Betzamel Lopez
Economics
Graduated in 2018
When Betzamel was a high school senior in the Dominican Republic, she knew she wanted to become a physician – that was the easy part. A combination of coursework and both personal and professional life experiences had guided her to that decision. What was harder, though, was deciding on a major. In the Dominican Republic, medicine is a major in itself, and students enroll in medical school directly after high school. Thus, it was hard to imagine choosing another major before she could go into the “major” that she really wanted, which was medicine.
In Macroeconomic Theory, Betzamel learned to apply class material to real world phenomena including an understanding of the Federal Reserve.
The course Public Choice Economics challenged the assumption of consumer rationality and opened her eyes to the economic inefficiencies of government.
Betzamel carried out research at the Neuroimaging Lab at MGH where she conducted statistical analysis on brain images.
While on co-op at Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary, Betzamel learned about audiological conditions and had the opportunity to interact with physicians and patients.
In Senior Capstone, Betzamel researched the relationship between a person’s income, and health status combining her two main academic interests— economics and medicine.
On Betzamel's first week at HMS, she received her white coat to mark the beginning of medical school.
In May of 2022, Betzamel graduated from Harvard Medical School.
Betzamel's next step: a residency in head and neck surgery, at the University of Miami.
I often get the following comment, with a puzzled look: “Economics and pre-med, that’s an odd combination.” This is often followed by, “Why did you choose such an odd combination?” Before giving a long-winded explanation, I usually answer the question in my mind first, “Why not?”
