Byun selected as Harvard Presidential Scholar

Rachel Byun, a rising fourth-year student at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, has been named a Presidential Scholar at Harvard University. As a Presidential Scholar, Byun will receive a grant to cover full tuition while pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) at Harvard University.

The Presidential Scholarship Program awards full tuition coverage to outstanding master’s students enrolled in full-time programs. Byun is one of 17 students to be named a Presidential Scholar for the upcoming academic year.

Byun said she feels incredibly fortunate to be named a Presidential Scholar.

“Pursuing an MPH is a significant financial commitment, and tuition alone is approximately $80,000,” she said. “Receiving this scholarship has made an opportunity that might not otherwise have been possible a reality, and I am deeply grateful for that support.”

Byun said several factors played into her decision to pursue an MPH.

“During my clinical rotations, I became increasingly aware of how health inequities affect vulnerable populations and how many of the challenges patients face begin long before they enter a clinic,” she said. “I thought about how I could create impact not only through patient care, but also through advocacy, policy, education, and systems-level change.”

Byun’s work with the Medical Partnership’s Nourish Garden also exposed her to the importance of community needs and improving health on a larger scale. The more time she spent working with the garden and the community, the more she saw herself incorporating that kind of work into her career.

“Community has always been important to me. Social connection is one of our most fundamental human needs, and I am passionate about bringing people together to improve our well-being, and that passion naturally led me toward public health,” said Byun.

Harvard’s MPH program appealed to Byun because of the breadth of opportunities available at the university. She was also drawn to the idea of learning alongside students from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds, which would allow her to expand her perspective and build relationships with people passionate about improving health in their communities.

Byun said she is excited to combine medicine and public health to better equip her for a career as a physician and to address health concerns before they become medical needs.

“One of the most difficult parts of clinical training has been seeing the consequences of preventable diseases. As medical students and physicians, we often care for patients after years of barriers to care have already taken their toll. I want to develop the skills to address those problems earlier and on a broader scale,” said Byun. “My goal is ambitious and clear: to use medicine to serve people and public health to extend that service at scale. And this scholarship helps make that goal possible.”