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In an ever-evolving world driven by technology, <keyword id="19904566" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="artificial-intelligence" source="keywords">artificial intelligence</keyword> (AI) has been making waves in nearly every sector. Workers are constantly threatened by the prospect of “AI taking their jobs”. But what if we told you that the tool could just as easily dominate our classrooms as well? William Hersh, M.D., a seasoned professor at Oregon Health &amp; Science University (OHSU), was particularly intrigued by AI's growing influence in his field. As a medical informatics educator, he sought to explore just how well <keyword id="19896272" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="generative-AI" source="keywords">generative AI</keyword> could compete with his human students. The results? Surprising, to say the least. <h2>An experiment in education</h2>Hersh’s curiosity led him to conduct an experiment where he pitted six large-language <keyword id="19924380" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-models" source="keywords">AI models</keyword> — including ChatGPT — against students enrolled in his introductory course on biomedical and health informatics. The goal was to see how AI would perform when tasked with the same assessments as his students. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-024-01251-0">findings</a>, published in npj <keyword id="20320357" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-medicine" source="keywords">Digital Medicine</keyword>, showed that AI models outperformed up to 75% of the class. "This does raise concern about cheating, but there is a larger issue here," Hersh commented. "How do we know that our students are actually learning and mastering the knowledge and skills they need for their future professional work?" <h2>The role of <keyword id="23201889" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-in-knowledge-based-learning" source="Orion">AI in knowledge-based learning</keyword></h2>The study analysed the performance of 139 students who took the course in 2023, with AI models tackling multiple-choice questions and short-answer prompts. The AI models scored impressively, landing in the top 50th to 75th percentile. According to Hersh, these results raise essential questions about the future of student assessment, particularly in knowledge-heavy subjects like biomedical informatics. Although the AI excelled in this particular course, Hersh was quick to point out that generative models might not fare as well in more hands-on or participatory academic settings, where critical thinking and complex skills development are vital. For Hersh, this balance between mastering knowledge and applying it in real-world scenarios is at the heart of <keyword id="19918893" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="medical-education" source="keywords">medical education</keyword>. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113364057" title="AI is entering classrooms in Italy, new learning tools to be tested in 15 classrooms across four regions" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>A new era for medical students</h2>The AI's performance has stirred up an age-old debate in the academic community: how much information should students be expected to memorise versus being able to access through technological tools? Hersh recalls a time in medical school when one of his attending physicians insisted that every doctor should carry all medical knowledge "in their head." Even back then, Hersh saw the limitations of such an approach. "The knowledge base of medicine has long surpassed the capacity of the human brain to memorise it all," he noted, emphasising the importance of making smart use of available technology. <h2>Striking the right balance </h2>Despite the impressive capabilities of AI, Hersh remains confident that medicine — and most academic disciplines — will always require a "human touch." Critical decision-making, nuanced judgement calls, and compassionate patient care cannot be fully replaced by machines. "There are a lot of things that healthcare professionals do that are pretty straightforward, but there are those instances where it gets more complicated and you have to make judgement calls," Hersh said. "That's when it helps to have that broader perspective." As fall classes approach, Hersh isn’t worried about AI encouraging cheating. His solution? Continuously updating the curriculum and ensuring that assessments go beyond what AI can quickly retrieve. "In any scientific field, there are new advancements all the time," he remarked. "Large-language models aren’t necessarily up to date on all of it." Hersh’s experiment underscores the broader implications of <keyword id="8581687" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-in-education" source="Orion">AI in education</keyword>. While AI has the potential to assist in areas such as medical knowledge recall, it cannot — and should not — replace the critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and human interaction that healthcare professionals need to succeed. As AI continues to evolve, so too will educational approaches, aiming to equip students with both a solid foundation of knowledge and the tools to navigate an increasingly AI-enhanced world. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113315283" title="Open AI’s latest ‘Strawberry’ will actually think before it acts!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

