Questions, Curiosity and Discovery

In the Bhagat family, Hari’s childhood nickname was “question mark” because she always asked so many questions. Little did Hari or her family know that her endless curiosity and desire for knowledge would ultimately lead her to the field of medical research.

Hari Bhagat spent her early childhood growing up in India, where she lived in a small city and had regular interactions with physicians. Seeing the impact that medical care had on her and her family’s lives, she was motivated to pursue a career in health care from a very young age. Drawn to Oakland University due to the programs offered, affordability and the location, Bhagat ultimately joined the School of Health Sciences as a clinical and diagnostic sciences student.

Bhagat graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences with a concentration in pre-clinical professions in 2023. At the time, Bhagat was considering taking a gap year and pursuing a post-baccalaureate program prior to applying to medical school. When she ran into Dr. Sumit Dinda, chair of the Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences and professor, at her commencement ceremony, she learned about the new Master of Science in Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences program. She looked into the program the same day, applied and started that year.

While in the master’s program, Bhagat discovered a new career possibility. “In almost every single class, we had to do some form of clinical or medical research writing,” she said. “I realized that I genuinely enjoyed writing. I already knew I enjoyed questions and answers. So I was thinking about questions, writing and research … it just all started to make sense.” Bhagat now plans to pursue a career in medical research, where her inquisitive spirit, writing skills and passion for patient care will allow her to improve health outcomes.

Bhagat graduated with her master’s degree, as well as a pathology sciences graduate certificate, in 2025. With her strong clinical and diagnostic sciences background, she was able to peer-review the book, “Ace My Path: General Pathology: A Concept-Based Approach for Step One.” She is currently working on publishing her masters research project.

Hari Bhagat with Christina Lim, Director and Special Instructor of Medical Laboratory Science

Whether a student is interested in a research career or looking to strengthen their application to a professional program, Bhagat strongly recommends the clinical and diagnostic sciences master’s degree or pathology sciences graduate certificate. 

“I think this is one of the best programs for a gap year because it will give you a taste of what graduate school is like and introduce you to medical school topics,” she said. “You’ll also get great support from the professors who really care about their students; there is a lot of direct interaction with the professors, and they are very informative, supportive and willing to answer questions.”