“Emory has given me so many opportunities to learn, challenge myself, lead and serve. I have absolutely loved my time here!"
Jessica McHenry, 2026 Doctor of Medicine (MD) candidate, Emory School of Medicine, was born and raised in northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. From an early age, she felt a deep bond with her family, and she cites them as some of her best friends. Their early voices of encouragement have accompanied her throughout her journey.
In 2020, she graduated magna cum laude from the College of William & Mary with a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology and health sciences, with a concentration in public health and a minor in business. While an undergraduate, Jessica volunteered as an emergency medical technician. After graduation, Jessica lived her call to serve by working as a medical assistant for a pediatrician’s office. In her spare time, she volunteered at pop-up COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics.
Jessica has always felt driven to help others. As she was weighing her options for medical school, the United States Navy notified her that she had been selected for the Health Professions Scholarship Program. While this award addressed her questions about tuition, she still wanted to know where her presence would have the greatest impact. She wasn’t sure which school to pick until a chance encounter changed everything.
As she was scoping out the Emory School of Medicine on an unannounced campus tour, she happened to run into the associate dean of medical education and student affairs, Ira Schwartz (family and preventive medicine). Schwartz immediately recognized her and introduced himself, saying, “Oh, hi! You’re Jessica, right? From northern Virginia?” Jessica instantly felt that the connection between learners and faculty at Emory was different: “It showed me that Emory faculty go above and beyond to care for and support their students, truly knowing who they are rather than just knowing them as an application number.”
“I knew early on that Emory would be an environment that would challenge me to become an amazing physician,” she says. She loved walking on Emory’s historic campus and enjoying all Atlanta has to offer. Quickly, she found friends who shared her passion for community.
Recently, she served as the president of the Ophthalmology Interest Group. As president, she had the opportunity to collaborate with peers and participate in outreach. One of her cherished memories was volunteering at the Clarkston Community Health Center. This student volunteer, free clinic provides primary and specialty medical services—including vision exams—to uninsured residents of the nearby Clarkston community.
During her time at Emory, Jessica had the opportunity to work with remarkable physicians on different research projects. These projects led to many publications and presentations at conferences. Her presentation won the Best Abstract Award from the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society. “Emory has given me so many opportunities to learn, challenge myself, lead and serve. I have absolutely loved my time here!”
Because ophthalmology participates in early Match, Jessica has been accepted to a residency at Vanderbilt University. After her residency, she will serve as an ophthalmologist in the Navy for at least four years. Reflecting on her time at the School of Medicine, Jessica cites the influences of faculty members Valerie Biousse (ophthalmology), Nancy Newman (ophthalmology), Rebecca Neustein (ophthalmology), and Jason Liebzeit (emergency medicine), “they shaped not only the physician I am becoming, but also the person I am today.”
For Jessica, graduation is a reminder of how her time at Emory has fueled her journey. “I think that is what I will miss the most: the people. The outstanding doctors who have taught me everything I know, the incredible friends and classmates who have supported me.” And at the heart of her purpose: “The patients who reminded me, every single day, why I chose this path in the first place.”