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Leilani Whyte

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Finalist

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Painting and Studio Art
  • Drawing And Illustration
  • Singing
  • Dance
  • Baking
  • Volunteering
  • Community Service And Volunteering
  • Movies And Film
  • Running
  • Travel And Tourism

Reading

  • Academic
  • Adult Fiction
  • History

I read books daily.

Bio

My name is Leilani Whyte and I am an Afro-Panamanian from Rochester, New York. I am passionate about serving the underserved, public health, health equity and accessibility. I hope to make a positive impact on the racial and socioeconomic disparities within the healthcare system as a future physician. I am an incoming Masters of Preclinical Sciences student at Mercer University School of Medicine. This program will allow me to further my scientific understanding of biological and chemical processes related to the function of the human body. This knowledge will prepare me for the academic rigor that I will face in medical school. I graduated magna cum laude with my bachelor's in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from North Carolina A&T State University in December 2024. During undergrad, I participated in various volunteer activities that aimed to support the underserved. I also volunteered in roles supporting youth being introduced to upper level science, majority of them coming from backgrounds that are underrepresented in medicine.

Education

Mercer University

Master's degree program

2026 – 2027

Majors:
  • Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies
  • Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

North Carolina A & T State University

Bachelor's degree program

2021 – 2024

Majors:
  • Human Biology
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
  • Biology, General
Minors:
  • Chemistry

Churchville-chili Senior High School

High School

2017 – 2021

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Medical school interest:
Yes

Career

  • Resident Assistant

    Facilities Services · North Carolina A&T State University

    Jan 2022 – Jan 2024

  • Ophthalmic Technician & Sterilization Technician

    Hospital & Health Care · Summit Eye Care P.A

    Jan 2024 – Jan 2026

  • Operative Clinical Technician (OR Tech)

    Hospital & Health Care · Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital

    Jan 2024 – Jan 2024

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Hospital & Health Care
Dream career goals:
Trauma Surgeon
Work experience:
4 years
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
Women in STEM Scholarship
My passion for medicine stems from witnessing my Granny Ola’s compassionate physicians care for her throughout my youth. Understanding the positive impact a physician can have on a patient's life solidified my goal of becoming one, specifically in an underserved area. My family's support in this dream led to attending different STEM camps throughout my childhood summers, one being at a Historically Black College/University (HBCU). These opportunities as a child fueled my passion for science and medicine as a whole. Knowing the power early exposure to STEM had on me, I was eager to contribute to spaces like these in undergrad. I served as a Lead Pre-Professional Scholars Program Ambassador at my HBCU for the majority of my undergraduate career. I have helped lead Sci-Tech Week and other science-based events, teaching experiments to local elementary, middle, and high school students, many of whom come from underrepresented minority backgrounds. I find immense joy in engaging with children and immersing them in the realm of science through hands-on experiments. Fostering curiosity and igniting a passion for learning in young minds is deeply fulfilling to me and is something that I hope to continue doing as a physician. Representation in healthcare is incredibly important, especially in underserved communities where disparities in the healthcare system are more prevalent. In the medically underserved area where I attended college, I learned a lot through both my volunteer and work experiences. I once observed how patient-physician gender, racial, and religious concordance can make a profound impact while assisting with Pap smears at an AMEN free clinic. This experience helped me realize how impactful my identity may be for those who do not always see themselves represented within healthcare. As a future Afro-Latina trauma surgeon, my commitment to service and advocacy within healthcare will go beyond the OR and ICU. Within the underserved communities I hope to serve, I envision myself collaborating with like-minded professionals, advocating for systemic changes that reduce healthcare disparities, and creating opportunities for youth to be introduced to STEM and get involved in areas of interest. I want to implement summer camps, after-school programs, and other initiatives so that youth within these disadvantaged neighborhoods, especially female children of color, can have the opportunity of knowing the different paths available to them regardless of the community they live in. The youth STEM program is important to me because I understand that a lot of underserved and minority communities are only aware of what is around them. For example, as a kid, I grew up in a suburb of Baltimore County and attended a STEM camp in Baltimore City for a summer. However, I met someone that lived one street down from that same camp, but they never knew about it because their parents lacked the resources to know about it. If these opportunities and outlets are available to youth to spark interest in these fields, I believe it can empower them to explore paths that they may have never known existed or thought possible for themselves. Everyone deserves to be comfortable dreaming bigger than their own backyard. I hope to be a leader of my community by inspiring youth through outreach, advocating for the underserved, and providing compassionate, high-quality care to people from all walks of life. While helping patients in their most emergent medical situations, I hope to be a reassuring and comforting presence, especially for female patients of color who may not always see themselves represented in healthcare. I will strive to exemplify the same willingness to teach, provide, and serve, as my granny’s physicians did for us.
Leilani Whyte Student Profile | Bold.org