1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.  I am a biology graduate from the University of St. Thomas (Houston, TX). After graduating from St. Thomas, I continued to shadow a Primary Care Sports Medicine physician who happened to be an alum from the same alma mater! During the last year and a half, I have been a medical scribe for one of the busiest emergency departments, designated as a Level II Trauma Center.

2. Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did he or she impact you?  One of my favorite teachers was my high school Teen Leadership teacher, Ms. Anderson. Going into my senior year, I was still a shy and reserved young lady, often keeping to myself. Many of the course’s social activities and writing assignments brought me out of my comfort zone; specifically, I began overcoming my stage fright with the numerous speech presentations I gave to my peers. Ms. Anderson taught that optimism, perseverance, and affirmations strongly impact on one’s life; additionally, she furthered my realization that despite the turbulences and obstacles in life, I cannot give up and let adversities shatter my hopes and dreams. Because of the class and very encouraging teacher, I had greater self-esteem and became more confident in my self-expression to others. Ms. Anderson’s fun-spirited personality and compassionate care for each one of her students made her class one to look forward to everyday. Ms. Anderson was a genuinely kind teacher who believed in building healthy, long-lasting relationships with her students through daily interactions. With a bright smile, warm handshake, and an eager self to welcome each student into class every day, Ms. Anderson’s cheerful personality was contagious and continues to spread to and positively affect all who have met and known her.

3. When did you first decide you wanted to become a doctor and why?  Back in middle school, I was equally interested in engineering and medicine. It was not until high school that I had a stronger attraction to the health sciences. Ever since taking a medical terminology class in the ninth grade and observing physicians and nurses in a large hospital setting in the eleventh grade, my passion for the field of medicine grew stronger. By the end of the twelfth grade after taking a human anatomy and physiology class, I was positive that medicine was the right field for me. Furthermore, my volunteering and work experiences through and after college solidified my desire to become a doctor. I have been humbled by my volunteering experiences in helping underserved communities, and I hope to someday give back as a medical physician.

4. What area of medicine are you interested in?  When I was younger, I always had the dream of becoming a pediatrician. Through my volunteer and shadowing experiences, Primary Care took my interest. With my recent work experience as an ER medical scribe, I have been very interested in Emergency Medicine. However, I am very open to learning more about other specialties.

5. What’s the coolest experience you’ve had so far on your premedical journey?  I would have to say that my research experience has given rise to many cool opportunities to compete at the national level as well as have exposure to and connect with experts in the field of entomology! During my undergraduate studies, I had the privilege to complete undergraduate research on the common fruit fly at the University of St. Thomas under the guidance of two outstanding professor-mentors. Our team research focused on investigating the effects of toluene on the fruit fly and the correlating effects of toluene on fly offspring morphology. With an amazing group of research members, our team made successful progress in developing and continually improving our research efforts. Both in 2013 and 2014, our research team were most fortunate to win first place and second place, respectively, in the undergraduate student poster competition category at the Entomological Society of America annual meetings.

6. What is your favorite book?  Code Orange was one of the first books that further sparked my interest in the medical sciences field as a youth. A fiction novel, Code Orange tells a story about a teenage boy living in post-9/11 New York City whose school biology report assignment indirectly entangles him into a potentially deadly epidemic the city has never before encountered, what scientists are scared of, and what bioterrorists are criminally seeking to attack its next victims. 

7. Tell us one thing interesting about you that most people don’t know.  Most people do not know that I used to study the Vietnamese martial arts called Vovivam! I absolutely loved the sport/art. Through Vovinam, I gained greater self-discipline and learned numerous attack and defense techniques as well as many other forms of sparring.

Originally published July 3, 2017

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