{"id":68771,"date":"2026-03-17T15:02:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T19:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=68771"},"modified":"2026-03-17T15:02:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T19:02:50","slug":"koh-humanities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/koh-humanities\/","title":{"rendered":"I Studied English, Am Pursuing an MD\u2014and Cherish the Humanities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">While the marketplace may not value interdisciplinary studies, I\u2019m determined to stay connected to arts and literature<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-cornell-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2cf2e4222ed7ea261dd47828ebd6b1e2\"><em>\u201cPOV\u201d comprises brief first-person essays by young alumni. Do you have a topic in mind? Email us at <a href=\"&#109;&#97;&#x69;&#x6c;&#x74;&#x6f;&#x3a;&#99;&#111;&#x72;&#110;&#x65;&#x6c;&#108;&#105;&#97;&#110;&#115;&#64;&#99;&#111;&#x72;n&#101;&#108;&#x6c;&#46;&#x65;&#x64;&#x75;\">&#x63;&#x6f;&#x72;&#110;&#x65;&#108;&#x6c;&#x69;&#97;n&#x73;&#64;&#x63;&#x6f;rne&#108;&#108;&#x2e;&#x65;d&#117;<\/a>! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By <strong>Serin Koh \u201926, BA \u201925<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Three years ago, I trudged up the Slope under a scorching sun and an oversized backpack as I imagined with thrill the day I would graduate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Flash forward to eight months ago, when I said farewell to the College of Arts &amp; Sciences in true Ithaca fashion: huddled under a dripping umbrella to shelter myself from stormy clouds and cold rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, with a BA in English, I am continuing my journey toward\u2014to most people\u2019s surprise\u2014a career in medicine.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Serin Koh\" class=\"wp-image-68768 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-632x790.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-316x395.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-280x350.jpg 280w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-140x175.jpg 140w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-70x87.jpg 70w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-400x500.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A-100x125.jpg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/headshot-A.jpg 1260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I toggled between calculations, laboratories, Shakespeare, and literary analyses, it was undeniable that my STEM coursework was far more laborious than that of my literature classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast-paced lectures sent me scrambling to submit homework on time and to spend long nights at the library; inevitably, more of my time and energy were consumed by my science classes and, gradually, the number of novels I read or writing I worked on outside of my English classes dwindled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignwide is-style-solid-color\"><blockquote><p>As I toggled between calculations, laboratories, Shakespeare, and literary analyses, it was undeniable that my STEM coursework was far more laborious than that of my literature classes.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite this clash between my two interests, however, I learned to value such interdisciplinarity, which universities often hail as the future of higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cornell itself manifests this ideal: all nine undergraduate colleges require students to pass first-year writing seminars, along with math and science courses. In fact, CALS codifies such academic diversity through its unique <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cals.cornell.edu\/education\/degrees-programs\/interdisciplinary-studies-major\">interdisciplinary studies major<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This educational fusion extended to all my four years of college. While the demands of each course were challenging, I ultimately learned to cherish the interdisciplinary skills and knowledge gleaned from both ends of the spectrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"555\" height=\"693\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_Reading2-A.jpg\" alt=\"Serin Koh reading as a child, holding a book in a bookstore\" class=\"wp-image-68770 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_Reading2-A.jpg 555w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_Reading2-A-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_Reading2-A-316x395.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_Reading2-A-280x350.jpg 280w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_Reading2-A-140x175.jpg 140w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_Reading2-A-70x87.jpg 70w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_Reading2-A-400x500.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_Reading2-A-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_Reading2-A-100x125.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 555px) 100vw, 555px\" \/><figcaption>A young Koh indulges her love of reading.<\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>Molecular symbols from organic chemistry lectures resurfaced in my poetry discussions, and literary analyses aided me in understanding complex biology concepts. Over time, my coursework range exposed me to a philosophical epiphany: that all disciplines, along with people, are interconnected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Cornell celebrates, an interdisciplinary education did indeed teach me to wonder, think, and question through a nuanced, layered perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hence, with high hopes, I graduated and jumped into the stern reality of job applications.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As most recent graduates can agree, this process can be daunting, draining, and even humbling. I realized an alarming contradiction: while universities emphasize the significance of an interdisciplinary education, professional institutions tend to reward narrowly focused trajectories and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my own pursuits in healthcare, my English degree was often met with puzzlement, and my work with writing deemed irrelevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignwide is-style-solid-color\"><blockquote><p> I realized an alarming contradiction: while universities emphasize the significance of an interdisciplinary education, professional institutions tend to reward narrowly focused trajectories and experiences.