A medical professor pitted AI models against his students to see who would score better on his tests. The results were shocking!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I have rheumatoid arthritis, which means my immune system attacks my joints. </li><li>I treat it by depressing my immune system, which leaves me vulnerable to things like a common cold. </li></ul>I was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/celebrities-with-rheumatoid-arthritis-2018-11">diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis</a> 10 years ago. So, while I was building my career, I was also learning how to control my condition.My condition means my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-rejects-lilly-and-incytes-baricitinib-2017-4">immune system attacks my joints</a>, which results in debilitating pain throughout my body if left untreated. I never knew how many joints existed in the human body until they would all stiffen at once overnight.To treat it, I have to suppress <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/does-alcohol-weaken-the-immune-system">my immune system</a> with medication, which I need just to physically get out of bed in the morning. I've also learned in this decade of dealing with my condition that I need to advocate for myself and my needs — and that includes at work, too.<h2 id="1e19f0c1-f6a0-4e82-a625-505ae454c21f">I'm more vulnerable to catching upper respiratory illnesses</h2>Because my immune system is suppressed, it means I'm more vulnerable to catching any bug that's going around. Your 24-hour flu is my weeklong flu.It's been almost six years since my last <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sick-dont-have-covid-flu-rsv-what-it-is-2022-12">upper respiratory infection</a>, but I still can't breathe as well as I used to. The sound of coughing makes me wince. Four upper respiratory infections in four years taught me to develop crippling anxiety as winter approaches, knowing that a deep, dry cough would arrive in January. What follows is two weeks of utter misery.My last infection in 2019 left me with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/chronic-cough">a lingering cough</a>, only remedied by an inhaler months later. A month after that, I would contract one of the worst cases of strep throat I've ever had. Between the two, I was rendered ill for almost half the year.This was my life before <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-from-home-wall-street-return-to-office-lazard-ceo-2024-9">work-from-home policies</a> took hold.In 10 years of managing this disability, I've learned to speak louder. This translated well as I grew in my career. I became more assertive and spoke my mind when I thought we could do better. I also learned that my health is more important than my work, and I found ways to let go of the little things.<h2 id="07ed5d61-656c-4721-9ef7-bd04e6b5664b">I asked to work from home when needed</h2>Regardless of the work I'm tasked with, my own high standards dictate the final product. Once an A-student, always an A-student. Exceeding expectations regularly allowed me to build trust with my supervisors, which gave me the credibility to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-hybrid-work-policy-amazon-rto-employees-workplace-remote-2024-10">ask for accommodations</a> when needed. This included avoiding the office when my risk of infection was higher and making up work so that I didn't use all of my PTO being sick.I valued my relationship with my supervisor and felt lucky to have a boss I could talk to about my health issues. When I was laid off one year ago, I found myself in a sea of competition. The majority of job listings were hybrid or 100% in-office, and suddenly, I lacked the rapport that had protected me for so many years.I was immediately faced with a question I've always struggled with: When is the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ablesplaining-nondisabled-partners-think-know-whats-best-2023-5">right moment to share that I'm disabled</a>? Several times in my life, I've waited for someone to notice — blending in until I can't. But in a competitive job search, the answer wasn't clear.Not only was I afraid of losing out to competition because of a chronic illness, but I knew that my body couldn't handle an annual upper respiratory infection in perpetuity. I needed an employer who would see me as a whole human being, and deciphering that in an interview process felt like an impossible task with very high stakes.When I was presented with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-i-left-six-figure-tech-job-become-full-time-freelancer">freelance opportunities</a>, I took the leap. One year after my layoff, I am able to take care of myself first. Every day, I can wake up, listen to my body, and go from there on what the rest of the day looks like — something I wish everyone could do.I've learned never to say never. So, there is certainly a chance that I could wind up back in a full-time role again, and I could wind up in an office again. I can legally demand accommodations anywhere I work. But if you're asking whether I want to fight those battles, the answer is unequivocally no. What companies either fail to realize or don't care to correct is that strict in-office policies keep many talented professionals out, including disabled people. And this particular talent is not looking to come back anytime soon.

