Sophia Selenou-Yemgang
2025 Ignatian Hoya and Dean’s Excellence Merit Scholarship Recipient
M.S. in Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences
Volunteering in an ER has been the most rewarding community service opportunity so far, and I hope to engage in many more experiences like this.
About Sophia
Sophia is from Prince George’s County, Maryland. Before coming to Georgetown Biomedical Graduate Education, she earned a Bachelor of Science from Morgan State University.
What community service activity has meant the most to you?
Volunteering in an ER has been the most rewarding community service opportunity so far, and I hope to engage in many more experiences like this.
What is your academic focus? What sparked your interest in it?
I chose to pursue a degree Integrative Medicine due to my life experience as someone who often seeks out herbs and spices for their medicinal properties. And as a doula who suggests many of these to my clients, in addition to bodywork techniques to complement their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience, I wanted to gain a deep understanding of the biomechanisms involved in these techniques while studying other complementary practices and the cultures they belong to.
How do you hope your graduate studies will build on what you learned as an undergraduate?
Studying integrative medicine has given me insight into a world of options available to enhance healthcare that are often overlooked or inaccessible. I hope my graduate studies endow me with the skills and knowledge to continue to be an advocate for my community both in and out of healthcare settings. Moreover, I hope to use this knowledge to inform the way I care for patients in the future.
What do you want to do after earning your degree?
After earning my degree, I would like to go to medical school to gain an even deeper understanding of human physiology and treatments. This will allow me to continue my advocacy, enhance my knowledge, and broaden my scope and the ways I can help patients.
What motivates you?
In addition to gaining knowledge, the prospect of being able to serve as representation, and eventually, an inspiration for black women in science and medicine, motivates me to continue on this path.