal is to establish a free treatment center for patients lacking access to care in the US. I cannot wait to continue building upon this journey in medical school.

Education

Duke University

Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

2025 – 2025

Majors:
  • Medicine

Northwestern University

Bachelor's degree program

2020 – 2024

Majors:
  • Neurobiology and Neurosciences

Durham Academy Upper School

High School

2016 – 2020

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Duke University
Majors of interest:
Medicine
Desired degree modality:
In-Person
Medical school interest:
Yes

Career

  • MCAT Test-Prep and Application Coach

    Education · MedLife Mastery

    Jan 2024 – Present

  • Health Educator and Health Programs Coordinator

    Non-Profit Organization Management · Special Olympics District of Columbia (SODC)

    Jan 2025 – Present

  • Student Intern

    Medicine · Collegiate Athlete Premedical Experience (CAPE) at Duke University Health Center

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2022

  • Clinical Research Intern Studying Barriers to Accessing Pediatric Oncology Care in Mwanza, Tanzania

    Medicine · International Cancer Care and Research Excellence Foundation (ICCARE)

    Jan 2023 – Jan 2023

  • Undergraduate Teaching Assistant - Two-time Biochemistry TA and One-time Cell Biology Laboratory TA

    Education · Northwestern University

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2024

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Medicine
Work experience:
1 year
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
Harriett Russell Carr Memorial Scholarship
I believe that a true spirit of excellence encompasses not only the pursuit of personal growth and achievement, but also the commitment to empower others to realize their own full potential. Driven by this belief, it’s been my mission to foster inclusivity in my community and advocate for health equity nationwide, particularly for people with intellectual disabilities. My journey began eight years ago, when looking for a place where my best friend’s sister would feel safe and celebrated after being bullied severely for her intellectual disability. Her bullies failed to see that her disability gave her some pretty enviable characteristics, such as her ability to unconditionally love others and her infectious happiness. Upon discovering Special Olympics, I not only found a place where she could thrive, but also a calling of my own. Since then, I’ve hosted field days, led athletic sites, tutored, planned holiday parties, taken on vice president leadership roles, and everything in between. I’ve built amazingly strong relationships with my athletes, always uplifting them at every turn, celebrating their unique strengths, and contributing to an environment that is uplifting for all. It was through these relationships that I came to understand that people with ID often encounter inadequate healthcare, disproportionately high obesity rates, and unaddressed mental health struggles — obstacles that limit the chance of fulfilling life. Combining my love for Special Olympics with my own struggles with healthcare accessibility, I made it my mission to address this intersection between ID and healthcare access during my gap year. I’ve spent this past year doing just that. In the true spirit of excellence, I’ve helped to expand Special Olympics DC’s Healthy Athletes Program, which offers free health screenings to under-resourced athletes. My goal is to increase the frequency of screenings and to eliminate transportation barriers to make quality healthcare more accessible for every athlete. In addition, l lead the health education program for SODC’s inaugural summer camp as a way to equip athletes with knowledge that will increase their ability to thrive long-term. This role not only allowed me to improve individual health outcomes, but to empower the community to take control of their well being and increase trust and confidence in medicine. This role also reinforced my belief that excellence in medicine means listening to unique stories with compassion and creating opportunities that include groups that are often excluded. My years with Special Olympics have cultivated my ability to advocate for underrepresented voices and build lasting relationships with diverse people of all walks of life. As I prepare to enter medical school, I intend to carry these experiences with me to my patient care experiences, uplifting marginalized communities and working towards building a healthcare system that serves all people equitably. My ultimate goal is now to open a free treatment center in my area of specialty so that everyone, no matter their disability or socioeconomic status, can access critical care. Special Olympics has shaped my understanding of what excellence truly means, and I now intend to pay this forward in my medical career.
Emma Pristo Student Profile | Bold.org