It would be easier to list the activities Isabella didn’t do while majoring in Health Sciences and minoring in Medical Humanities at Rice. A Writing Consultant at the Center for Academic and Professional Communications, a volunteer for Rice Alliance, an intern at Baylor College of Medicine Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, and a a host of Princeton’s TigerLaunch Pitch Competition, Isabella was drawn to the humanistic aspect of health and medicine that was emphasized by the Medical Humanities Program. Her interest in medical technology ethics and policy led to a competitive selection to a year-long practicum project, where she joined a research team focused on the ethics of a decision aid and the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into such a device. The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, an institution that emphases an interdisciplinary legal education, was a perfect fit for Isabella, who plans to pursue a corporate transactional legal career with a focus in the life science and healthcare industries, as well as engage in pro bono projects in public health policy. As Isabella transitions into this next amazing stage of her career, we wanted to reflect upon her time at Rice by talking to her about her experience as part of the Medical Humanities Program.
What are you working on in your first year post-Rice?
I am a first-year J.D. Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where I am a Silverman Scholar. At Penn Carey, I am a 1L Representative for the Health Law & Policy Association and the Capital Markets Association.
What was your chosen field of study at Rice? What activities did you participate on campus that you were particularly fond of?
I majored in Health Sciences and minored in Medical Humanities. One of my most meaningful activities at Rice was working as a Writing Consultant at the Center for Academic and Professional Communication (CAPC). I was able to channel my passion for writing in this position, and I enjoyed getting to work with students on a wide range of academic disciplines and graduate school applications. Working one-on-one with clients, asking them questions to understand their needs, and offering solutions contributed to my interest in pursuing a legal career. Most significantly, I loved getting to meet new Rice students each week! I also valued my involvement with the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship. I volunteered at several Rice Alliance events, including the Rice Business Plan Competition and Venture Capital Investment Competition. In February 2025, I collaborated with Princeton University’s TigerLaunch Competition to host a regional TigerLaunch Pitch Competition on Rice campus! These events fueled my interest in startups and venture capital and contributed to my interest in corporate law.
How did you use what you learned from the Medical Humanities program at Rice in advancing your career?
I strongly feel that the Medical Humanities program advanced my interest in law. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the humanistic and interdisciplinary aspects of health and medicine that the program emphasizes. I began my time at Rice as a premed student in the Rice-Baylor Medical Scholars program and took the pre-med requisite courses. However, I realized I was most interested in the courses that had a focus on policy and ethics. For example, BIOS 447, Experimental Biology and Medicine, which investigated emerging biotechnologies, was pivotal in shaping my interests. In a class filled with pre-medical or pre-PhD students, I eagerly took on the role of researching, writing, and presenting the ethical and legal implications of such technologies. After this class, to further my interest in medical technology ethics and policy, I applied and was selected as a Rice Health, Humanism & Society Scholar, enabling me to intern at the Baylor College of Medicine Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy for my Medical Humanities minor practicum. The research team I joined, led by Dr. Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, was focused on the ethics of using a decision aid to improve the patient decision-making process for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) surgery. The team was also investigating the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into the decision aid. I thoroughly enjoyed the interdisciplinary nature of the bioethics research. The MedHum practicum contributed to my interest in bioethics. It was also a contributing factor for my choice to attend Penn Carey for law school, since Penn has many interdisciplinary programs, including one in bioethics!
How do you imagine the field of Medical Humanities facilitating or aiding you along your journey of becoming a legal professional?
The Medical Humanities program played a significant role in my switch from premed to prelaw. As I mentioned earlier, I came to Rice as a premed student in the Rice Baylor Medical Scholars Program. While I enjoyed the premed STEM courses, I realized I was most enthusiastic about the elective Medical Humanities courses that featured health policy components and broader societal implications. Many of the Medical Humanities courses focused on health policies that can help alleviate health inequities. My studies in Medical Humanities confirmed that my interest in health lies at the global and public health policy level rather than as a medical practitioner. I now hope to provide impactful change in the health and medical technology fields through policy and legal advocacy. Likewise, my MedHum practicum at the BCM Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy contributed to my interest in bioethics and law. Overall, I am immensely grateful for the MedHum program, and I strongly believe that students can tailor the program to fit their interests and post-grad plans. While many students in MedHum are premed, I think the program can benefit many different post-graduate paths! I’m excited to bring unique perspectives I’ve developed through the Medical Humanities program to law school discussions!
My interest in health lies at the global and public health policy level… I now hope to provide impactful change in the health and medical technology fields through policy and legal advocacy… I am immensely grateful for the MedHum program, and I strongly feel that students can tailor the program to fit their interests and post-grad plans. While many students in MedHum are premed, I think the program can benefit many different post-graduate paths! I’m excited to bring unique perspectives I’ve developed through the Medical Humanities program to law school discussions!