My name is Abhi Rao, and I’m a medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX.
Like the hordes of pre-meds around me, I’ve gone through insane science classes, volunteering, resume building, research and more– but it was only until recently that I realized that a life in medicine is much, much more than that.
I’ve watched cancer patients come to the realization that they were left with no options. I’ve watched surgeons spend two hours opening the skull of a brain cancer patient, only to close up in resignation. I’ve seen Alzheimer’s patients fade away into shadows of their former selves. And I know that there are so many tough things to go through, and I haven’t seen the half of it.
As a way to express myself, I turned to music, something I have been interested in for a long time. There was a time in my life when I considered being a musician for a living. Music was an escape for me in times of stress, and I am grateful that I can study music and its powerful effects as a student of medicine and music.
Long story short, Apollo’s Heartbeat is my effort to bridge music, humanism, and medicine– and argue that everyone needs a creative escape. And, off to the side, I hope to build my abilities as a student of music composition. Thank you for being here, and I’m looking forward to sharing this journey with you.
(Please note that patient names, vignettes and stories are modified to protect the identity of patients; minor details in the stories I share are changed as well.)