Nurturing passion for medicine - early
Anagha Hamsala’s fascination with medicine blossomed early.
“When I was four years old, I would make my Dad [play] my patient and I’d make up all these names for diseases,” says Anagha. “And I made ‘hospitals’ for my stuffed animals and prescribed ‘treatments’.”
This isn’t an unusual story. Young kids use playtime to explore the world. What makes Anagha’s story remarkable is the way her family picked up on early cues and provided her with resources to blend her world of make-believe with the tangible realities of medical exploration.
Anagha’s family took notice of her early interest in medicine and was intentional about ensuring Anagha knew she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. This meant nurturing her curiosity for STEM in ways that extended beyond playtime.
When Anagha proudly announced that she'd learned what vitamin D was that day, her grandparents told her she'd make a great doctor, and they provided her with some resources to better expose her to the field. Soon, Anagha was devouring the American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine. This early exposure was both key and foundational.
Fueling a passion for medicine through entrepreneurship
"I was really interested in entrepreneurship and medicine, but I just didn't know how these two worlds could intertwine."
That’s when she discovered Prequel's Fall Program (formerly BETA Camp).
“When I was talking to Salman [Prequel's Program Director] about how my passion and what I aim to do in the future, he gave me a kaleidoscope of cool ideas of how I could create a fusion of medicine and entrepreneurship in my career, and how I could just start my career within three months and make it truly take flight."
During Prequel, she didn’t just intern at a medical company. Anagha and her team launched Media Curators, a platform designed to bridge the gap between teens with social media skills and small businesses that need help marketing to Gen Z. This hands-on entrepreneurial venture proved to be a pivotal experience.
“The program provided us with the resources that we could use to succeed in that sort of niche.”
But more importantly, was the mindset and confidence she took away. No longer just a passive reader of Encyclopedias, she was now a doer, an architect of her own path. This transformation from observer to creator is a hallmark of the Prequel journey.
“When I joined Prequel, it was something different altogether. It's not an extracurricular; it becomes a part of your character. It shapes who you are, and personally, there is no greater gift than being able to assess and witness your personal growth at such a young age and being able to feel this sort of accomplishment. I go to bed and I'm like I did that. I've accomplished that. You carry that lifelong.”
That confidence pushed her forward, making her realize she wasn’t too young to dive into the medical field. Returning to school after Prequel's Fall Program, she connected with a few peers who were also interested in the field. And she had a new perspective on her strong passion: neuroscience.
“When I was 10, I wanted to join a college-level neuropsychology club,” says Anagha. They doubted her maturity level and declined her request to join.
To be taken seriously, Anagha knew she’d have to gain experience. But seeing as there weren’t many neuropsychology clubs made specifically for ten-year-olds, what was Anagha going to do? Let her dreams fade?
She went back to what her grandfather (one of her biggest advocates) told her: “Why let your age decide your career when you can start building it now?"
Equipped with a braver, more entrepreneurial mindset, Anagha and her peers launched their own nonprofit organization, Medicine Marvels, to help expose kids to medical careers and give students a space to share their passion for medicine. By building her own thing, Anagha didn’t just get something for her resume — she made a special place for herself in the community and gained very useful leadership skills.
Since launching Medicine Marvels, Anagha has logged several impressive accomplishments, including:
- Completing an Advanced Medical Neuroscience Internship with Georgetown University in her freshman year of high school
- Working with an International Public Health Internship Team to target major health concerns in Bauchi State, Nigeria
- Researching the computational power of trained neurons in a paper that is soon to be published!
These are truly amazing achievements for any high school student.
You don’t have to wait to start your career
Her advice for other students with growing dreams in medicine or any field?
“Start your own thing. Your passions have no limits, so your age shouldn’t limit you, either.”
"Medicine is one of those fields where you have to have a lot of experience, and anytime you want to get experience, they're going to ask you for experience. And you're like, I want to get an experience, and I don't have any. How am I supposed to do that? I feel like a lot of it is based on the initiative that you take to help your community, and that comes from the drive and just power within you. When friends come up to me and ask me for advice on doing something they are passionate about, my response to that is always: start your own thing."
This go-getter attitude is often the key to finding early career opportunities.
“Prequel was the spark that allowed me to bridge the gap between entrepreneurship and medicine and truly discover why I was so passionate about those two things.”
This shows the big impact Prequel can have in helping students connect their passions and launch their futures.