My medical condition makes it risky for me to work in an office. For now, I'm freelancing from home. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mike Bloomberg donated $1 billion to Johns Hopkins University.</li><li>The gift will make tuition for medical school free for students with family incomes under $300,000.</li></ul>Most <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/medical-student-tiktok-social-media-influencer-online-side-hustle-2022-12">medical students</a> at Johns Hopkins University won't have to worry about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-loan-companies-inaccurate-excessive-barriers-borrowers-debt-relief-cfpb-2024-7">student loans</a>.On Monday, Johns Hopkins <a target="_blank" href="https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/07/08/johns-hopkins-investment-financial-aid-medical-students/">announced</a> that Bloomberg Philanthropies, founded by the billionaire <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-bloomberg-terminal-wall-street-data-2023-4">Michael Bloomberg</a>, would donate $1 billion to make tuition free for medical students with family incomes under $300,000 a year, beginning this fall.Johns Hopkins said the gift would also allow it to cover living expenses for medical students with family incomes under $175,000 a year. It estimated that nearly two-thirds of current and incoming medical students would qualify for free tuition or free tuition and covered living expenses."As the US struggles to recover from a disturbing decline in life expectancy, our country faces a serious shortage of doctors, nurses, and public health professionals — and yet, the high cost of medical, nursing, and graduate school too often bars students from enrolling," Bloomberg said."By reducing the financial barriers to these essential fields, we can free more students to pursue careers they're passionate about — and enable them to serve more of the families and communities who need them the most," he added.The university said students eligible for the benefits would receive updated financial-aid packages this summer.Going to medical school can be costly — the Association of American Medical Colleges says it can leave borrowers with about $200,000 in student debt on average upon graduation. While medical jobs are typically high paying, a career isn't guaranteed. Borrowers can be left with six-figure balances that can surge because of high interest rates.Along with Johns Hopkins, other schools have received philanthropic donations to address high costs that can be barriers to pursuing further education. For example, Ruth Gottesman — the philanthropist and widow of David Gottesman, an early Berkshire Hathaway investor — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ruth-gottesman-donates-1-billion-medical-school-free-tuition-forever-2024-2">donated $1 billion in Berkshire Hathaway stock</a> to a medical school in the Bronx in February to cover its students' tuition.Some schools seeking to address high student-debt loads for their undergraduates have taken matters into their own hands. Princeton, Amherst, and Harvard are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-abolishing-student-loan-debt-grants-princeton-smith-colgate-2021-10">among a growing number of schools</a> that have eliminated student loans from their financial-aid packages, shifting to grants that students don't need to repay.Monday's announcement will build on donations Johns Hopkins has received over the past few years to reduce student-debt loads for its graduates. The university said that through that aid, the average total student debt for medical-school graduates declined to about $105,000 in the 2023-24 academic year.

