by Jay Bhati (’24)

In regard to how I became an ambassador, I think back to my junior year of high school. I had just taken my last AP exam of the year when later that day, to my surprise, my uncle had won some free F.C. Cincinnati tickets. The date was March 4, 2019. It was a beautiful sunny day in Clifton, and F.C. was playing the Columbus Crew. After a few goals and some cheese coneys, we called it a day. It was one of the first days I had ever been in Clifton. I was shocked by how beautiful the campus looked on a splendid, sunny Saturday afternoon. After the game, we drove around the block and talked about the University of Cincinnati, as he was a former alumni. Little did I know he was subtly recruiting me to go to his alma mater.

When I got home, I had a short talk with myself. I thought back to walking near Tangeman University Center (TUC), driving on Calhoun Street, and enjoying the post-game Graeter’s. At the end of my little talk, I concluded that I loved being at the University of Cincinnati, and I decided it was the place for me.

Upon going to admissions events my senior year, I was ecstatic to meet Mr. Tyler Swanson, the assistant director of admissions and academic advisor for the Medical Sciences program. Mr. Swanson showed great energy and explained to me the reasoning behind why the program was created. I was a little surprised that he brought current students with him to the admissions event. They talked about the classes they were taking and answered any questions that came up about student life. Soon after I had gotten admittance into the program, I discovered that those students were a part of an organization called the Medical Sciences Ambassadors. I found this after scheduling a tour of the Medical Sciences Building (MSB). It was very enjoyable to have current students explain their perspectives of the program. While giving a tour of the MSB, we were able to imagine what our life would be like in a couple of months.

After I started college at UC, I decided to apply to be a Medical Sciences Ambassador. I thought that it would be nice to try and recruit prospective students for the same reasons I joined the Medical Sciences program.

Due to COVID-19, applying to become an ambassador was a bit difficult. We were asked to write some essays, as well as submit a video interview. The video interview was asked to be around fifteen minutes long. At first, I didn’t realize the point of having us talk for that long nonstop, but then I shadowed a tour. When giving a tour, it is imperative that the ambassador keeps prospective students entertained and engaged. The full tour runs throughout the entire Medical Sciences Building. This was why it is important ambassadors are full of conversation. The tour starts near the Medical Sciences hallway, and after that, the direction of the tour is dependent on the tour guide. I personally like to first show off the CARE/Crawley atrium. It is a beautiful entrance that also contains the health sciences library and the bookstore. Leading away from the CARE/Crawley atrium, we enter the lower part of the Medical Sciences Building.

The lower floor contains the gym, along with the gross anatomy lab. Both areas are huge talking points, especially the lab, as most undergraduate programs do not allow students to dissect human cadavers from start to finish. By this time, if you have not already reeled in the prospective student, you are doing something wrong.

After leaving the bottom floor, I usually take the elevator to a floor that allows me to enter the Cardiovascular Center (CVC). In the CVC, we are able to stop by the Biomedical Laboratory Techniques (BLT) lab, which is a nice introduction to a potential class that the students might take. It is yet another instance of how students are given real-life examples of what their life could be if they decided to attend UC in the Medical Sciences program. After the CVC, we bring the group back to the Medical Sciences hallway, and the tour is concluded.

I believe ambassadors of all different types of colleges are essential for students to understand what their life might be like during college. I know that the ambassadors and Mr. Swanson played a large role in my college decision, and I hope to help prospective students in similar ways.