Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Gamma Chapter

AOA was founded in 1902 and is the national medical honor society. On the “About Alpha Omega Alpha” official webpage, it is described as follows:

Alpha Omega Alpha – Dedicated to the belief that in the profession of medicine we will improve care for all by:

Recognizing high educational achievement
Honoring gifted teaching
Encouraging the development of leaders in academia and the community
Supporting the ideals of humanism
Promoting service to others

Election to Alpha Omega Alpha is an honor signifying a lasting commitment to professionalism, leadership, scholarship, research, and community service. A lifelong honor, membership in the society confers recognition for a physician’s dedication to the profession and art of healing.

Membership

The general criteria from AOA is that medical schools are allowed to elect 20% of the graduating class, and can choose nominees during both the 3^rd and 4^th years of study. Once elected to AOA, membership is for life as long as yearly dues are paid.

At MSU College of Human Medicine, students have the opportunity for election in both 3^rd and 4^th years of study. Watch this video for specific AOA nomination criteria at the college.

There are opportunities for election to membership at all levels of graduate medical education and throughout a career in medicine, including:

Medical students at the 3^rd and 4^th year level
Residents
Fellow
Faculty members
Alumni
Clinician
Distinguished leader in medicine

Nomination criteria and process

For students specifically, candidates are chosen for nomination based on several factors:

Academic achievement
Professionalism
Leadership
Community service
Research

The Gamma Chapter has established the following general criteria for the nomination of candidates to AOA. Students must:

Demonstrate a superior record of academic performance
Demonstrate evidence of scholarship or research beyond that normally expected in meeting degree requirements
Demonstrate evidence of institutional and/or community leadership and/or service beyond that normally expected in meeting degree requirements
Demonstrate a superior record of teaching and other curricular accomplishments.

To be eligible for selection into AOA, students must demonstrate sustained accomplishments in all four categories. After completion of the second year, students with 7 or more top performances on progress examinations are automatically nominated by their Learning Society Chief and invited to submit a full application. Additionally, students with outstanding achievements in the other categories may be nominated by their Learning Society Chiefs. After completion of the third year, students with three or more Honors in the required clerkships are automatically nominated by the Community Assistant Deans. Additionally, students with outstanding achievements in the other categories may be nominated by their Community Assistant Dean. The Student Selection Committee reviews all completed applications and, to minimize bias, evaluates them using a holistic process that balances performance in all four categories.

Visit Alpha Omega Alpha for more information.

Contact Aldana Garcia, 2022-2023 MSU-CHM AOA President, with any questions.

AOA Inductees

Meet the newest student members of the College of Human Medicine's Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Gamma Chapter.

See all recent inductees.

View past inductees

Ali Abboud

Ali Abboud
Fourth-year student

As a first-generation high school graduate, Ali surpassed obstacles and expectations by becoming the first in his family to apply and gain acceptance to medical school. As the son of a 17-year-old single mother and an estranged father, he credits much of his compassion and motivation to succeed to his mother who would work tirelessly to provide for them.

Ali earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Michigan in 2016. He began his research career at UofM studying the effects of iron transport across the blood brain barrier and its implications in glioblastoma multiforme management and prognosis. During this time, he began teaching yoga to underprivileged middle-school students in his hometown of Dearborn, Michigan. He took a medical mission trip in his senior year of college to Honduras where he provided medical aid to underserved communities. He would continue volunteering in medical school by teaching yoga to his fellow colleagues in order to offer them a healthy venue to relieve stress, as well as lead tutoring sessions and provide guidance to underclassman. During the height of the global pandemic, he served as a first-line volunteer in a medical laboratory providing rapid COVID-19 testing in efforts to better quantify the impact of the disease in his community.

His experience as a second-year medical student where he witnessed a patient who could not speak English receive suboptimal care, encouraged him to organize a quality improvement project focused on improving this disparity. The project helped facilitate a workshop that taught the skills residents and attending physicians need to better serve non-English speaking patients. Ali also earned his Master’s in Business Administration in between his second and third years of medical school. During his third year of medical school Ali would excel through his clerkships earning honors recognition in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Surgery II. Some of the comments he received during clerkships including: “Ali demonstrated professionalism throughout the clerkship, he is a very motivated student, and has excellent medical knowledge.” “Ali works well with a team. He is confident because he is an exceptional student who is a pleasure to interact with.” Ali is planning a career in Anesthesiology.
Antara Afrin

Antara Afrin
Fourth-year student

Antara earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomolecular Science with a minor in Business from University of Michigan in 2017. As a pre-clinical student, Antara was the recipient of the Tylenol Future Care Scholarship. During her executive board role in the Surgery Interest Group, Antara curated content for an introduction to surgical techniques course for over 25 first year medical students at CHM. She also organized and taught suturing at four local undergraduate institutions. Antara is passionate about health policy. She has drafted resolutions for the American Medical Association ranging from combating natural hair and cultural headwear discrimination to student-centered approaches in reforming school disciplinary policies.

During her third-year clinical rotations, Antara has published seven articles in journals such as the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). She served as the first author for a genetics paper focusing on the rare Ogden syndrome, which she worked on with the mentorship of Dr. Caleb Bupp and the MSU Pediatrics and Human Development Department. Her work also covered the implications of rapid whole genome sequencing on family planning and shared decision making. Antara was recently accepted into the prestigious National Institutes of Health Medical Research Scholars Program.

