Grace Staes ’22 said her major in anthropology has proven to be an asset as she navigates her second year at the Howard University College of Medicine.
"Anthropology is a wonderful tool for me. I use it as my lens to evaluate things and it points me to the questions I want to ask," Staes says. She said the work of an anthropologist — learning about the way people think and act — has helped her interact with patients and understand their cultural contexts. She thinks that background will make her a more empathetic and culturally competent physician.
Having just finished her second year of clinical learning, Staes is preparing for her first set of board exams. She hopes to practice ophthalmology in underserved communities.
“I thought I would do general surgery, but I learned that I love the eye,” she said.
Staes said she’s known she wanted to be a doctor since she was 12. During a gap year after Cornell graduation, she focused on gaining clinical experience, working as a surgical technician at a vein and vascular clinic in Chicago. This hands-on experience, coupled with certifications in basic life support and CPR, helped her improve her skills before med school.
Her time at Cornell has prepared her, as much as possible, for the rigors of medical school, she said.
“I know I have a strong work ethic and I’ve learned the best way for me to absorb knowledge in the most efficient way possible,” she said. “In medical school, every single day, you have three to four lectures and 150 slides of material that you need to be comfortable with for the next day. Everything truly builds, so it’s easy to get behind if you don’t sit down and review what you’ve learned.”
Staes's decision to major in anthropology at Cornell was influenced by her passion for the humanities and her desire to study something beyond the sciences. "I didn’t want to be a science major; I enjoy the humanities, and I like to write," she said. A pivotal moment came during her sophomore year when she took a course on the history of ancient health and disease, taught by Assistant Professor Matthew Velasco. This course, which combined elements of history, politics and philosophy, sparked her interest in anthropology and led her to pair it with her pre-med studies.
At Cornell, she was also president of the Black Biomedical and Technical Association, a student manager at Cornell’s welcome center and a residential advisor. She also worked as a biology teaching assistant and completed an anthropology honors thesis on the Civic Walls Project in Atlanta and other projects where artists helped communities heal after incidents of police brutality.
Reflecting on her time at Cornell, Staes emphasized the importance of exploring diverse interests and gaining a broad education. "College is a wonderful time to be exploring those interests," she advises. “If you’re proactive and ask questions early on, you can have the schedule and college experience you want while also preparing yourself to be a strong candidate for medical school.”
