Akanksha is a current third-year medical student at UMass Chan Medical School (Class of 2025). She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2021 with a BS in Biology and BA in Anthropology. In undergrad, she was involved in community organizing, where her passion for grassroots movements and disparities work flourished. She applied to medical school during her junior year and gained acceptances to multiple top 10 institutions. In medical school, she is on a research track focused on health disparities. Motivated by her life story, she is committed to using her medical education to ensure that postal codes no longer determine health outcomes, especially with regards to chronic disease. Additionally, Akanksha is passionate about improving diversity in medicine through quality mentorship. She absolutely loves to mentor students and is invested in helping each student reach their goals! Talk to Akanksha if you are applying to medical school without gap years or applying to research-based tracks!