She is currently taking a year off medical school to do research with the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Uniformed Services University Dermatology Department. She is working with whole genome and targeted next generation sequencing of patients with germline and suspected mosaic tuberous sclerosis complex. Antara is planning a career in dermatology.
Jacob Bauss

Jacob Bauss
Third-year student

Jacob earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Cell Biology and Physiology with a minor in Health Care Ethics from Saint Louis University in 2019. During his pre-clinical years, he became involved with the surgery interest group where he spent a few weekends each month teaching suturing and discussing the medical application process to undergraduate pre-medical students in the greater Grand Rapids area. He also got involved with student-run health clinics at local homeless shelters where he would offer free medical assistance alongside a team of medical students and physicians. Jacob has enjoyed serving the under-represented population of Grand Rapids and is something he would like to continue as he enters into his medical career. He was elected to the board of Grand Rapids Street Medicine where he is helping to facilitate and expand the reach of these student-run free health clinics.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacob sought out research opportunities regarding SARS-CoV-2 to help increase the knowledge the medical and science community had about the mechanism of the virus, its clinical course, and potential treatment options. He has contributed to projects looking into the genomic evolution and molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2. He has also contributed to a project analyzing RNA sequence data of infected patients to identify the degree of immune dysregulation occurring in hospitalized patients and how these immune signatures changed in response to specific pharmaceutical therapies. Jacob was able to present this data to local students, researchers, and medical professionals at the West Michigan Rare Disease Research Day. During his second year of medical school, Jacob facilitated a weekly tutoring session where he would lead first year medical students through board-style questions in preparation for board exams, something which he has continued to do into his third year. He enjoys both the teaching and community outreach aspect of medicine and is interested in joining a field in which he can continue this. Jacob is planning to pursue a career in combined internal medicine and pediatrics.
Wyatt Boothby-Shoemaker

Wyatt Boothby-Shoemaker
Fourth-year student

Wyatt is originally from Paw Paw, Michigan and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Organizational Studies and Economics from the University of Michigan. Before pursuing his MD/MBA at Michigan State, he worked as a nursing home manager and worked for five summers as a tutor and teacher’s aide at a summer school for children of migrant farm workers. Once joining Michigan State, as an MBA student he worked as a student analyst for the State of Michigan in their opioid prescription monitoring division and also completed a summer MBA internship in global marketing at Abbott Molecular Diagnostics where he helped develop products for diagnosing Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus.

While in medical school, Wyatt researched the connection between obesity and breast and skin cancer in Dr. Jamie Bernard’s laboratory. Wyatt has held leadership roles at CHM with the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee, College of Human Medicine Alumni Board as a student representative, and the CHM Health & Wellness Committee. Wyatt has a special focus in LGBTQ+ health, and was the co-founder of the group Queering Medicine, which aims to bridge LGBTQ-affirming healthcare providers in the Lansing area; he has also served on Pride Medical Student Alliance at CHM. Wyatt wrote a resolution that was adopted by the American Medical Association national lobbying platform to ban conversion therapy. Wyatt’s other interests include racial equity, social justice, expanding healthcare access, and lowering healthcare costs. Last year, Wyatt worked at Henry Ford Health System as the Cutaneous Oncology Research Fellow where he worked on numerous projects that led to 10 manuscript submissions to date. Wyatt is pursuing a career in dermatology.
Emily Brereton

Emily Brereton
Fourth-year student

Emily grew up in Okemos, Michigan and returned to MSU CHM by way of St. Louis, Missouri. She graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Biology and minors in Psychology and Medical Anthropology. As a Medicine and Society Scholar, she studied Global Health and the Environment, exploring the relationship between cultural values, biases and power structures and the construction of health, illness, medicine, and healthcare. Since 2011, she has been a yearly volunteer with Eric ‘Ricstar’ Winter Music Therapy Camp, the past three as a group leader. This experience and four years working at a summer-long overnight camp for children and adults with developmental disabilities inspired her interest in pursuing medicine.

At the College of Human Medicine, she has served as a student representative to the Health and Wellness Committee and Faculty Admissions Committee. She has been involved in various research projects in genetics, neurology, transgender medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics; recently winning the MIAAP Poster Competition for Research with an oral presentation on the management of non-cancer associated neutropenia in pediatric inpatients. She also volunteers at Mel Trotter Shelter clinic and is the volunteer coordinator for Grand Rapids Street Medicine. Outside of medicine, she is a competitive ultimate frisbee player and youth coach. In 2019, she participated in the Olympic Coaching Development Program National Conference in Colorado and co-founded Grand Rapid’s first women’s ultimate league. Emily hopes to pursue Triple Board residency training; Pediatrics/Psychiatry/Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Her clinical interests include collaborative care psychiatry, LGBTQ* medicine, adolescent medicine, and developmental behavioral health.
Emily Bush

Emily Bush
Fourth-year student

Emily earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Elmira College in 2018. Emily is a recipient of the Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program and a commissioned officer in the United States Navy. During her early and middle clinical experiences in East Lansing, Emily volunteered at the annual MSU Teddy Bear Picnic. As a volunteer at Cristo Rey Community Center in Lansing, Emily assisted community members with their food and personal care needs. She is very passionate about teaching and has served as a peer tutor for fellow students since second year. Emily has been involved in one quality improvement project and one research project since starting medical school. The QI project sought to increase Hepatitis A vaccination series completion in children ages 18 to 60 months at a local pediatrics clinic. The focus of her current research is analyzing maternal-infant pair data from UPHS-Marquette in 2019 to see if there is an association between the gestational age at which women initiate prenatal care and infant birth outcomes. During her late clinical experience in the UP, Emily has been enrolled in the COMPASS elective to increase her knowledge of emergent, wilderness and sports medicine related injuries occurring outside of the hospital setting. Emily received honors in her Obstetrics & Gynecology, Surgery I & II, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Family Medicine clerkships. Some comments from her preceptors include: “Her enthusiasm, dedication, and compassion are unmatched.” “Excellent interpersonal skills and judgement.” “She is goal driven and team oriented. She has a strong work ethic and actively seeks learning opportunities.” “Her enthusiasm and bedside manner are particularly impressive.” “My patients enjoyed her care. She was always on time, always offered to go the extra mile for patient care.” “She exhibited the highest level of professionalism, self-motivation, and worked hard!” Emily is planning a career in Pediatrics.
Kathleen Dinh

