Johnson Scholar Spotlight: Alejandra Bahena
An undergraduate-focused collaborative effort between the Perelman School of Medicine, the Center for Hispanic Excellence: La Casa Latina, and Makuu: the Black Cultural Center, the Johnson Scholar program seeks to increase the medical school attendance of Penn undergraduate students who come from groups that are underrepresented in medicine.
Current Johnson Scholar Alejandra Bahena, a Penn junior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in biochemistry while minoring in French, epitomizes the program’s ideals: founding the National Pre-Health Conference (NPHC), serving as co-president of the Penn Neuroscience Society, and working as an undergrad researcher in the Penn Digital Neuropathology Lab.
What has your journey been like, and what drew you to Penn?
As a first-generation, low-income, immigrant student, navigating the road to higher education was challenging. When I arrived in the U.S. from Mexico City at the age of 12, I spoke no English and was facing many financial and family trials, but I focused on my education and worked very hard to attend college.
One of the reasons why I applied to Penn is that civic engagement is so central. Our school knows how to turn intellectual and personal awareness into action. I am extremely grateful to attend such a great institution and be surrounded by world-renowned professors and extraordinary fellow students.
Could you discuss your experience as a Johnson Scholar?
I had no exposure to clinical settings and knew nothing about the medical school application process, so becoming a doctor seemed like an impossible dream. But the Johnson Scholars program immediately made me feel that medical school was a place where I could belong if I worked hard enough.
The Johnson Scholars program has provided me with incredible resources. Through this program, I received access to academic support, connections to researchers and clinical doctors, medical seminars, application guidance, and personalized advising with faculty and medical students. It also allowed me to bond with extraordinary Penn mentors, including Horace DeLisser, M’85, RES’88, FEL’91; Rashmi Kuman, EdD; and Yentli Soto Albrecht, GR’26, M’26.
Why did you create the National Pre-Health Conference?
After the COVID-19 pandemic changed how we access resources, I envisioned a virtual event to provide students with access to expert advice about navigating healthcare careers while also teaching them about resilience in the face of adversity. That is how NPHC was conceived: a student-led organization that provides free, accessible resources to anyone interested in pursuing a career in healthcare. Our goal is to inspire self-confidence into the next generation of healthcare professionals, one student at the time.
I could not have created NPHC without the support and guidance of my Penn mentors and the connections that I have developed with Penn faculty. I am also part of the Venture Initiation Program for student entrepreneurs, which has given me access to many resources and connections that will help my team turn NPHC into an official nonprofit. Over the summer, I plan to work on NPHC full-time thanks to a grant I received from Student Financial Services.
Tell us about last summer’s inaugural conference. What are your plans for NPHC?
A lot of work from our talented team went into organizing our first conference, which was a huge success. In addition to reaching over a thousand registered attendees, a big milestone of the conference included the participation of many renowned speakers, such as Iris Gibbs, MD, FACR, FASTRO, Associate Dean of MD Admissions at Stanford, and Lawrence “Skip” Brass, MD, PhD, FEL’79, Associate Dean and Director of the Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs at Penn. Now, our virtual conference will take place every August. In the future, we hope to also host hybrid events throughout the year.
I invite readers to visit our website and check out our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. You can also explore our YouTube channel, where we have multiple presentations from last year’s conference, such as "How to Become a Competitive MD Applicant" and "A Life of Service in Medicine,” and sign up for our newsletter.
If you are part of an organization or group that may be interested in collaborating with NPHC on social media or through an event, please reach out to our team at NPHC@nationalprehealthconf.org. We are passionate about helping other organizations inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.
What are your personal goals?
My plan after graduation is to attend medical school and continue organizing NPHC. As a future doctor, I want to advocate for vulnerable populations, ideally in Latin American and Francophone countries. Through NPHC, I hope to continue inspiring students from all backgrounds to pursue their dreams.