Medicable wins Rep. Pat Fallon’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’ Fourth District
Rep. Pat Fallon has named Vihan Raval, an eleventh grader at Frisco High School, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’ Fourth District.
COVID-19 ended, I saw many cases of people going through depression and mental health crises as a result of a lack of outdoor exposure. One such friend of mine was going through a mental health crisis after the lockdown ended due to the feelings of depression that the pandemic had evoked. Even though he had recovered from the depression after the pandemic, it took him about a year to recover from his mental health crisis. After talking to his parents, I realized that one of the reasons why it took such a long time for him to recover was because many doctor appointments were unavailable and it was difficult to find out when the doctor was available for appointments through consistent, daily phone calls. As a result, I researched more into this problem, only to realize that many people were facing similar issues with doctor appointment scheduling and prescription follow-ups.
This inspired me to make my app, Medicable, to solve this problem for countless people and provide mental health resources to people who need to recover from depression, as well as making the process of appointment scheduling smoother for all patients, and making prescription tracking easier for those who consistently follow up with pharmacies.”
This year’s Congressional App Challenge set new records, with an unprecedented 382 Members of the House of Representatives hosting competitions—surpassing the previous high of 374. An incredible 12,682 students from across the country participated, representing a growth of over 1,000 students compared to 2023. These talented students submitted an astounding 3,881 original applications, showcasing their creativity, passion for technology, and the limitless potential of America’s next generation of innovators. This surge in participation reflects the increasing excitement around STEM and highlights a bright future for American innovation.
The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. This resounding show of bipartisan support emphasizes the critical importance of STEM education in today’s rapidly evolving world. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during our annual #HouseOfCode festival.
The program is a public-private partnership made possible through funding from the Broadcom Foundation, AWS, Rise, theCoderSchool, Apple, and others.
The 2024 Congressional App Challenge will launch in May of 2025, and eligible students can pre-register for the competition now.