Kathleen Dinh
Fourth-year student

Kathleen (Kat) Dinh is originally from southern California, where she completed her undergraduate studies at UCLA in physiology. She is a first-gen Vietnamese-American college student, and is an aspiring OBGYN with an interest in high-risk pregnancies, especially those affecting communities of color. During her time at MSUCHM, Kat was on the leadership board of Women’s Health Interest Group and Medical Students for Choice, where she led projects emphasizing reproductive health and abortion training. She also volunteered for the YWCA as a patient advocate for sexual assault survivors over the last 3 years. Her passion for women’s health expands to her research endeavors, that aim to shed light on the racial and ethnic disparities in intrapartum pain management. Outside of medical school, Kat is a lover of things art and music, and enjoys painting and going to concerts. Kat would like to express her gratitude to her Flintstone family, her mentors throughout her time at MSU including Ashley May, Dr. Colon, Dr. Mike Metz, Dr. Carravallah, Dr. Edward-Johnson, and to the village that raised her - her mother and family.
Kianna Eurick-Bering

Kianna Eurick-Bering
Fourth-year student

Kianna Eurick-Bering graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 2017 from the University of Notre Dame. She is a fourth-year medical student at the College of Human Medicine Flint Campus. She is a member of the Leadership in Medicine for the Underserved certificate program. Kianna is passionate about street medicine and currently serves as an executive board member for Spartan Street Medicine Flint. Her research interests include investigating COVID-related changes in Flint emergency departments. She also serves as a peer tutor. Kianna is pursuing a residency in Emergency Medicine. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and her dogs, as well as cooking and baking.
Emma Frost

Emma Frost
Fourth-year student

Emma is originally from Okemos, Michigan and majored in biochemistry and English at the University of Notre Dame. In medical school, she has been involved in the American Medical Association and Michigan State Medical Society, interned at the American Academy of Pediatrics, and worked as a health record grader and tutor. Between third and fourth year of medical school, she earned a Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in child and adolescent health. During that time, she was the health fellow for Congressman Lloyd Doggett’s office and participated in research on child abuse and firearm injury. She plans on becoming a pediatrician and is passionate about public health and policy concerning children’s health.
Diego Gomez

Diego Felipe Gomez
Third-year student

Diego Felipe Gomez is a third-year medical student at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine who has solidified a commitment to leadership, service, and diversity in the field of medicine. He was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, where he lived until the age of 17. He had the opportunity to play hockey at a junior and semiprofessional level growing up, representing Colombia on the national hockey team at several international competitions over the last decade. Upon culmination of his athletic career, Diego Felipe relocated to the U.S. and began his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida, where he eventually obtained a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience in 2016. He volunteered as a senior assistant at the UF Applied Neuromechanics Laboratory, conducting research on Deep Brain Stimulation as a novel treatment for patients with advanced Parkinson’s Disease.

These experiences ultimately stimulated his desire to become a physician and inspired him to pursue training as an EMS first responder, Emergency Department scribe, and Spanish medical interpreter at the UF Shands Hospital. Diego Felipe joined MSU CHM in 2019 and has since served as the president of the Surgery Interest Group, executive board member of the Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG), a Blue Coat teaching assistant for the neuroanatomy laboratory, and CHM representative for the Council of Medical Students. He was also the recipient of the CHM Ambassador Scholar Award for his broad participation in recruitment within the admissions committee. Over the last year, he has remained committed to community service as a COVID-19 vaccinator and a Spanish medical interpreter within the Sparrow Health system. He is currently investigating the relationship between adolescent substance use and utilization of ER resources in the state of Michigan. Diego Felipe thanks his family, friends, teammates, coaches, classmates and mentors for their guidance, love, and unconditional support.
Tyler Gresham

Tyler Gresham
Fourth-year student

Tyler earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology from University of Iowa in 2016. She also earned her Master of Science in Medical Science from Hampton University with Summa Cum Laude distinction in 2018. As a preclinical student, Tyler received the A. Gordon Adams Jr. CHM Scholarship. Tyler has always had a desire to be a leader and advocate for underserved communities and populations that tend to be overlooked. Some of the leadership positions she has held during her medical school career are President of the Student National Medical Association (MSU Chapter), Host for the Region V Regional Education Conference, Executive Board Member of Spartan Street Medicine- East Lansing, Planning Committee for Reach Out to Youth, Regional Pipeline Committee Member, Admissions Mentor and Ambassador and Student Council Representative. Tyler was accepted into the Medical Partners in Public Health Certificate Program which afforded her the opportunity to spend her clinical years on the Flint Campus. During her clinical years Tyler immersed herself within the Flint community by volunteering as a Pen Pal for the Boys and Girls Club, creating health-conscious recipes for the students of Mott Community College, becoming a mentor for youth with incarcerated parents through the MADE Institute and disseminating Covid- 19 vaccinations. Tyler also had the privilege of co-founding the Spartan Street Medicine Flint Chapter, an organization that provides healthcare to populations experiencing homelessness. Tyler has been involved in five different research projects with the most recent project analyzing the safety of saline infused echocardiograms during pregnancy.

Tyler is a lover of all things surrounding dance and during her free time she provides choreography to her former High School Pom Pon Team. Tyler received honors in her Surgery I, Internal Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkships. Some comments from her preceptors include: “Her willingness to provide excellent patient care coupled with her medical knowledge made her a valuable member of the team. She will go on to be an excellent physician.” “Extremely professional, eager, and a delight to work with. Tyler was consistently taking part in patient care without direction. She knew the clinical nuances of what was going on with the patient. She was prepared for cases, eager to get engaged, and astutely assessed where clinical needs were.” “Looks into details of timeline and extramural care given to patients with complex problems, reacts with ease with parents and praised by residents." “Ms. Gresham was engaged and hard-working throughout the clerkship. I observed her during gynecologic surgical procedures. She was assertive in making sure she made the most of every educational experience. She came well prepared for surgical cases and provided thoughtful discussions on management plans. She has technical skills that were appropriate for her level.” Tyler is planning a career in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Gabrielle Guzzardo

Gabrielle Guzzardo
Fourth-year student
Bennett Hartley

Bennett Hartley
Fourth-year student

Bennett Hartley earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a Minor in Chemistry from Duke University in 2017. As an undergraduate student, he spent two months in Uganda researching water quality and malaria, and conducted fMRI research on the impact of HIV infection and cocaine dependence on decision making. Prior to medical school, he worked and volunteered in New York City. As a medical student, he organized a solo research project in a small Mayan community in Guatemala focused on the use of spiritual bone healers for fracture treatment. He spent two weeks there in March 2020. He has conducted several research projects in the field of orthopaedic surgery, including studies examining the use of regional anesthesia for hip fracture patients and novel treatments for unicameral bone cysts. He has presented his research at several national conferences and has two publications.

