Beyond the Pulse: How Grade 11 student Unnati Saxena is turning art, science, and empathy into a future in medicine

Unnati Saxena is a Grade 11 student at GEMS Modern Academy, but her story reads like someone already building a life of purpose. She was born and raised in India, where school was more than just homework and tests. It was a place that shaped her. Art periods, music classes, and quiet library visits each week made her happy. Teachers believed in her, especially her math teacher, who pushed her to aim higher. She describes herself as shy back then, not the outspoken person she is today, but she always felt supported by friends and mentors. Family made that circle complete. With cousins and relatives nearby, there was comfort in knowing that everyone was only a short drive away. That closeness taught her how much relationships matter and how important it is to show up for people you love.

Everything changed when she moved to Dubai in seventh grade, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic. The change was exciting, but also hard. She missed her extended family. School culture felt different too—students were bold with teachers and spoke up easily. In those first months, she felt invisible. That feeling became a lesson. If she wanted to be seen, she would have to speak, try, and take the first step. Slowly, she did. She joined activities, entered art spaces, made friends, and learned to express her ideas with confidence. She says that being an only child taught her independence: no siblings to lean on meant she had to figure things out herself. That independence turned into maturity. It helped her run student initiatives, host events, and take responsibility for big projects even when they were new and a little scary.

Art has been the constant thread through all of this. She has been painting since the age of five, and acrylics became her favorite medium. A Buddha painting she made soon after moving to Dubai stayed with her. She used a fluid pour background, letting colors flow and meet like water. Watching the paint move on its own felt like life moving her to a new place. The piece became a message to herself—stay calm, stay centered, and keep creating something meaningful even when the world feels uncertain. That painting didn’t only make her feel like a better artist. It helped her see herself as someone who can find peace and clarity through creativity. Over time, her art won awards in India and the UAE, and she represented her school at World Art Dubai, where a group piece made by students stood proudly on display. Seeing it come together made her feel grateful and inspired.

In Grade 9, medicine became more than a subject. It became a calling. The moment was personal: Unnati was admitted to Al Jalila Hospital for ITP. She spent time in the dermatology department and watched doctors at work—calm, knowledgeable, and human. She had been curious about science for years, but something changed then. She saw medicine not only as treatment but as connection. That experience stayed with her. It is the reason she now dreams of becoming a doctor, one who keeps science accessible and kind.

That idea—making science understandable for everyone—grew into a project called Beyond the Pulse. It is both a podcast and a medical club that brings together students, professionals, and anyone curious about how the human body and healthcare really work. She started it to simplify complex ideas and turn them into friendly, clear conversations. Topics range from the placebo and nocebo effects to rare, fascinating phenomena like Foreign Accent Syndrome and the Lazarus effect. The style is always conversational. She wants people to feel like they are learning without fear or pressure. Season one, episode one felt like a risk—putting her voice out in public. But when the responses came in, they were warm and encouraging. That gave her the confidence to keep going. One episode in particular, “Medicine on the Moon,” reminded her why she loves this work. It blended imagination with real scientific challenges and opened a door to thinking bigger than textbooks.

Around Beyond the Pulse, she built systems that most students don’t think of: an online workspace for collaboration, outreach processes, and recruitment drives to onboard contributors, researchers, and community members. She hosted the Meraki Pulse webinar during Psychology Week and watched registrations rise, not because there was a prize or a requirement, but because people truly wanted to learn. She also serves as the secretary of Bird2Branch, a role that sharpened her leadership style. She calls it collaborative leadership—listen for strengths, assign roles that fit, and make sure everyone knows their contribution matters. When people feel purpose, they give their best.

Recognition followed, but it wasn’t the goal. She served as an ambassador for Youth Research Review, helping set up a school club and contributing to research. She was nominated as a delegate for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, received a scholarship, and attended online as a representative of Dubai. That moment told her something simple and powerful: her efforts mattered beyond her own circle. She will also speak at the Global Summit of Biomedical Sciences 2025, where she hopes to share a message that guides everything she does—medicine should feel human. It should be a bridge between research and real life, a language of curiosity, compassion, and connection.