Mike Bloomberg donates $1 billion to cover Johns Hopkins medical school tuition for students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A doctor shortage is projected to hit 86,000 by 2036. Rural communities already feel the impact.</li><li>Educational initiatives and congressional bills aim to combat issues like limited appointment slots.</li></ul>Every three to four months, Mellisa Case drives three and a half hours from her small town of Prineville, Oregon, to Portland to see her orthopedist for help with arthritis, a condition she believes she could have avoided at this stage in her life.In 2021, Case had surgery for a meniscus tear at an orthopedic center in Bend, an hour away from her home. However, she couldn't schedule appointments for follow-up care, which doctors consider necessary for proper recovery. For several months after her meniscus surgery, Case kept calling the center for an appointment with no success while her knee deteriorated.Now Case takes time off from work and spends up to $125 round trip on gas while traveling to Portland for arthritis care. Case said that symptoms like stiffness, swelling, and discomfort — which resulted from a lack of postsurgical medical support — could interfere with her sleep, gait, and ability to enjoy her hobbies like hiking and gardening."Until you've experienced not being able to see a doctor, you don't really realize how frustrating it is," Case, who is 53, told Business Insider. Eventually, she will need surgery for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nc-woman-plans-finally-getting-knee-surgery-after-winning-lottery-2023-1">full knee replacement</a>.Case said that she remains concerned that the overall lack of medical care in her community, as she's observed doctors retiring or leaving her area.Some of her family members and friends also struggle to find physicians close to home, Case said, so they have to drive long distances or wait for appointments.A March report from the Association of American Medical Colleges projected that the US would face a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-hospital-wait-times-are-bad-physician-shortage-low-pay-2024-4">physician shortage</a> of up to 86,000 specialists and primary-care doctors by 2036.Michael Dill, the organization's director of workforce studies, said this estimate was conservative."The country needs hundreds of thousands of doctors to provide an equal amount of care to everyone, including minorities, those without medical insurance, and people living in rural areas," he told BI.An aging population, physician retirement, and the administrative challenges of running a practice contribute to the shortage and disproportionally affect vulnerable populations such as older people, those lacking transportation options, and people with disabilities, public-health advocates told BI.Two solutions could be increasing medical-training programs in rural communities and passing legislation to retain and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-high-paying-jobs-hiring-doctors-construction-accounting-2024-4">bolster the physician workforce</a>.<h2 id="0a289233-786f-4ff1-969a-24da2c3ab5eb">An aging population and provider burnout are contributing to a worsening doctor shortage</h2>The effects of a doctor shortage are already here, Dr. Bruce Scott, the president of the American Medical Association, said.Scott practices in Louisville, Kentucky, and said that in addition to patients in rural areas driving hours to appointments, they're waiting months to see a doctor.Various factors, including an aging population, play a part in the situation, Dill said.In 2020, 55.8 million Americans, or 16.8% of the population, were 65 or older, and by 2030, all baby boomers will have reached age 65, according to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/05/2020-census-united-states-older-population-grew.html ">US Census report.</a> As people age, they require more physician services, such as cardiologic or neurological care, and at the same time, doctors are aging and retiring, adding to the shortage, Dill said.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-hospital-beds-empty-nurses-doctors-staff-covid-vaccine-2021-10">Physician burnout</a> further exacerbates the problem, Scott said. In one survey that was part of AMA Organizational Biopsy report, of over 12,400 doctors, 48% of respondents said they were burned out. In another survey from the same report, one in three respondents said they planned to retire or reduce hours within two years.One AMA survey found some doctors were leaving their practices because they were being paid less to handle more <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-health-records-causing-doctor-burnout-2018-12">administrative burdens</a>, such as spending 12 hours a week filling out prior-authorization requests. "Medicare is paying us nearly 30% less in 2024 than it did in 2001, when adjusted for inflation," Scott said, citing further data compiled by the AMA.