A few months ago, Adesh Johal wanted to join Patti LiWang's research group.
"At the time, he was loaded up on credits so it didn't seem like he would have enough time to get much done in lab," said LiWang, a professor of molecular biology at UC Merced.
She was putting it lightly. Johal, who is 18, entered the university last fall after graduating from Merced College. And he is on pace to graduate this fall at age 19. He also works as a medical scribe at Mercy Medical Center and helps care for his grandfather.
So obviously he didn't have time to take part in LiWang's lab. Except…
"He took my biochemistry course and was number one in the class of over 100 by the end of the semester, so that got my attention," LiWang said.
She also ran into him regularly when he was studying in the Biomedical Sciences and Physics Building. "I saw him almost daily, studying or helping friends study. He would write on the whiteboard, and I could see that he was working on all the details of my biochemistry class, and it was near-perfect."
She had a graduate student who could take on an undergraduate, and got Johal a position. So now he works 20 to 25 hours a week on LiWang's research team.
"The lab has been great," Johal said. He spent the summer working with the graduate student and will work on his own project shortly, LiWang said.
Johal continues to work at Mercy while taking a full course load. That's an intimidating schedule for most people, but for Johal, who graduated from Buhach Colony High School in Atwater at agef 15 in 2023, it's nothing new.
"I started taking classes at Merced College in eighth grade and, in the 10th grade, graduated," he said. He went to earn more associate's degrees while also wrapping up high school two years early.
At Merced College, he served as a tutor, working with students several years older. One student who was over 21 joked that when she passed her test, "I'll take a shot for you."
He is also working with a team at Mercy that focuses on implementing tools such as artificial intelligence to improve the hospital's acute care and emergency department workflows.
A team project currently on pause but that Johal hopes will resume soon is a discharge navigator tool.
"Health literacy can be a challenge in the Valley, and our emergency department discharge instructions don't always give patients the clarity they need to understand and navigate their next steps in care," Johal said.
Telling someone to follow up with a primary care provider isn't helpful if that individual doesn't have a regular doctor. Johal is working with organizations such as the United Way and the Central California Alliance for Health to provide people with information about resources ranging from health needs to food pantries.
Johal also took the time to fit in extracurricular activities, including the Bhagat Puran Singh Health Initiative club on campus. BPSHI is a student-run organization inspired by the Sikh principle of seva, or selfless service, and works to improve healthcare access through free basic health screenings and wellness education in underserved communities.
"Healthcare is not always about what happens inside a hospital with physicians and machines; it often starts with prevention and early access," Johal said. "If someone has to wait months for an appointment, these clinics can provide an opportunity for an initial health screening and education that they may not otherwise receive."
Ambition and the desire to help people came to Johal at an early age; he credits the influence of his older siblings with helping him succeed as he grew up in Atwater. Attending Merced College and then UC Merced gave him all the opportunities he was looking for while remaining close to home.
He said he doesn't regret the accelerated pace of his education.
"I missed out on some parties and high school events, but to be able to graduate two years early is worth it," he said.
His advice to upcoming students is to prioritize, stay organized and take care of their health. Despite his packed schedule, Johal manages to get seven to eight hours of sleep a day and regularly goes to the gym.
"Be consistent, be disciplined and understand that you might have to miss something," he said. "You can't be everywhere at all times."
After graduation this fall, Johal said he plans to continue working at Mercy while studying for the MCAT and then applying to medical school.
LiWang has no doubt Johal will continue to be successful at every endeavor.
"This is a student who can learn anything," she said.
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