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the \u201creal\u201d world, I quickly learned to introduce myself as an aspiring physician rather than an English major; my degree was reduced to a mere line on my CV. The interdisciplinarity that had been prioritized for so many years cowered beyond school walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, professions require expertise. Even so, I ask: why must interdisciplinarity equate to inadequacy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I regrettably admit that doubt and uncertainty infiltrated my mind: am I surrendering my identity as a reader and writer by committing to a career in STEM? Will my degree lay untouched in the decades to come?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>How can I play my part in upholding the humanities as they decline in popularity\u2014especially when artificial intelligence is threatening to redefine art?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And finally: in today\u2019s productivity-driven culture, is it even possible to maintain both interests equally as I pursue one of them for a career?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the past months, I have grappled with such questions. In this self-reflection, I traced my adoration for English literature to its origin: a hobby. Throughout my childhood, reading and writing liberated my curiosity, creativity, and imagination.<\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Serin Koh wearing a lab coat and blue latex gloves\" class=\"wp-image-68769 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-632x790.jpg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-316x395.jpg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-280x350.jpg 280w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-140x175.jpg 140w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-70x87.jpg 70w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-400x500.jpg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-200x250.jpg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A-100x125.jpg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/Koh_InLab-A.jpg 1260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><figcaption>The author in the lab during her current postbac studies.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet with age, the amount of time I dedicated to such hobbies was whittled away; even on the Hill, they were rapidly replaced by essays and deadlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a society in which both students and job applicants must sharpen themselves into hyper-fixated, specialized agents of their respective fields, hobbies\u2014often labeled as \u201cunproductive\u201d\u2014are a dying-yet-crucial space of creative and intellectual identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With this understanding, I have begun to read and write more. In these small efforts, I began to answer those gaping questions; perhaps my own conscious decision to commit to my hobbies is my own resistance to the productivity-driven culture of the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignwide is-style-solid-color\"><blockquote><p> In today\u2019s productivity-driven culture, is it even possible to maintain both interests equally as I pursue one of them for a career?<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By admiring one book or illustration, I am nurturing my personal devotion to the arts\u2014one that I was so fearful to lose. While hobbies certainly will not reform the one-dimensional culture of the professional workspace, perhaps the mere recognition and celebration of them is a first step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, return to that book that is lying facedown on the table, or that bookmarked recipe, or that painting on the easel. I implore you: preserve the hobbies that complete you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>A former opinion columnist for the <\/em>Daily Sun<em>, <strong>Serin Koh \u201926, BA \u201925,<\/strong> is currently enrolled in a pre-health post-baccalaureate program in NYC. She hopes to contribute to both healthcare and storytelling through her work.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>(All images provided.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Published March 17, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While the marketplace may not value interdisciplinary studies, I\u2019m determined to stay connected to arts and literature<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":68887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"alumni_hub_syml_posts":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[674],"tags":[],"cornell_year_post":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-68771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pov"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>I Studied English, Am Pursuing an MD\u2014and Cherish the Humanities - Cornellians | Cornell University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While the marketplace may not value interdisciplinary studies, I\u2019m determined to stay connected to arts and literature\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/koh-humanities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I Studied English, Am Pursuing an MD\u2014and Cherish the Humanities - Cornellians | Cornell University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While the marketplace may not value interdisciplinary studies, I\u2019m determined to stay connected to arts and literature\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/koh-humanities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cornellians | Cornell University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Cornellians\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-17T19:02:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-17T19:02:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/2026_1066_YoungAlumniDesign.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beth Saulnier\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@WeCornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@WeCornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Beth Saulnier\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/koh-humanities\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/koh-humanities\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Beth Saulnier\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\"},\"headline\":\"I Studied English, Am Pursuing an MD\u2014and Cherish the Humanities\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-17T19:02:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-17T19:02:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/koh-humanities\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":927,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/koh-humanities\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/2026_1066_YoungAlumniDesign.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"POV: Young Alumni Voices\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/koh-humanities\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/koh-humanities\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/koh-humanities\\\/\",\"name\":\"I Studied English, Am Pursuing an MD\u2014and Cherish the Humanities - 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