He has been very involved in mentorship of underserved pre-medical students and worked as an anatomy tutor for first-year students. Other volunteer involvement included working as a fitness instructor for overweight children, a medical educator for underserved youth, and a student volunteer at the COVID-19 vaccine clinic. He has held positions on the executive boards of three student organizations. During medical school, he underwent two urgent hip surgeries, and is grateful to be back to full health thanks to the support of his loved ones and MSU faculty. He was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society earlier this year. He received honors in his Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgery II Clerkships. Some comments from his preceptors include: “I would place him among the top 5% of his classmates that rotated with us this year He has a wonderful bedside manner and puts patients at east with his calm demeanor.” “I was surprised to learn he was actually just a third-year student.” “Bennett is the kind of student who I would love to have as an intern next year. He is diligent and discerning in his approach to patients.” “He will make an outstanding resident in whichever field he chooses.” “Extremely hard worker, great passion for surgery.” He fell in love with the operating room during his surgery clerkships, and he recently completed an away rotation in kidney & liver transplant surgery at Cornell. He will be pursuing a general surgery residency with a current interest in surgical oncology.
Rachel Hollander

Rachel Hollander
Fourth-year student
Allison Hoppe

Allison Hoppe
Fourth-year student

Allison earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science and a certificate in Intercultural Training from Grand Valley State University in 2017. Prior to medical school, Allison completed a service year with Americorps as a health advocate for low-income patients. While in medical school, she continued that work by organizing student run health screenings for the homeless population through Degage Ministries. She also volunteered with the refugee population through Bethany Christian Services, local health departments with the COVID-19 vaccination effort and served as a camp counselor for children with Muscular Dystrophy.

Allison served as a mentor for those in the Leadership in Rural Medicine program and was an executive board member on the American Women’s Medical Association, Christian Medical Association, Rural Health Interest Group and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Interest Group, as well as was a Student Council Representative. She additionally has volunteered abroad on humanitarian efforts in Ghana, Panama, Honduras, Thailand and Peru. While in medical school, she took part in eight different research projects including studying recurrence patterns in various gastrointestinal malignancies and developing a curriculum for medical providers to partner with interpreters to better serve Limited English Proficiency patients.

Some comments from her clinical preceptors include: "Allison is an exceptional student. I am very impressed by her knowledge and clinical abilities.” “She set the bar high for herself and then met that bar. I expect her to do well in whatever environment or capacity she chooses to pursue.” “She interacts well with all members of the healthcare team, both in the clinic and operating room. She will be a tremendous asset to the healthcare community.” “She was treated like a resident, because she functioned like one.” “She demonstrated an exceptional work ethic and a medical/surgical knowledge base well beyond her level of training.” Allison is planning a career in Surgery.
Tyler Janish

Tyler Janish
Fourth-year student

Tyler Janish received his bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from Oakland University in Rochester Michigan, where he also played for the Division 1 baseball team. In his pre-clinical years, Tyler started a volunteer experience for medical students to perform health screenings on the homeless population in Grand Rapids. Until COVID put a hold on the experience, Tyler and his classmates screened over 200 individuals with blood pressure checks, diabetic foot exams, hearing and vision screenings, blood sugar checks, and more. Tyler spent his clinical years in Marquette, MI in the upper peninsula, where he was an active member of the Leadership in Rural Medicine certificate program and COMPASS wilderness medicine elective. Combined, these experiences included training and certification through the National Ski Patrol in outdoor emergency care including back-boarding, splinting, and airway management, along with 140 hours of volunteer work and rural medicine experiences. Tyler has presented research regarding quality of life during surgical residency and has published a case report of an isolated capitate dislocation in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. He was raised on a farm in northeast Michigan and hopes to provide care to his rural roots as an attending. Tyler is pursuing the field of orthopaedic surgery.
Jennifer Jess

Jennifer Jess
Fourth-year student

Jennifer graduated Magna Cum Laude from Grand Valley State University’s Honors College with a B.S. degree in biomedical sciences. After graduation, Jennifer worked at Van Andel Research Institute to pursue her interest in research and pediatric oncology. During medical school she served as a board member for the American Medical Association, and Dean’s Student Advisory Committee. She is a member of the AMA, MSMS, AAP and MIAAP. Her research during medical school has examined the correlation between nutrition and PICU admission rate for infants with respiratory illnesses in Grand Rapids, and the effects of the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program on household variables in Flint, MI. Additionally, she was accepted into the Medical Research Scholars Program at the National Institutes of Health and spent a year in the fellowship program investigating CD22 CAR T-cell therapy for pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory blood cancers. Jennifer participated in a Haitian medical mission trip and volunteers for Make-A-Wish and Flint Kids Cook. She hopes to pursue a career in pediatric hematology/oncology as a clinician-scientist.
Zachary Jodoin

Zachary Jodoin
Fourth-year student

Zachary earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology and physiology from Northern Michigan University in 2018. As a pre-clinical student, Zachary was a Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, conducted research in microbiology bacterial assays, acted as the pre-med club president, and enjoyed giving back to his Native American community through volunteering at the local Native American charter school, JKL Bahweting Anishinaabe School. Zachary matriculated into MSU CHM in 2018 as part of the Rural Community Health Program. Throughout his clerkships, he has gravitated towards surgery, and plans on applying to orthopedic surgery residency this fall. He would like to, one day, return to Northern Michigan and serve the rural and Native American populations. Outside of his required course work, he has enjoyed volunteering with Fit Kids 360, a program geared towards empowering children to live a healthy lifestyle, and he has conducted research in orthopedics, rural medicine, and Native American smoking cessation. Outside of scholastic work, he spends time with my wife, Jill, and their Goldendoodle, Mac.
Connor Knowles

