Dr. Rajiv Shah

And she ran away as she should have. And I just thought, you know, if you get to be involved in expressing that humanity, you actually get a lot more back than you give. You get a sense of humanity. and you feel better off for it. I was hooked from that first moment, but I didn't quite know how to find my path.

And she ran away as she should have. And I just thought, you know, if you get to be involved in expressing that humanity, you actually get a lot more back than you give. You get a sense of humanity. and you feel better off for it. I was hooked from that first moment, but I didn't quite know how to find my path.

Grad school where you can get employed and paid was sort of the theme. So I did, I ended up getting a, full scholarship to go to medical school and also study economics and business. And I did that simultaneously. And I was working through that. I wanted to get a shot at participating in American politics.

Grad school where you can get employed and paid was sort of the theme. So I did, I ended up getting a, full scholarship to go to medical school and also study economics and business. And I did that simultaneously. And I was working through that. I wanted to get a shot at participating in American politics.

And so I kept applying while I was a student for a job, not even a job, a volunteer opportunity. Wasn't even expecting that anyone would pay me to work on Al Gore's presidential campaign. And I wrote this heartfelt letter and I put in the mail and I thought, who says no to someone who's going to volunteer for free? The answer is Al Gore's campaign. They said no twice.

And so I kept applying while I was a student for a job, not even a job, a volunteer opportunity. Wasn't even expecting that anyone would pay me to work on Al Gore's presidential campaign. And I wrote this heartfelt letter and I put in the mail and I thought, who says no to someone who's going to volunteer for free? The answer is Al Gore's campaign. They said no twice.

And then they moved their campaign office from Washington to Nashville, Tennessee. And a friend told me, just do it one more time. And I sent a third letter and they said, we'd love to have you come to Nashville. So the day after I took my medical board exams,

And then they moved their campaign office from Washington to Nashville, Tennessee. And a friend told me, just do it one more time. And I sent a third letter and they said, we'd love to have you come to Nashville. So the day after I took my medical board exams,

My then girlfriend, now wife, and I got into my little Mercury Cougar, this little black car, drove 14 and a half hours from Philadelphia to Nashville, Tennessee, stayed in Al Gore's mom's best friend's pool house for the next three months as I started on the campaign.

My then girlfriend, now wife, and I got into my little Mercury Cougar, this little black car, drove 14 and a half hours from Philadelphia to Nashville, Tennessee, stayed in Al Gore's mom's best friend's pool house for the next three months as I started on the campaign.

As low as you can start as a volunteer driving people around because I was the only volunteer that had a car and most were high school kids and young kids. And that's how it all got started.

As low as you can start as a volunteer driving people around because I was the only volunteer that had a car and most were high school kids and young kids. And that's how it all got started.

First, I didn't know at the time. I just wanted to try it and give myself a chance. And I like to note in retrospect that big bets start with betting on yourself. And While that sounds grandiose, I didn't have the courage to do that on my own back then. It was my girlfriend at the time, now wife, she knew me better than I knew myself. And she's like, this is something you want to do.

First, I didn't know at the time. I just wanted to try it and give myself a chance. And I like to note in retrospect that big bets start with betting on yourself. And While that sounds grandiose, I didn't have the courage to do that on my own back then. It was my girlfriend at the time, now wife, she knew me better than I knew myself. And she's like, this is something you want to do.

I had an amazing advisor, a gentleman named Dr. Sandy Schwartz at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, who said, you know, you have this scholarship. We'll hold on to it for you. Go try this and you'll never look back. And that's what happened. And then, of course, we lost that campaign, by the way, so.

I had an amazing advisor, a gentleman named Dr. Sandy Schwartz at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, who said, you know, you have this scholarship. We'll hold on to it for you. Go try this and you'll never look back. And that's what happened. And then, of course, we lost that campaign, by the way, so.

So I found myself unemployed, not sure what to do, thinking, oh, I really screwed this up. Went back to med school, but now I was behind, finished up there briefly. And then one thing led to another and through a friend who I'd met on the campaign.

So I found myself unemployed, not sure what to do, thinking, oh, I really screwed this up. Went back to med school, but now I was behind, finished up there briefly. And then one thing led to another and through a friend who I'd met on the campaign.

He said, hey, you know, Bill Gates is looking for someone who knows a little bit about economics, a little bit about health and medicine, a little bit about policy and politics, but not too much on any of those fronts. And I said, well, maybe I could do that. And I joined the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

He said, hey, you know, Bill Gates is looking for someone who knows a little bit about economics, a little bit about health and medicine, a little bit about policy and politics, but not too much on any of those fronts. And I said, well, maybe I could do that. And I joined the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.