I chose to pursue a career in healthcare because I have witnessed how profoundly access, advocacy, and expertise can shape a patient’s life trajectory. Medicine, to me, is not simply a profession, it is a platform to restore dignity, function, and opportunity. My path toward healthcare, and specifically toward a career in orthopaedic surgery, has been driven by a commitment to serve patients whose lives are interrupted by disease, injury, and inequity, and to ensure they are not defined by those circumstances. As a first-generation medical student, my journey has required resilience, discipline, and an unwavering belief in my purpose. I have sought out leadership roles and mentorship opportunities not only to advance my own career, but to create pathways for others who may not see themselves represented in medicine. This commitment extends beyond traditional spaces. Through my social media platform, Melanated Med, I serve as a source of inspiration, guidance, and transparency for women of color pursuing careers in medicine. By sharing my experiences, challenges, and successes, I aim to demystify the path to becoming a physician and empower others to believe that they belong in this field. My interest in orthopaedic surgery, particularly orthopaedic oncology, stems from a desire to restore both mobility and identity to patients facing life-altering diagnoses. The ability to help a patient walk again, return to their family, or regain independence after devastating illness is profoundly meaningful. I am especially drawn to caring for patients with musculoskeletal tumors, where technical skill, multidisciplinary collaboration, and compassionate communication intersect. In these moments, physicians are not only surgeons, they are advocates, educators, and sources of hope. As a woman in healthcare, I am deeply aware of the historical and ongoing barriers that exist within the field, particularly in surgical specialties. Women remain underrepresented in orthopaedics, and this lack of representation can influence both patient care and the culture of medicine. I am committed to helping change that. I strive to be a physician who not only excels clinically, but also mentors, advocates for, and empowers other women to pursue careers in spaces where they have traditionally been excluded. My goal is to create impact on multiple levels: through patient care, by delivering compassionate and high-quality treatment; through mentorship, by supporting students who come from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds; and through leadership, by contributing to a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system. I believe that diversity is not simply an ideal; it is essential to improving outcomes, fostering innovation, and building trust within communities. Ultimately, my decision to pursue healthcare is rooted in both purpose and responsibility. I have been given the opportunity to enter a field that holds immense power to heal and transform lives. As a woman, a future surgeon, and a leader, I intend to use that opportunity to not only advance medical care, but to ensure that the future of healthcare is more inclusive, more compassionate, and more equitable than its past.

Growing up in a predominantly Black community in Northern California, I was constantly exposed to the health disparities that disproportionately impact communities of color. I watched family members and loved ones battle diabetes, strokes, and heart disease—conditions that became normalized in my environment but were starkly absent in the lives of my White peers. These early experiences prompted my questions about healthcare access and quality, which later evolved into a deep commitment to pursue a career in medicine. My academic journey was not linear. While at UCLA, I struggled with imposter syndrome and the burden of being one of the few Black women in pre-med courses. Yet, those challenges cultivated my resilience and shaped my compassion for underserved populations. I leaned into community service, chairing the Youth Health Festival for the Black Pre-Health Organization and joining medical relief trips to Tijuana, Mexico, with the Flying Samaritans. These formative experiences solidified my calling to medicine, not just as a career, but as a means to serve and advocate. During my post-baccalaureate studies and professional work in clinical research, I began to understand the critical role of research in shaping patient outcomes. At Clovis Oncology, I supported early-phase oncology trials, while at Diablo Clinical Research, I worked hands-on with patients—drawing labs, taking vitals, and facilitating device studies. This direct patient interaction, combined with my growing scientific curiosity, drew me to orthopaedic oncology: a field that merges surgery, research, and complex cancer care. Now a medical student at the University of Houston College of Medicine, I’ve continued to hone my interests through leadership, research, and advocacy. I currently serve as President of the Class of 2027 and the founding President of the UHCOM Chapter of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society, where I work to build mentorship pipelines for women interested in orthopaedic surgery. As a medical student researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center, I conduct clinical research under Dr. Valerae O. Lewis, Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Oncology, studying financial toxicity in sarcoma patients and imaging characteristics of rare tumors. Presenting this work at national meetings has sharpened my commitment to both academic medicine and equitable cancer care. The financial hurdles I’ve faced throughout my journey have not only shaped my work ethic but also fueled my passion for advocacy. As a first-generation medical student, I lead a monthly, student-run grocery pop-up that combats food insecurity among my peers. These efforts, combined with my entrepreneurial platform “Melanated Med,” which supports over 30,000 women of color in medicine, reflect my belief in community-driven solutions to systemic problems. I chose orthopaedic oncology because it allows me to serve vulnerable patients during the most life-altering moments of their lives, combining technical precision with emotional depth. In the future, I envision myself not only as a surgeon and researcher but also as a health equity advocate—building culturally competent care models, mentoring underrepresented students, and transforming the patient experience through advocacy and education. This path has never been easy, but every challenge has reaffirmed my purpose. Medicine is my platform for impact, and orthopaedic oncology is the precise space where my passion, skill, and lived experience converge to make meaningful change.