Learning to Think with Stayin' Alive by Sahasra

Learning to Think with Stayin' Alive by Sahasra - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

I never thought the soundtrack to my summer vacation would be "Stayin' Alive," and I definitely did not think I’d be using it to pump the chest of a CPR dummy. This vacation, I am choosing to trade late-night movie nights for the adrenaline-fueled reality of emergency medicine. I am spending my summer vacation transforming into an EMT through the Emergency Medical Technician training program at the Community College of Allegheny County

My fascination with healthcare has always been rooted since my younger years. But I definitely did not anticipate my fascination making me the only 16-year-old in a room full of college + med students learning emergency medicine. Staring at the thousands of pages of textbooks on different cases and scenarios in medicine, all I could think about was that my 11th-grade biology classes definitely did not prepare me for these. The scope of this summer program is demanding, far different than academic coursework. Through the entire session, I will be exposed to 172 hours of intense lectures and skill labs, including learning patient assessment and advanced airway management skills to trauma and pharmacology.

The instructors never gave us any definite answer when doing practical skill labs. They would ask questions that challenged our thinking process, like "Why did you choose that intervention?" and "What evidence do you have for your decision?" This used to irritate me because I wanted one correct answer, but slowly, I started to realize that they were training me how to think in a pressured environment, something way more valuable than an easy answer.

The shift in the way I thought about the situation has changed the way I solve problems in general, whether it be in the class or outside of it. Now, I focus on finding out the facts, considering all the possible choices and modifying my plan once there's a new piece of information available to me instead of trying to find the quickest answer. In science courses, I became more analytical and confident in my decisions in solving problems

Ultimately, the EMT training has not only served as preparation for certification. It has enhanced my skill to analyze complex situations and has boosted my aspiration to become a medical assistant. Despite the fact that I may receive my National Registry certification after finishing my summer training, the most valuable thing that I will have received is my enhanced capability to think critically.