<h2 id="1d068686-c4d6-4ee0-81d9-f17918ad516a">Strategies to alleviate the shortage</h2>To help alleviate the physician shortage in rural areas, medical students need to receive training there, said Molly Fox, the vice president of institutional advancement at Kansas Health Science University."We engage students with the rural community because we know that people tend to practice where they feel connected," Fox said.At KHSU's Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, for example, third- and fourth-year students can complete clinical rotations at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, four hours from Wichita, where the university is.Chase Hearn, a third-year student, said he'd seen doctors at the hospital who have worked 26-hour shifts to meet patient needs."I've also heard patients say they can't take a day off work to travel 200 miles to see their OB-GYN," Hearn said. He added that his training had strengthened his resolve to practice in a rural community but that he anticipated challenges, like burnout and working with patients who lack consistent access to care.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-el-paso-trying-solve-us-physician-shortage-2023-7">Rural residency programs</a> are also needed to address the shortage, Dill said. Only 2% of residency training occurs in rural areas, the US Government Accountability Office says.A residency program through Oregon Health &amp; Sciences University aims to alleviate the doctor shortage in three central-Oregon counties, including Crook County, where Case lives. The program is training physicians in primary care, family birthing, emergency medicine, behavioral health, and hospital medicine.According to the Rural Medical Training Collaborative, 133 rural residencies in family medicine and 69 rural-track programs are recruiting for 2025 enrollment, along with 30 internal-medicine residencies and 16 psychiatry residencies.Several pieces of legislation have also been introduced to Congress to address the doctor shortage. Scott said bills to adjust Medicare payments for doctors — no matter where they practice — to the annual rate of inflation and rules to reduce the need for prior authorization could help ease administrative burdens.Some legislation, if passed, would specifically influence rural areas.For example, HR 7855, the Association of American Medical Colleges-endorsed Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2024, would codify the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program, which funds the startup costs of residency training in rural areas, Dill said. From 2019 to 2024, the program has enabled the launch of 46 accredited rural residency programs across 38 states and Puerto Rico.Hollie Davis Frick, an immigration lawyer for Wintersteen Patel Law Group, said congressional action could easily incentivize doctors born abroad and who receive advanced medical training in the US to remain here and practice in rural areas."Many doctors who come here for residencies and fellowships return abroad because of our ineffective immigration policies," Davis Frick said.If passed, S 665, the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, would allow state health departments to sponsor additional visa waivers for foreign-born doctors who agree to practice in underserved areas within those states.While Case remains skeptical that doctor-training initiatives and legislation will directly affect her community anytime soon, she considers herself fortunate, she said."I have the ability to drive, afford travel expenses, and pay for out-of-network doctors," Case said. "Not everybody does."

Medical schools and legislation aim to address a worsening doctor shortage that's already hitting rural communities 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jennifer Reinmuth-Birch won $10,000 on a game show, funding her first semester of graduate school.</li><li>She had faced financial struggles and self-doubt, delaying her dream of becoming a doctor.</li></ul>When my friend pitched me the idea of auditioning for a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/squid-game-the-challenge-netflix-contestant-player-experience-dani-templet-2023-11">game show</a> to make some money, I thought she was kidding. I never expected that two weeks later, I'd be flying home from a game show victory in Los Angeles with a trophy and a check for $10,000.I used the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/squid-game-challenge-winner-mai-whelan-family-secret-2024-3">prize money</a> to pay for the first semester of graduate school, and later, I enrolled in medical school at 50 years old. It was the best decision I could've ever made.<h2 id="89566fd1-d898-4b73-b6e4-3ee71a0c42ab">My childhood dream was to be a doctor</h2>I was always a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/my-daughter-is-highly-gifted-i-adjusted-parenting-for-her-2023-2"> gifted student</a>. My peers labeled me as "the intelligent one," though I would say <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/performance-reviews-study-gender-race-impact-men-brilliant-women-overachievers-2022-6">chronic overachiever</a> was a more accurate description.But when I went off to college in the late 1980s, I found myself surrounded by many other brilliant minds and realized that maybe I wasn't so special. Unsupportive professors only magnified my self-doubt; I remember one who said girls learned slower than boys and another who suggested the girls sit in the back of the room because none of us were