Connor Knowles
Fourth-year student

Connor graduated from the University of Michigan before pursuing his medical degree at MSU College of Human Medicine. He has enjoyed serving in various roles at the college including as student council co-president and as a representative for the college to the Organization of Student Representatives of the AAMC. Outside of medicine he enjoys hiking, kayaking, and spending time with his fiancee Reid and their dog Daisy and cats Callie and Milo. He is currently applying for residency in emergency medicine and has career and clinical interests in medical education, psychiatric emergencies, point of care ultrasound, and prehospital/EMS medicine.
Radwa Koujane

Radwa Koujane
Third-year student

Radwa earned her Bachelor of Arts in Nutrition and Food Science from Wayne State University in 2012. As a pre-clinical student, she held multiple positions that served to build a foundation for direct patient care. She started as a clinical office assistant in the Maternal Fetal Medicine department at St. John Hospital and Medical Center (SJHMC). She then went on to work as a Lab Assistant, and received a promotion to work as a Lab Technician at the same facility. Being distant from patient care did not last long however. She obtained her certification as a nurse assistant, after which she started working in the Oncology/Hospice Unit at SJHMC. She found this work to be incredibly meaningful and she decided to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant (PA) so that she could develop these skills further. While waiting to start her PA program, she worked as a Medical Assistant in an Internal Medicine where she learned the nuances of outpatient healthcare, including barriers to care and social factors affecting treatment of chronic illnesses.

In 2015, she graduated at the top of her class with a Master’s of Science in Medicine through Western Michigan’s Physician Assistant Program. She went on to work on the Rapid Response Team/Stroke Team at a Level I trauma center before switching to working in the Emergency Department at Royal Oak Beaumont. Upon realizing that she wanted more knowledge in the medical field, as well as opportunities to serve patients and her community to a greater degree she pursued medical school.

Throughout her time in medical school at Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine she has served on the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee, the Emergency Medicine Interest Group committee, the Admissions Committee, and as the President of AMWA. She has been involved in multiple research projects surrounding outpatient treatment of pulmonary embolisms, medical student access to emergency medicine content, and process improvement in outpatient inter-office communications. She has had multiple accepted abstracts surrounding these topics as well as others. Her goal has always been to learn how to take care of critically ill patients well, so she is planning a career in Emergency Medicine or Anesthesia followed by a Critical Care fellowship.
Adjoa Kusi-Appiah

Adjoa Kusi-Appiah
Fourth-year student

Adjoa Kusi-Appiah, originally from Detroit, MI, received her Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, in human biology with a minor in bioethics from Michigan State University. During her preclinical years she was a Charles Drew Science Scholar at MSU, served as a Spartan Success Coach, and a Health Equity Summer Scholar in Flint, MI.

During her early years of medical school, she served as a board member of the Family Medicine Interest Group and Psychiatry Student Interest Group, while volunteering with Spartan Street Medicine and CHM Serve.

Throughout Adjoa’s clinical years, she received recognition as a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society and president-elect. Upholding intentional patient care and academic rigor, she received honors in Pediatrics, OB-GYN, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Surgery 1, and Surgery 2. Adjoa has been described by preceptors as “sharp as a tack” “a leader who excels in book knowledge and common sense” “easily tackles complex patient care” “exceptional communication skills” “functions at the PGY-1 level” & “her drive to understand and dig deeper into clinical concepts was unmatched”.

Adjoa’s love for community medicine, full-spectrum care, and bridging gaps in health equity has led her to a career in Family Medicine. Adjoa serves on the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians Board of Director and is recognized as an American Academy of Family Physicians Emerging Leader. She is a leader in advocacy and community-engaged research. Notably, she has spearheaded a needs assessment on adolescent reproductive health education. She is also esteemed as a Research to Reduce Disparities in Disease (R2D2) scholar, Adjoa holds first authorship for a literature review on the interplay of black male incarceration rates and social determinants of health. Driven by the disparities witnessed in the Black community, Ms. Kusi-Appiah aspires to be a community-engaged, equity-focused family physician who serves the underserved.
Irene Lieu

Irene Lieu
Fourth-year student

Irene received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Molecular Cellular Biology with an emphasis in Neurobiology from University of California, Berkeley in 2015. She went on to complete the Premedical Post-baccalaureate Certificate program and her Master of Science degree in Applied Life Science from Keck Graduate Institute in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Her work in graduate school focused on the genetics of choice and preventative medicine in biotechnology. Her journey to medical school was nontraditional as she overcame challenges being a first-generation college student from a low-income community and navigating the ropes of a large university. As a result, mentoring students is one of her greatest passions so she can share what she wish she knew in order to help them succeed. She has frequently engaged in the youth throughout her career from guiding Bay Area high school students interested in health care, to working as a teaching assistant, and to now becoming penpals and inspiring healthy eating to Flint students.

As a clinical student, she was the recipient of the Lipscomb Dean Family Endowed Scholarship for Leadership and Service to Community and Kaiser Permanente Northern California Medical Student Scholarship awarded for commitment to serving the underserved. She served as a Dean Student Advisory Council representative for her learning society and Interview Lunch Lead Ambassador for the Admissions’ Committee during her preclinical years. She is also involved with the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) on a local, regional, and national level, serving as CHM chapter president 2018-2019 and Midwest Regional Director 2019-2020.

Irene is currently working on multiple research projects with the Pediatric Public Health Initiative, including researching the effects of efficacy of Children’s Healthcare Access Program (CHAP) on various patient health outcomes for Flint pediatric patients, as well as studying the impact of COVID-19 on the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program (FVPP) in a low-income pediatric clinic. She has presented her work on FVPP, which received honorable mention at the FlintMed Research Forum this year. Irene demonstrated consistent clinical excellence on clinical rotations (honors eligible Clinical Performance Evaluations for all clerkships) and received honors in both Junior and Senior Surgery Clerkships.

