One of the driving factors in attending VCOM was their mission of serving the rural and underserved populations. I am from a rural area where the nearest hospital is 30-minutes away and attended college in Baltimore, where I firsthand saw how people of certain demographics were treated poorly inside and out of the hospital.
Who or what has inspired you while at VCOM?
During my time here at VCOM, I have felt most inspired by Dr. Abraham-Hardee and Kim Gittings, RN. They have reached out on numerous occasions to help me overcome the rigors of the curriculum and, more importantly, have assisted in my efforts to get involved in my community outside of class. These included becoming a moderator for the Health Disparities Panel on COVID-19, becoming an accredited vaccinator for the COVID-19 vaccines, and assisting in a webinar series I created called Sex & Human Trafficking in the Medical Field.
How has the VCOM mission-inspired you as a medical student?
One of the driving factors in attending VCOM was their mission of serving the rural and underserved populations. I am from a rural area where the nearest hospital is 30-minutes away and attended college in Baltimore, where I firsthand saw how people of certain demographics were treated poorly inside and out of the hospital. This is why I devoted my extra time to working in the soup kitchen at The Rescue Mission of Roanoke, becoming a facilitator at the Alzheimer's Association, and joining the Medical Reserves Corps to carry out the mission personally.
Who or what inspired you to study medicine?
My father is my inspiration. I always envisioned myself as a Criminal Defense Lawyer working to exonerate the wrongfully convicted. However, late in my high school education, I discovered my father to have a form of brain cancer. That drove me to seek internships in Neurology to be around experts in the field where I can soak up their knowledge and apply it to my father's case. My efforts of trying to help him through his fight against cancer developed from a summer plan into a soon-to-be career.
Why did you choose VCOM?
I fell in love with VCOM after I visited during the start of the application cycle and got to meet the faculty. I felt this would be a place where I would get the most support, which is highly important, seeing how rigorous medical school is. That held true during my interviews that followed in the cycle and currently as I prepare for boards and rotations.
What do you enjoy most about living in the area around your campus?
I enjoy the peace and quiet. I love the fact I can decompress from a long day with a hike at the Cascades or take my bike down the Huckleberry Trail. My dog also loves to stretch her legs out on our daily walks around campus and Blacksburg.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love to socialize, go to the gym, go on a hike, or simply relax and binge watch a whole series on Netflix. In particular, my friends here on campus and I love to play basketball. We try to play once a week. Two of my friends and I had the privilege of coaching our own 11U Basketball Team called the Orange Crush, where we went 12-2 and tied for first place.
Are you interested in a particular practice or specialty once you graduate? What has inspired your interest in this specialty?
My background is in Neurology/Neuroscience. This developed due to my drive to help my father against his battle with brain cancer. I have had the privilege of earning two degrees in the field to go along with years of research and publications. I am open to other fields as I enter my third year of medical school and first year of rotations.