Caroline Morehouse ’23 Commits to Harvard Medical School

For Caroline Morehouse ’23, the question was not if she should go to medical school, but rather which institution to choose. With acceptances to programs at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, she ended up deciding to pursue a degree at Harvard Medical School. Ultimately, while she felt that all of her options would be a good fit, she wanted to be close to family and friends and knew Harvard provided a unique academic experience.

“Harvard offers fantastic opportunities to explore the fields that influence what goes on in the doctor-patient setting, including basic sciences, public health, and health policy,” Morehouse explains. “With the chance to train at Harvard Medical School, I see my main responsibility as learning the medicine needed to care effectively for my patients. However, by engaging with these other disciplines, I hope to also contribute to helping patients on a broader scale.”

Morehouse has always been a science-minded person, excelling in subjects like biology and chemistry, and knew that the medical field was a potential career option. However, she settled on a direction when she started working at Kendal at Oberlin’s assisted living facility. There, she formed strong relationships with residents, using her strong listening skills to connect with them on a personal level. 

“I became fascinated by the way health—and its accumulating deficits—becomes increasingly intertwined with everyday life as we age,” she says. “Suddenly, it became clear that pursuing medicine would be one of the most meaningful ways to help older adults like those I became really close with at Kendal.”

She then began to consider pursuing geriatrics, excited about how the field tends to focus on preventing, delaying, and treating diseases in ways that align with individual patients’ goals, and is looking to explore how the primary care system can be better equipped to meet the needs of an aging population. Morehouse also became interested in research and policy work, leading to her co-authoring a paper published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 

When reflecting on her time at Oberlin, Morehouse praises the impact that her professors across a wide variety of disciplines—particularly neuroscience, Hispanic studies, chemistry, English, biology, and politics—had on her growth and success. 

“[They] challenged me to develop my voice as a writer, researcher, and advocate,” she says. “While putting together my medical school application, I realized just how profoundly these classroom experiences and my liberal arts education strengthened my application and—more importantly—shaped the kind of doctor I hope to become.”

With these professors, Morehouse was able to pursue projects that not only built her résumé and portfolio of work, but engaged with her own distinct passions. Under the guidance of Associate Professor of Neuroscience Christopher Howard in the neuroscience department, she led a research project that used cutting-edge tools to investigate brain circuitry. She also pursued a private study and thesis project with Ana María Díaz Burgos, Eric and Jane Nord Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and chair of Hispanic studies, which integrated her interests in both Hispanic studies and geriatric medicine. 

She also notes that Professor of Biology and Premedical Program Director Maureen Peters and Pre-Health & Fellowships Coordinator Bernie Fischlowitz-Roberts were particularly helpful in providing feedback and support in the process of applying to medical schools. 

Outside of the professors that shaped her time here, she has fond memories of El Centro Volunteer Initiative, a student-run group that provides English communication and citizenship classes to residents of Lorain County where she worked as a volunteer and English communication class coordinator. 

“I was always so inspired by the other members of the student leadership team and their dedication to making a meaningful impact in the community,” Morehouse reminisces. 

As of now, Morehouse’s plan is to pursue a residency in family medicine followed by a fellowship in geriatrics. However, while her goals are clearly defined, she intends to leave room for all that medical school has to offer.

“While I don’t think I’ll ever lose sight of the purpose that first drew me to medicine, I want to enter medical school with an open mind,” she says. “I look forward to exploring different specialties and discovering the path that’s the best fit for me.”

Learn more about the pre-medical track and the newly added major in global health.