Some comments from her preceptors include: “Irene was well prepared and active involved with patient care. She had excellent clinical skills and contributed thoughtful discussion to patient management. Her technical and procedural skill stood our among her colleagues.” “She is professional in her interactions with patients and staff; she shows compassion and care during all of her interactions. It is wonderful to work with her and she will make an excellent member of a team.” “Irene exhibits great knowledge and empathy for her patients. She did an excellent job. Wonderful calm personality. Very helpful and positive.” “Irene showed a great understanding of medical topics, dedication, and taking initiative.” “She was phenomenal to work with and truly an asset to the team. She was able to quickly adapt to very busy services and was consistently prepared each day. She was always early, ensuring she had adequate time to see her patients and perform a complete exam. Additionally, she would always write a detailed note including her own assessment and plan, which were often right on target. Her work ethic is one of the best I have seen and I am certain she will go on to be an outstanding physician.” Aiming to serve marginalized and underinsured communities when they are at their most vulnerable, Irene is pursuing a career in Emergency Medicine.
Alexis Maroney

Alexis Maroney
Fourth-year student

Alexis grew up in West Branch, a small rural Northern Michigan town where she graduated from Ogemaw Heights High School. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Saginaw Valley State University in 2018. In her undergraduate years, Alexis was a primary researcher on a project to synthesize novel antibiotics using essential oils. She later presented this research at the national American Chemical Society conference. Alexis was also an active volunteer at her local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter while working full time as a medical scribe in a local emergency department. During her preclinical years of medical school, Alexis provided mentorship to underclassman both as a peer tutor and as a health record grader. She worked on multiple research projects at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids on quality improvement measures in their congenital heart center. She later lent her hand to the COVID-19 response through volunteering on a PUI Provider hotline through Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Further on in the COVID-19 response, Alexis volunteered at multiple local COVID-19 vaccination clinics whose chief objective was to vaccinate vulnerable populations in metro Detroit. In her clinical years, Alexis received honors in her Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Surgery I and Surgery II clerkships.

Comments from her preceptors in these clerkships included: “Strong student. Good bedside manner and situational awareness in OR. Very interested in learning. Good medical knowledge base. Very professional.” “Her greatest strength is her work ethic and enthusiasm...Lexie consistently was the first student to volunteer for opportunities. Lexie was eager to go to clinic, assist in operations, perform bedside procedures, and become the point of contact with consulting services. Her situational awareness contributed to her strong performance... Through her work ethic and attention to detail, Lexie will become a leader in residency.” In her free time, Alexis enjoys yoga, jogging, and spending time with her beloved pit bull terrier, Dewey. Alexis is planning to enter the field of Emergency Medicine.
Heather Martin

Heather Martin
Fourth-year student

Heather earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomolecular Science and minor in Community Action and Social Change from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2018. She is the President of MSU CHM Grand Rapids Class of 2022’s Student Council and held Executive Board Positions on the MSU CHM’s Chapters of the American Medical Association and the American Medical Women’s Association. This past year she served on the National AMA Student Leadership Committee. Heather volunteers with the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic, Tri-County Office of Aging, FitKids, Catherine’s Health Center and is a co-founder and volunteer for the nonprofit Angel Wings for Angie. She also enjoys teaching and has worked with MSU CHM as an Anatomy and Neuroanatomy Student Instructor. Heather has a passion for research and has participated in projects since her pre-clinical years and continues today on various Neurology projects with her research PI, Dr. Muhib Khan. Last year she collaborated on multi-hospital based project looking at optimal timing of anticoagulation used in ischemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation.

This year, she is researching her first-author project looking at certain co-morbidities influence on the motor response of Parkinson patients undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation. She has decided on Neurology as her specialty and plans to work with the underserved and participate in research, teaching, and education and policy reform. Some comments from her preceptors include “She was able to seamlessly integrate herself into the team and aid in the workflow of the residents and APPs. She was always punctual, knew her assigned patients well, and provided clear and concise presentations for the team. Heather displayed a desire to learn as much as possible during her rotation and a natural ability to form meaningful relationship with her patients and their loved ones. She always sought self-improvement by asking for constructive feedback and acted on those suggestions”; “Heather was a delight to have in my office this past month. She has a solid knowledge base she added to daily. She is a very positive person and really cares about the patients, and this is refreshing” and “Delightful soul. Caring and compassionate, eager to learn. Bright and energetic. Her desire to care for others is evident and bodes well for her future.”
Andrea Montalbano

Andrea Montalbano
Fourth-year student
Silvia Mora

Silvia Mora
Fourth-year student

Silvia earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University in 2016. After graduating, she moved to Boston to work as a clinical research coordinator for the Resynchronization and Advanced Cardiac Therapeutics and Heart Failure Programs at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Throughout medical school, Silvia enthusiastically served her community and constantly embraced diversity and inclusion. She participated in Reach Out to Youth events where she led interactive sessions in clinical medicine for disadvantaged children. Silvia took the initiative to help the West Michigan community during the pandemic by volunteering at the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic. As a leader in mentorship organizations, such as AMWA National Mentorship Program, Project SHORT, and MSU CHM’s Medical Student Mentors, Silvia has advised numerous underrepresented mentees. Additionally, as the Director of Pre-Health Programming with Project SHORT, she organized events aimed to minimize the disparity in graduate school admissions. Silvia worked with several students to create the West Michigan Health Careers Pipeline Program, a virtual curriculum for minority high school students interested in pursuing careers in health care. Finally, as part of the R. Frank Jones Urology Interest Group and Urology Unbound organization, she is working to establish a residency pipeline program to help students without home urology programs. Silvia has been actively involved in urological oncology research. She has examined the outcomes of prostatectomy performed for prostate cancer patients.