With academic work, art, and projects all moving at once, it is natural to wonder where she finds balance. Part of the answer is home. Her parents are her role models—her mother’s calm care and her father’s steady work ethic taught her patience, responsibility, and empathy. The other part has four legs and a soft heart. Casper, her five-year-old white Labrador, is the comfort in her busiest days. When anxiety rises, time with him brings her back to the present. He reminds her to celebrate small joys, to breathe, and to be gentle with herself.

None of this has been a straight road. One of the hardest periods came during exams when she was hospitalized for ITP treatment. She missed tests. Steroid effects lingered. Even after returning, she didn’t feel like herself. Term two was tough. It felt like progress was slipping away. But the setback taught her resilience and patience. Health comes first. Growth takes time. You keep moving, even if the steps are small. She learned to measure success not by trophies but by momentum and meaning. Did the work move forward? Did it help someone? Did it make her stronger and kinder? If yes, that was success.

Doubt has appeared too, often because of her age. People have questioned whether students can run serious events or explain complex science in a way that does justice to it. She doesn’t push back with arguments; she answers with results. Organize the webinar. Publish the episode. Build the team. Let the work do the talking. Over time, the doubts fade. And she notices something else: youth is an advantage. It brings fresh ideas, energy, and courage to try what hasn’t been done yet.

Unnati believes empathy is the heart of both leadership and medicine. In teams, empathy means understanding people and supporting them without pressure. In clinics, empathy turns treatment into care—it makes patients feel seen and safe. That is the kind of doctor she wants to become, one who treats the whole person, not just the condition. It is also how she wants to shape Beyond the Pulse. She calls it a legacy project at school—something juniors can continue after she graduates—and a lifelong project outside school. It is not a line on an application. It is a promise she made to herself: to keep science open, relatable, and kind.

Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue an MBBS in the UK and bring together three pieces of herself: art, research, and clinical practice. Art will keep her observant, patient, and creative. Research will keep her curious and honest, always looking deeper than surface answers. Clinical work will be where it all comes together—science that listens, heals, and communicates clearly. She wants people to see medicine not as something distant or complicated, but as part of everyday life. Awareness and prevention belong to everyone. When people understand, they feel empowered instead of afraid.

Some moments already tell her she’s on the right path. Beyond the Pulse crossed three hundred streams—proof that listeners weren’t just clicking; they were learning. Meraki Pulse drew strong registrations because the content mattered to people. Being selected for global forums showed her that her voice can travel farther than she imagined. Each of these moments is a brick in a longer road, a road built with discipline, care, and a simple rule she loves from Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” It is more than a quote on her bio. It is a reminder that her passions—art and medicine—are not two separate lanes. They are the same path, a way to see the world clearly and help others see it too.

If she could change one thing about how people see medicine, it would be this: medicine is not only for doctors, scientists, or hospitals. It is for everyone. It affects every life. When we treat it as something human, understandable, and hopeful, we make better choices. We take care of ourselves and each other. That is the future she wants to build—with brushes and microphones, with studies and stories, with clinics that heal and conversations that make learning feel warm and welcoming.

Unnati’s journey is still young, but it already carries a clear message. Speak up even when you feel invisible. Let your work answer doubt. Keep your passions close because they make you who you are. And remember that success is not just applause; it is momentum with meaning. She is building that kind of success day by day—in the studio where colors meet and mix, on a podcast where complex science becomes simple, in classrooms and webinars where students feel brave enough to ask questions, and in the quiet moments at home where Casper curls up by her side and the world slows down.

This is the voice she brings to the UAE: creative, scientific, and deeply human. A voice that wants to make medicine feel like a language anyone can learn. A voice that believes knowledge should not intimidate—it should invite. And a voice that keeps choosing kindness, clarity, and curiosity, even when the path gets steep. Beyond the Pulse is her platform, but the purpose is bigger. It is about helping people understand their own bodies, their health, and their choices. It is about making science feel less like a wall and more like an open door.

Years from now, when she looks back, she hopes to see a community still learning together, juniors carrying the podcast forward, and patients who feel heard because doctors learned to listen. She hopes to see art on the walls of clinics, research that speaks plainly, and a medical world that feels closer to home. Until then, she will keep painting, keep reading, keep recording, keep studying. She will keep building a life where curiosity and compassion walk side by side—and invite the rest of us to walk with them.

