Hasset Yishak (’24)

First year medical student at Virginia Commonwealth University

Georgetown University’s Master of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology was so such an amazing experience from having supportive and expert faculty, to the connections made with the students in my cohort, and simply getting the opportunity to delve into exciting scientific research and topics that have real-world implications today – truly made this program so unique and beneficial within my personal and academic growth as a scientist, researcher, and now as an incoming first year medical student at Virginia Commonwealth University.

There are a wide range of courses that students can take that begins with a foundational understanding of molecular biology and biochemistry and eventually branches out into interesting electives such as Gene Silencing, Programmed Cell death, and many others. Since this is an intensive, one year program, these courses really transformed the way I engaged with the material during my studying time and really pushed me to understand and ask questions in order to understand the why rather than just memorize the material. Additionally, a highlight of this program is the hands-on experience that we get to have through our research internship where students join a lab for a semester in order to complete their Master’s Thesis and a Poster Project that we get to present at the end of the semester to faculty, colleagues, and friends! My research within the Rosenthal Lab was focused on further understanding the relationship between the stem cell marker CD133 and the AKT survival pathway in the invasion of melanoma cancer stem cells. Throughout this internship, I not only learned various lab techniques such as conducting western blots, maintaining cell culture, and running invasion assays, but more importantly, how to critically think when running and setting up experiments and then how to properly relay these results in a clear and concise manner. 

Lastly, the faculty within this program are truly supportive and engaged with the students. They emphasized community engagement and as a Senator for my cohort, we were able to organize cultural events, holiday get-togethers, and fun outings like the annual Cherry Blossom Picnic. I am so grateful for my time at Georgetown and for the friends, faculty, and colleagues I had met all along the way. This experience will be so beneficial as I begin this next journey of medical school and beyond!