going to use our degrees.I lost faith in myself and let go of my dreams to be a doctor. I graduated with a degree in liberal arts and settled into a job at a coffee shop.When I met my first husband at 24, I clung to our relationship as my source of identity. He reassured me it was okay I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life and that he would take care of me. We got married at 26 under the pretense that we'd try for kids right away and I would <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-left-high-paying-job-stay-home-with-her-kids-2022-12">quit my job</a> to care for them.A challenging pregnancy had me in and out of the hospital and restricted to bed rest. My twin boys were born prematurely and required a year of isolation within the home. Shortly thereafter, one of my boys was diagnosed with autism and thus began the relentless hunt to find services for him. I loved having my babies at home, but the first two years of their lives were exhausting.By the time they hit four, my boys were healthy, meeting all their milestones, and getting ready to enter kindergarten. I was finally able to take a breath, and my career ambitions crept back in.<h2 id="d5668db0-100c-46da-bd1d-cb0d6497912e">I applied for a master's program without the money for it</h2>When I told my ex-husband about my desire to go <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-xer-why-going-back-school-50s-was-worth-it-2024-5">back to school</a>, he shut me down, saying we didn't have money for it and making disparaging remarks about my intelligence.Our conflicts continued and ultimately led to a divorce when our boys were five. I became their primary caretaker and took on dual jobs as a barista and receptionist to make ends meet.I was determined to continue my education so I applied for a master's program in special education. I figured I'd learn how to better accommodate my autistic son in a career that would allow me to work during school hours.But I didn't have a way to pay for it. I applied for several <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/student-loans/how-to-get-college-scholarship">scholarships and grants</a> through Portland State University, but I was still about $10K short on tuition.<h2 id="4663e2c9-49b4-447d-8ba6-8fa7f95e6326">My friend convinced me to audition for a game show</h2>I was hanging out at a friend's house and telling her about my financial woes when she joked about finding a part-time gig on Craigslist. We started sifting through sketchy job postings and laughing at the absurdity until my friend stumbled upon a local casting call for Singing Bee, a game show on Country Music Television.She knew I had a knack for memorization and I loved country music, so she begged me to audition. I wasn't sold on the idea until she told me about the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-jeopardy-contestants-spend-prize-money-crypto-holidays-pony-cars-2023-11">prize money</a>. Then, I was all in.That Thursday, she drove me to the local Marriott to join 700 other auditioners. We were ushered through rounds of auditions until the number of applicants was whittled down to 30, and then they sent us home.A few nights later, I got a call from a Singing Bee representative offering to fly me to Los Angeles the next morning to compete on the show. He promised free hotel accommodations and a minimum prize of $1000. I frantically called people to watch my boys, then I packed my bags.<h2 id="9854fb99-910d-4322-9e91-a5e5d578d640">I never expected to win $10,000</h2>The whole experience was a complete whirlwind. I flew to LA and a few hours later found myself standing on a television sound stage with six other country music fanatics anxiously awaiting directions from the host. I got completely in the zone as we played the game until it was between me and one other woman. She was nailing every lyric, and I thought I was toast — but then she missed a word on a song and they told me if I could get it right, I'd <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-brother-interesting-things-you-never-knew-from-someone-on-show-2022">win the game</a>.I did. I was shocked as I was given a trophy and a check for $10,000 — exactly what I needed to fund the first semester of my master's degree.<h2 id="93cd017d-91ae-4444-8356-7aeca5879a21">I started doing research and dabbling in medicine</h2>I pursued the master's degree while still working service jobs, but my heart wasn't in teaching. My advisor helped me change my focus to research, and I was hired as a full-time researcher at my university's Autism Research Institute the day after I graduated.I began to work in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-nurse-tripled-salary-pandemic-perks-downsides-job-2022-2">local hospitals</a> and lean into the biomedical aspect of autism studies while pursuing a master's in nutrition at Notre Dame of Maryland.By 2013, I had met my now-husband. My boys and I moved into his house in a tiny town off the coast of Washington while I continued doing research and finding my space in medicine. I was so close to my childhood dream, but, I thought I was too old in my 40s to apply for medical school.