Unnati Saxena is a Grade 11 student at GEMS Modern Academy, but her story reads like someone already building a life of purpose. She was born and raised in India, where school was more than just homework and tests. It was a place that shaped her. Art periods, music classes, and quiet library visits each week made her happy. Teachers believed in her, especially her math teacher, who pushed her to aim higher. She describes herself as shy back then, not the outspoken person she is today, but she always felt supported by friends and mentors. Family made that circle complete. With cousins and relatives nearby, there was comfort in knowing that everyone was only a short drive away. That closeness taught her how much relationships matter and how important it is to show up for people you love.

Everything changed when she moved to Dubai in seventh grade, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic. The change was exciting, but also hard. She missed her extended family. School culture felt different too—students were bold with teachers and spoke up easily. In those first months, she felt invisible. That feeling became a lesson. If she wanted to be seen, she would have to speak, try, and take the first step. Slowly, she did. She joined activities, entered art spaces, made friends, and learned to express her ideas with confidence. She says that being an only child taught her independence: no siblings to lean on meant she had to figure things out herself. That independence turned into maturity. It helped her run student initiatives, host events, and take responsibility for big projects even when they were new and a little scary.

Art has been the constant thread through all of this. She has been painting since the age of five, and acrylics became her favorite medium. A Buddha painting she made soon after moving to Dubai stayed with her. She used a fluid pour background, letting colors flow and meet like water. Watching the paint move on its own felt like life moving her to a new place. The piece became a message to herself—stay calm, stay centered, and keep creating something meaningful even when the world feels uncertain. That painting didn’t only make her feel like a better artist. It helped her see herself as someone who can find peace and clarity through creativity. Over time, her art won awards in India and the UAE, and she represented her school at World Art Dubai, where a group piece made by students stood proudly on display. Seeing it come together made her feel grateful and inspired.

In Grade 9, medicine became more than a subject. It became a calling. The moment was personal: Unnati was admitted to Al Jalila Hospital for ITP. She spent time in the dermatology department and watched doctors at work—calm, knowledgeable, and human. She had been curious about science for years, but something changed then. She saw medicine not only as treatment but as connection. That experience stayed with her. It is the reason she now dreams of becoming a doctor, one who keeps science accessible and kind.

That idea—making science understandable for everyone—grew into a project called Beyond the Pulse. It is both a podcast and a medical club that brings together students, professionals, and anyone curious about how the human body and healthcare really work. She started it to simplify complex ideas and turn them into friendly, clear conversations. Topics range from the placebo and nocebo effects to rare, fascinating phenomena like Foreign Accent Syndrome and the Lazarus effect. The style is always conversational. She wants people to feel like they are learning without fear or pressure. Season one, episode one felt like a risk—putting her voice out in public. But when the responses came in, they were warm and encouraging. That gave her the confidence to keep going. One episode in particular, “Medicine on the Moon,” reminded her why she loves this work. It blended imagination with real scientific challenges and opened a door to thinking bigger than textbooks.

Around Beyond the Pulse, she built systems that most students don’t think of: an online workspace for collaboration, outreach processes, and recruitment drives to onboard contributors, researchers, and community members. She hosted the Meraki Pulse webinar during Psychology Week and watched registrations rise, not because there was a prize or a requirement, but because people truly wanted to learn. She also serves as the secretary of Bird2Branch, a role that sharpened her leadership style. She calls it collaborative leadership—listen for strengths, assign roles that fit, and make sure everyone knows their contribution matters. When people feel purpose, they give their best.

Recognition followed, but it wasn’t the goal. She served as an ambassador for Youth Research Review, helping set up a school club and contributing to research. She was nominated as a delegate for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, received a scholarship, and attended online as a representative of Dubai. That moment told her something simple and powerful: her efforts mattered beyond her own circle. She will also speak at the Global Summit of Biomedical Sciences 2025, where she hopes to share a message that guides everything she does—medicine should feel human. It should be a bridge between research and real life, a language of curiosity, compassion, and connection.

