Mentorship and Education Fuel Nadiya Sharif’s Drive to Give Back

May 15, 2025

Nadiya Sharif’s Match Day letter revealed she would be staying in the Midwest close to her family. Tears flowed as she jumped with excitement out of her chair and hugged her father.

"Being able to open my letter and realize I get to stay here was not something I was expecting,” said Sharif. “And I didn't expect to cry either."

Sharif matched at Ohio State University with a specialty in OB-GYN. The daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, Nadiya was born in Canada and moved to the east side of Michigan as a child. She credits the unrelenting support of her parents for her drive to get into medicine and serve through mentorship and education.

"All of the lessons that they’ve taught me have shaped who I am and shaped how I approach medicine and why I want to make such a big difference in my community,” she said. “Both my parents have been unapologetically so involved in our education at such a young age. They have sacrificed so much for us."

Her deep desire to give back strengthened during her undergraduate years at Wayne State University, where volunteering at a free health clinic showed her the profound impact of compassionate care. She was accepted into the National Institutes of Health BUILD (Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity) Scholars program. The goal of the program was to increase diversity in biomedical research. The program paid not only her tuition but allowed her to attend medical conferences and connected her with research mentors.

"I feel so grateful and also a sense of responsibility because I was given such an amazing opportunity through BUILD. That program really opened my eyes to the importance of mentorship and teaching for underrepresented groups."

Nadiya embraced the call to pay it forward throughout medical school, tutoring classmates for two years through the Office of Academic Achievement, while also mentoring undergraduate students for all four years through MSU’s AMSA chapter and Pre-Medical Mentoring Program. In addition, she supported high school students in Grand Rapids in the Med PATH (Partners, Advocacy, Training, Health) Mentors program.

Connecting with people through education drove home Sharif's belief that different people learn in different ways. A technique that works for one student doesn’t always work for all students. She said the college's curriculum model of integrating clinical experience early on was a great way for her to take hold of the material.

“I realized I am really able to apply medicine by understanding it from a clinical perspective. Not just learning it out of a textbook but being able to be hands on,” Sharif said. “I really think there is something unique about being able to solidify medical knowledge by actually interacting with patients."

She encourages every student, struggling or not, to meet with the Office of Academic Achievement. She credits Molly Frendo, PhD, with providing educational tips and methods she used throughout her years at MSU. Nadiya says the community and service-driven principles of the college allowed her to succeed in a collaborative and not competitive space. A place she felt supported and made friends she’ll have for the rest of her life.

"Thinking about all the things that help you develop a community and develop really well-rounded medical students is something that I wanted, because well-rounded medical students care about people. Being around those people was really important to me."