Josh Hyman, Class of 2015
Concentrating in Government was one of the best decisions I made at Harvard. From an intellectual standpoint, Government is inherently interdisciplinary, seamlessly combining the fields of history, philosophy, politics, economics, law, and policy into one cohesive area of study. Not only is Government an especially wide-ranging academic discipline, but it is also a uniquely flexible one. Though rigorous, the Government Department’s course requirements are open-ended enough to allow concentrators to create a course of study that closely aligns with their individual interests and professional goals. I believe that my own personal academic career at Harvard serves as a case in point. At the beginning of my junior year, I realized that medicine was where my true passion lies. My only dilemma – I hadn’t taken a single science course yet in college. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to fulfill all my pre-medical requirements as well as all my remaining concentration requirements in the span of only 4 semesters. But the staff at the Government Department could not have been more supportive and encouraging of my decision; I worked closely with the Department to plan out a course schedule that allowed me on fulfill all my requirements on time. This simply would not have been possible in many other concentrations. After graduating from college, I spent two years teaching 8th grade science in the Bronx, NY through Teach For America. My time serving as a teacher was undoubtedly the most challenging, eye-opening, and rewarding experience of my life. In August 2017 began my studies at the Yale School of Medicine. Though I don’t yet know what type of doctor I ultimately want to be, I am confident that the skills and knowledge I gained as a Government concentrator will help me navigate the increasingly intertwined fields of medicine, public policy, public health, and law.
Matthew Young, Class of 2012
I graduated from Mather House in 2012 with a concentration in Gov and secondary in Global Health & Health Policy. I initially thought about pursuing a special concentration in Health Policy, but took Gov 20 with Levitsky and fell in love with Gov. It is true that you can do anything with a degree in Gov. Gov is super flexible — I got to do all my premed requirements while also taking several classes at the Kennedy School and got to count some for Gov credit. I am now a fourth-year MD candidate at Harvard Medical School and a third-year JD candidate at Harvard Law School as well as a Resident Tutor in Law, Music, and Medicine at Pforzheimer House. After graduating from both programs, I hope to pursue a residency in obstetrics/gynecology. My academic interests include patient safety, quality of health care, advocacy, reproductive rights and justice, bioethics, and medical malpractice.