<h2 id="2dd43906-a50f-4a23-9e62-97217b7f8e92">The pandemic made me realize it was time to help</h2>In 2020, I saw the devastation that the pandemic caused to our rural community which was already a medically underserved area. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7723130/">physician suicide rate</a> was skyrocketing and healthcare workers were overworked and exhausted. I remember telling my husband that I could sit here and be angry about what was going on or I could be a part of the solution. I threw all my self-doubt aside and knew it was time to go back to school.At 50 years old, I enrolled in Pacific Northwest University's medical school. I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified, but I have my husband, beautiful boys, and parents to thank for being my biggest cheerleaders. I'm three years into my studies now, and there are so many benefits to starting medical school in my 50s.Because my husband and I <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/how-to-invest-in-real-estate-make-money">bought and sold properties</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/investing/how-to-invest-in-stocks">invested</a>, I feel more financially stable than ever before.I'm also more emotionally and mentally stable. After raising two twin boys, nothing fazes me. I can multitask and roll with the punches. Some of my younger peers freak out over a failed exam, but I'm able to let it roll off my back and keep moving.Luckily, my different life experiences don't ostracize me from my peers; it just feels like I'm hanging out with my friends even if I'm their mom's age.The most amazing part of going to medical school later in life is that I've already lived such a full life. I've raised my kids, fallen in love, and traveled to more places than I could ever imagine. Medical school isn't filling any holes in my life, it is just another experience to add to it.My goal is to become a primary care physician which I'm expected to reach at age 57. It's taken over half a century, but I'm proud to say I'm finally pursuing my dream.If winning a game show changed your life and you would like to tell your story, please email Tess Martinelli at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:tmartinelli@insider.com">tmartinelli@insider.com</a>.

I'm a 53-year-old medical student pursuing my dream of becoming a doctor. I'm more financially and mentally stable than ever before.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Kat Holmes is a professional fencer headed to the Olympics in Paris this summer. </li><li>The 30-year-old is also in medical school in New York City to become a doctor.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Olympic fencer Kat Holmes. It has been edited for length and clarity.Ever since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to be a fencer and a doctor.Now, I'm 30, and I've fenced on a world championship-winning team and been to the Olympics twice. I'm currently preparing for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seine-river-paris-still-too-polluted-olympics-city-officials-2024-6">Paris Olympics</a> in July. Two weeks after I return, I plan to continue my studies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.People often ask me how I have time for both. The answer is: I don't really know, but I live it every day.<h2 id="c532d0dc-b7b0-48a9-b742-e613d53ea2b2">I'm drawn to two dreams</h2>I played many sports as a kid — soccer, basketball, swimming, tennis. You name it, I tried it.I am also a nerd. I love <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reading-kindle-paper-books-better-2024-3">reading books</a> about medieval times and sword fighting. When I was 9, I read "Song of the Lioness Quartet" by Tamora Pierce, in which a girl becomes a knight. That sounded really cool to me, so I decided I wanted to try sword fighting.It wasn't like I was particularly good at fencing initially, but I just loved it. I did it more and more — just for the sake of doing it.In the 1981 movie "Chariots of Fire," Eric Liddel is a runner competing in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/enhanced-games-olympics-steroids-ped-peter-thiel-aron-dsouza-2024-3">Olympic Games</a>. At one point, he says, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."That's how I feel when I fence. I was doing what I was made to be doing, and my 9-year-old self sensed that. I just kept doing it, and now here I am.My parents were really supportive and found me affordable classes, but after a few years, they said, "Well, you're never going to play <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/regret-being-college-athlete-ruined-body-injury-2024-4">sports in college</a> because it will detract from your studies."But based on my national ranking and my performances, it became clear that going to the Olympics was a real goal of mine. So, my parents eventually said, "Of course, you're going to take time off to try to go to the Olympics."I've also known since I was 13 that I wanted to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-medicine-pivoted-corporate-job-better-work-life-balance-2024-4">be a doctor</a>. I had sprained my ankle, and I had a friend of mine whose dad was an orthopedic surgeon. We went to see him, and I asked all sorts of questions, so he let me shadow him for many summers — starting when I was 15. The very first day I was in the operating room seeing a scoliosis correction surgery, I was like, "Oh my God, this is what I want to do." And so, I've always been on that path toward medicine since.