Most recently, she analyzed multi-institutional patient data to assess the outcomes and complications associated with treatment of angiomyolipoma. She presented her work as a podium session at the 2021 American Urological Association Annual Meeting. Silvia received honors in her Internal Medicine, Surgery I, Surgery II, OB/GYN, and Psychiatry Clerkships. Some comments from her preceptors include: She has a “strong base of medical knowledge, able to learn quickly, integral part of the team, worked beyond her comfort level easily, participated in and searched out learning experiences and operative experience.” “Always highly prepared...She clearly read ahead of cases and about her patients and ensured that she integrated herself into the team well. Silvia will be an asset to whatever specialty she chooses.” “Over the last 10 years, there are a few medical students that stand out as exceptional, and Silvia will be among those students. She certainly sets the bar high for those that follow her.” Silvia is planning a career in urology with an interest in urological oncology. She hopes to be involved in DEI and global surgery, and plans to use her bilingual skills to advocate for Latino populations.
Rami Naom

Rami Naom
Fourth-year student

Rami was born in Bagdad, Iraq and spent most of his early childhood living in various parts of the Middle East and Canada. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 2018. As a pre-clinical student, Rami served as a CHM admissions ambassador, peer tutor, and executive board member of the Psychiatry Student Interest Group Network, where he organized an event that emphasized diversity and cultural competence in psychiatric medicine. During his clinical years, Rami began conducting research geared towards mental health; he is currently working on a project that explores the psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In his free time, Rami enjoys weightlifting, tennis, traveling, chess, and board game nights with friends. He wishes to pursue a future career in psychiatry, with a possible focus on addiction medicine or child/adolescent psychiatry.
Chan Tran Nguyen

Chan Tran Nguyen
Third-year student

Chan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in biology and economics. As a first-generation low-income immigrant student, Chan has a strong passion for empowering underserved communities. During medical school, she has helped manage the pharmacy assistance program at Care Free Medical Clinic and design healthcare-focused educational activities for the West Michigan Health Careers Pipeline Program. Currently, she tutors English for adult learners with the Refugee Development Center, supports flu & COVID outreach programming with the West Michigan Asian American Association, and advises aspiring professionals through Asian & Pacific Islander American (APIA) Scholars. Chan has held leadership positions in the American Medical Association, CHM Serve, and APIA Scholars. She was awarded the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons Summer Intern Scholarship last year to support her ongoing clinical research projects in cardiothoracic surgery. She hopes to ultimately integrate community service with a future career in surgery.
Elana Perry
Elana Perry
Fourth-year student
Julia Pudar

Julia Pudar
Third-year student

Julia Pudar received her Bachelor of Science in Engineering degrees in biomedical engineering and computer science from the University of Michigan. Julia is involved in clinical stroke research alongside Dr. Mat Reeves; she presented her student-led work at the International Stroke Conference 2021 and contributed to a meta-analysis published in JAMA Neurology. Her volunteer work includes providing respite care for caregivers of terminally ill patients. Throughout medical school, she has worked at the MSU Health Care COVID-19 Triage Line, taught kids how to code as an instructor with The Coding School, and coached marathon runners as a freelance coach. She is actively involved at CHM, serving on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council, Course Management Advisory Group, Admissions Ambassador Team, Emergency Medicine Interest Group Executive Board, and Medical Student Research Journal Executive Board. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and playing with her Australian Shepherd Mix rescue.
Spencer Sims

Spencer Sims
Fourth-year student

Spencer graduated Michigan State University in 2017 with a bachelor’s of science degree in physics and was also awarded the Thomas H. Osgood award for Outstanding Senior in Physics. He grew up in the Grand Rapids area and attended Rockford High School. As an undergraduate he was a member of the division 1 cheerleading team for two years as well as a member of the division 1 club lacrosse team for one year. During his gap year he worked as an orthopedic medical scribe in Illinois. He entered the College of Human Medicine in 2018 with the goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon and is applying to orthopedic surgery residencies this fall. Outside of class time he enjoyed extra-curricular activities such as organizing a co-ed intermural flag football team for CHM, managing the orthopedic student interest group during his second year, and volunteering for organizations such as FitKids360 and Habitat for Humanity. He has also been involved with multiple orthopedic research projects. During his free time he enjoys mountain biking, wake-boarding, snowboarding, hiking, and hanging out with friends and family who have been a tremendous support system throughout his time in medical school.
Kendall Stevens

Kendall Stevens
Fourth-year student

Kendall is a first-generation college student who earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Saginaw Valley State University in 2017. After completing her undergraduate degree, she spent a year working as an EMT-B before matriculating into medical school in 2018. As a pre-clinical student Kendall co-created an ultrasound elective with a peer to teach other classmates point-of-care ultrasound skills. She volunteered as an Admissions Ambassador for the College of Human Medicine and worked as a peer tutor throughout her M3 year. She is an active member of a point of care ultrasound research team and co-authored a study that identified reduced time to ED disposition in patients with live intrauterine pregnancy who received POCUS compared with traditional radiology performed ultrasound. She also completed and published a case series documenting the use of POCUS to diagnose central retinal artery occlusion in the Emergency Department. Kendall received honors in each of her third-year clerkships. Some comments from her preceptors include: “She was very enthusiastic, hard-working, and eager to see patients throughout the day”, “carries herself well on a team” “took the initiative to call the patient’s families and keep them updated” “Smart, compassionate, sensitive, excellent interpersonal skills, and with a strong medical knowledge base” Kendall is planning a career in Emergency Medicine and has interests that include EMS and POCUS.
Joseph Taranto

Joseph Taranto
Third-year student

Joseph earned a Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan in 2017. He completed his Master of Science in Molecular and Integrative Human Physiology from the University of Michigan in 2018 where he was named both a Nakouz Scholar and a Rackham Fellow. His thesis work investigated the role of hypoxia in the development and progression of colorectal cancer and cardiac remodeling. As a pre-clinical student, Joseph served as a leader of the emergency medicine interest group and as co-vice president of the student council. Since joining the LCE, he has also been elected to serve as a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee, representing the Flint campus. He enjoys teaching and has worked as an anatomy blue coat, a peer tutor, and small group facilitator. Joseph has helped to organize and run blood drives with the American Red Cross as well as served as a volunteer instructor for the Reach Out to Youth program. He is involved in several different research projects including investigating the use of ondansetron in the emergency department and adverse cardiac outcomes, as well as studying how to best deliver free medical education resources to students. Joseph is planning a career in Emergency Medicine or Critical Care.
Sara Urquhart

Sara Urquhart
Fourth-year student

Sara grew up in West Virginia and has been an emergency department and cardiac RN for ten years. Prior to her nursing career, she taught languages in Macedonia as a Peace Corps volunteer and in Oregon as a Spanish teacher. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon. She also has a Master of Arts in Education from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Throughout her life, she has earned recognition for her academic achievement, service, and innovation.

