Nate Olafsen

For pre-med student Nate Olafsen, academic passion means taking anthropology courses to learn a more holistic approach to health care. He's especially enjoyed Medical Anthropology with professor Alfrieta Monagan, a course supported by Cornell's Dimensions Program.

"It was amazing to see the blending of my biochemistry and anthropology training as we looked at cultural and scientific principles behind how people around the world treat mental and physical illness," he says.  "It gives me an appreciation that there's more than one way to treat a person."

Meanwhile, Olafsen has found serious training in Western medicine.  He's performed cutting-edge neuroscience research with professor Barbara-Christie Pope, completed a Cornell Fellowship at the Baylor University College of Medicine, and spent a block assisting with joint replacement surgeries in Peru as part of Operation Walk.

Dimensions has also provided Olafsen and other students with reading group opportunities, MCAT training, and diverse guest speakers such as Dean Hamer, author of "The God Gene." Outside class, he's passionate about the environment and politics, and he appreciates that Cornell goes beyond excellent training in the sciences.

"At Cornell, we are encouraged to study broadly and get involved in leadership, service, and volunteerism," he says. "Here you don't have to sacrifice your other passions and interests to get into medical school."