With academic work, art, and projects all moving at once, it is natural to wonder where she finds balance. Part of the answer is home. Her parents are her role models—her mother’s calm care and her father’s steady work ethic taught her patience, responsibility, and empathy. The other part has four legs and a soft heart. Casper, her five-year-old white Labrador, is the comfort in her busiest days. When anxiety rises, time with him brings her back to the present. He reminds her to celebrate small joys, to breathe, and to be gentle with herself.

None of this has been a straight road. One of the hardest periods came during exams when she was hospitalized for ITP treatment. She missed tests. Steroid effects lingered. Even after returning, she didn’t feel like herself. Term two was tough. It felt like progress was slipping away. But the setback taught her resilience and patience. Health comes first. Growth takes time. You keep moving, even if the steps are small. She learned to measure success not by trophies but by momentum and meaning. Did the work move forward? Did it help someone? Did it make her stronger and kinder? If yes, that was success.

Doubt has appeared too, often because of her age. People have questioned whether students can run serious events or explain complex science in a way that does justice to it. She doesn’t push back with arguments; she answers with results. Organize the webinar. Publish the episode. Build the team. Let the work do the talking. Over time, the doubts fade. And she notices something else: youth is an advantage. It brings fresh ideas, energy, and courage to try what hasn’t been done yet.

Unnati believes empathy is the heart of both leadership and medicine. In teams, empathy means understanding people and supporting them without pressure. In clinics, empathy turns treatment into care—it makes patients feel seen and safe. That is the kind of doctor she wants to become, one who treats the whole person, not just the condition. It is also how she wants to shape Beyond the Pulse. She calls it a legacy project at school—something juniors can continue after she graduates—and a lifelong project outside school. It is not a line on an application. It is a promise she made to herself: to keep science open, relatable, and kind.

Looking ahead, she hopes to pursue an MBBS in the UK and bring together three pieces of herself: art, research, and clinical practice. Art will keep her observant, patient, and creative. Research will keep her curious and honest, always looking deeper than surface answers. Clinical work will be where it all comes together—science that listens, heals, and communicates clearly. She wants people to see medicine not as something distant or complicated, but as part of everyday life. Awareness and prevention belong to everyone. When people understand, they feel empowered instead of afraid.

Some moments already tell her she’s on the right path. Beyond the Pulse crossed three hundred streams—proof that listeners weren’t just clicking; they were learning. Meraki Pulse drew strong registrations because the content mattered to people. Being selected for global forums showed her that her voice can travel farther than she imagined. Each of these moments is a brick in a longer road, a road built with discipline, care, and a simple rule she loves from Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” It is more than a quote on her bio. It is a reminder that her passions—art and medicine—are not two separate lanes. They are the same path, a way to see the world clearly and help others see it too.

If she could change one thing about how people see medicine, it would be this: medicine is not only for doctors, scientists, or hospitals. It is for everyone. It affects every life. When we treat it as something human, understandable, and hopeful, we make better choices. We take care of ourselves and each other. That is the future she wants to build—with brushes and microphones, with studies and stories, with clinics that heal and conversations that make learning feel warm and welcoming.

Unnati’s journey is still young, but it already carries a clear message. Speak up even when you feel invisible. Let your work answer doubt. Keep your passions close because they make you who you are. And remember that success is not just applause; it is momentum with meaning. She is building that kind of success day by day—in the studio where colors meet and mix, on a podcast where complex science becomes simple, in classrooms and webinars where students feel brave enough to ask questions, and in the quiet moments at home where Casper curls up by her side and the world slows down.

This is the voice she brings to the UAE: creative, scientific, and deeply human. A voice that wants to make medicine feel like a language anyone can learn. A voice that believes knowledge should not intimidate—it should invite. And a voice that keeps choosing kindness, clarity, and curiosity, even when the path gets steep. Beyond the Pulse is her platform, but the purpose is bigger. It is about helping people understand their own bodies, their health, and their choices. It is about making science feel less like a wall and more like an open door.

Years from now, when she looks back, she hopes to see a community still learning together, juniors carrying the podcast forward, and patients who feel heard because doctors learned to listen. She hopes to see art on the walls of clinics, research that speaks plainly, and a medical world that feels closer to home. Until then, she will keep painting, keep reading, keep recording, keep studying. She will keep building a life where curiosity and compassion walk side by side—and invite the rest of us to walk with them.

 

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