Sara's work as an emergency nurse instilled in her dedication and passion for the specialty of emergency medicine that inspired her drive to become an emergency physician, to lead the emergency department team. Sara has a special interest in point-of-care ultrasound. During medical school, she started an emergency ultrasound research group, designed and co-taught a student-led bedside ultrasound elective, and has presented and published at the national level.

Sara has developed strong emotional intelligence and grit through her past life experiences and as a mom in medical school. In her free time, she loves reading children's literature with her two children, building elaborate LEGO structures, and playing outside. She is applying to Emergency Medicine for the 2022 Match.
Amy VanderStoep

Amy VanderStoep
Fourth-year student

Amy is from Holland, Michigan and studied biology and chemistry at Hope College. Prior to medical school, she worked for the Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children, an NGO in the Dominican Republic. During medical school, she was involved with CareFree Medical Clinic’s Pharmacy Assistance Program, served as a tutor and AQS leader, and was a part of the Leadership for the Medically Underserved certificate. Between her third and fourth years of medical school, she received her Master’s of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a certificate in Injury and Violence Prevention. Amy is interested in surgery and hopes to combine her passions for public health, medicine, and underserved communities throughout her career.
Austin VanWyk

Austin VanWyk
Third-year student

Austin earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in psychology from Ferris State University in 2019. Later that year Austin became a member of the College of Human Medicine Student Council and helped plan and orchestrate fundraisers and events for things such as the medical student ball and black history month. Austin volunteered many Tuesdays in 2019 with FitKids360 which helps disadvantaged youth struggling with physical and emotional health find fun ways to exercise and healthy ways of coping with stress and emotion. The following year he volunteered with the Ingham County Health Department to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine and with Feeding America to help provide food to those who were struggling during the pandemic. Austin enjoys teaching so he became an anatomy lab teaching assistant in 2020 and has been a medical student tutor for the past two years. So far, Austin’s research projects have included the effects that trichloramine has on lung function in swimmers and a case study describing a rare variation of the omohyoid, a muscle in the neck, that was uncovered in the Michigan State University anatomy lab. Both projects were presented at the American Medical Association research challenge in October 2021. Additionally, Austin started as a research intern at Mary Freebed Rehabilitation hospital in the summer of 2021. Austin has received honors in his first surgery clerkship. Austin is planning a career in orthopedic surgery.
Austin Waddell

Austin Waddell
Fourth-year student

Austin Waddell received his Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience at Central Michigan University. Since enrolling in medical school, he has worked with a Neurology research team studying Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. He has also worked with Child Neurologists to study outcomes of Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy surgery in children with Cerebral Palsy at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Austin enjoys working with children and has volunteered at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and with the Reach Out to Youth program. He served as co-president for the Student Interest Group in Neurology at the Grand Rapids Campus. Austin is applying to Child Neurology residencies this year.
Tyler Wall

Tyler Wall
Fourth-year student

Tyler is a first-generation college student and earned his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Lake Superior State University in 2018. He has worked as a tutor, anatomy assistant (blue coat), and AQS session leader during his time in medical school. He volunteered as an overnight children’s camp counselor at the 4-H of Midland and was selected with other classmates to the curriculum planning committee for the West Michigan Pipeline Program, which mentored under-represented high-school youth who were interested in healthcare related careers. He also has volunteered as an editor of the MSU Medical Student Research Journal(MSRJ), clinic support at the Mel-Trotter Profoundly Intoxicated Shelter, and was a mentor to pre-medical and medical students.

During his medical school education Tyler has been involved in two different research projects, which included researching the assessment of perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing exploratory laparotomy for oncologic resection based on ejection fraction, as well as the use of an illeal pouch anal anastomosis procedure for colitis and the subsequent development of Crohn’s disease and pouchitis. Tyler received the honors designation in his Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Surgery I, Surgery II, Internal Medicine, and Family Medicine Clerkships. Some comments from his preceptors include: “Mr. Wall is a fantastic medical student. He is engaged, interested, and has great clinical intuition and I have no doubt that he will be an excellent physician.” “Tyler was highly interested and motivated. He did extensive research on our patient with a rare condition and came up with a great plan that lined up perfectly with the consultant’s recommendations.” “Tyler is a hard worker and a team player. He also demonstrated great patient care and it was clear his intentions were always to put the patient first.” “Tyler was well liked by patients and families. He has an easy demeanor and kind bedside manner that places others at ease.” Tyler is pursuing a combined residency in medicine and pediatrics with interests in ICU and Critical Care Medicine.
Benjamin Wexler

Benjamin Wexler
Third-year student
Grace Yu

Grace Yu
Fourth-year student

Grace Yu received her Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Biomolecular Science and Asian Studies from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She spent a gap year working as a quality assurance specialist for ScribeAmerica before entering MSU CHM in the fall of 2018. In medical school, during her pre-clinical years, she served in leadership roles as a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee, the treasurer of MSU CHM’s American Medical Women’s Association, and as an executive board member of the Surgery Interest Group. Grace is involved in research through Spectrum Health’s department of vascular surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, maternal fetal medicine, as well outside research in plastic surgery. Grace has enjoyed volunteering with West Michigan’s Refugee Education Center as a student mentor. In her free time, Grace either finds her way to the kitchen with a new recipe or to the couch for a new sitcom! She hopes to pursue a career in vascular surgery.