<h2 id="b3c57345-f6af-4af5-82bf-b6261dff0f41">My hectic schedule takes some strategic planning</h2>I started <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/medical-school-cost">medical school</a> three days after returning from the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. I completed my first two years while training and competing, and then this year, I took what is called a "research year" to give myself some more time to train and compete for the Olympics.On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I go to Princeton to train with my fencing coach. I get up pretty early because it takes me two and a half hours to get there. The lessons are normally between an hour and two hours. After that, I lift for an hour and then return to the city to spar with other fencers. When I'm <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-school-senior-commutes-hour-school-every-day-2024-4">on the train</a>, I'm constantly focused on schoolwork.On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I get up and go to the gym in NYC and work closely with my Future coach. We do a bit more intense <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/fitness/full-body-workout">conditioning workouts</a> for about an hour. I then do schoolwork and focus on that for a big chunk of the day. I then spar with other people at night for two to three hours.On Saturdays, I always try doing fun <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/fitness/best-cross-training-shoes-for-women">cross-training</a> like pickleball, rock climbing, or running. On Sundays, I take off; I need one day just to recover.During competitions, like the Olympics, I'd study in between matches. I always had to get my own room because I'd be up super late studying. I had to take exams on the road.I guess all of this isn't impossible because I'm doing it — even though it sometimes feels impossible.

I'm an Olympic athlete heading to Paris this summer, but I'm also a medical student. Here's how I pursue both dreams.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Billionaire philanthropists are increasingly cutting checks for future doctors.</li><li>Some have cited medical professional shortages amid sky-high tuition costs. </li></ul>Giving future doctors a free ride to medical school is shaping up to be a trend across the billionaire donor circuit.On Tuesday, Bloomberg Philanthropies pledged $600 million to four historically black medical schools to address "health disparities and underrepresentation in the medical field," founder Michael Bloomberg said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.org/press/bloomberg-philanthropies-announces-largest-ever-gift-to-the-nations-four-historically-black-medical-schools/">statement</a>.Howard University College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and Morehouse School of Medicine will receive $175 million each, while the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine &amp; Science will get $75 million.Bloomberg has previously spoken about "a disturbing decline in life expectancy" and national doctor and nurse shortages amid steep medical school bills.Just last month, Bloomberg Philanthropies <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bloomberg-johns-hopkins-medical-school-tuition-free-2024-7">gifted $1 billion</a> to cover Johns Hopkins tuition for roughly two-thirds of current and incoming medical students.In 2020, the organization donated $100 million to the same four historically black med schools to help "reduce the student debt of nearly 1,000 future Black doctors," it said.Bloomberg isn't alone.In February, a widow and former pediatrics professor gifted $1 billion — which she'd inherited from her late husband in Berkshire Hathaway stock — to a Bronx medical school, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ruth-gottesman-donates-1-billion-medical-school-free-tuition-forever-2024-2">covering tuition in perpetuity</a> in hopes of attracting a more diverse applicant pool.Despite the recent big bucks going to future doctor's tuitions, the practice is a philanthropic approach dating back years.In 2018, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/home-depot-co-founder-ken-langone-paid-nyu-med-school-tuition-2019-4">Kenneth Langone</a> — the Home Depot cofounder — and his wife, Elaine, gave $100 million to cover tuition at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/bloomberg-philanthropy-john-hopkins-university-53ed82c14c4d4b07cb2675a9ca1829f9">the AP reported</a>. In 2023, they gave another $200 million to a different NYU med school.And the record executive <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/david-geffen-yacht-net-worth-real-estate-rising-sun-2019-8#geffen-has-donated-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-to-educational-institutions-museums-and-gay-rights-causes-17">David Geffen</a> — for whom UCLA's School of Medicine is named — has contributed $146 million towards merit scholarships, the outlet reported.

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