His classmates became a trusted network scattered across the country — lawyers, doctors, hospital vice presidents, veterans’ advocates, social workers — all balancing demanding jobs while exchanging late-night ideas and insights. At work, he was “Dr. Jakobsen.” At Brown, he was simply Glenn.

The coursework was challenging, as expected of an Ivy League program, but he never felt overwhelmed. The greater challenge, he said, was emotional. Brown didn’t sugarcoat the realities of public health. Confronting poverty, inequity and systemic failures, Jakobsen found himself shaken by the data behind the suffering. “After 30 years of practice, I thought I’d seen it all,” he said. “But when I started seeing the numbers, it hit me: ‘Oh my God, this is far worse than I ever realized. We’re building bigger hospitals, not better health.’”

Some days it was heartbreaking. Yet those moments also brought clarity. During his very first course, Jakobsen launched a nonprofit. In a policy class, he drafted real policy briefs. After studying qualitative research, he designed community-based projects. “It wasn’t just theoretical anymore,” he said. “I was addressing the challenges my patients’ communities faced in real time.”

That collaboration extended beyond graduation. Four fellow Brown students became involved in his nonprofit. He continues to publish research with professors who are now colleagues and friends. And when he once told a leadership professor that he didn’t see himself as a leader — “just someone running a medical clinic” — she offered a new perspective: “A leader isn’t the name at the top of a corporate list. It’s the person trying to influence and achieve a goal. Let’s find you a platform.”

Today, Jakobsen is preparing to study bioethics and the impact of AI on health care at Harvard — a path he never imagined two years ago. Brown, he says, gave him the confidence to turn “I’m not sure I can do that” into “Let’s change the world”.

His advice to others considering the program? “If you think you’re not the ‘typical’ student, don’t worry. Brown’s not looking for typical. They’re looking for people who care enough to do the hard work.”