LoginJoin Bold.org
user profile avatar

Johan Ayala

1x

Finalist

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Coffee
  • Culinary Arts
  • Dance
  • Exercise And Fitness
  • Latin Dance

Reading

  • History

I read books daily.

Bio

Johan Enrique Ayala is an incoming MD student at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, a first-generation college graduate, and a child of immigrants from Union City, NJ, one of the most densely populated and predominantly Latino cities in the United States. Growing up in a low-income household in Hudson County instilled in him a deep understanding of the barriers that Spanish-speaking and immigrant communities face in accessing quality healthcare. At Brown University, Johan graduated with a 3.92 GPA in Biology while simultaneously serving as a Spanish medical interpreter at the Rhode Island Free Clinic, co-founding Brown's Latines in Pre-Med organization, and conducting qualitative research on infant sleep safety disparities in Latino families. After graduating, he returned to his community, volunteering as a medical assistant and Spanish interpreter at a Union City urgent care clinic and assisting with immigration medical exams for underserved patients. His research experience spans long COVID outcomes in pediatric populations, literacy, and poverty stressors in low-income Latino families, pandemic biosecurity policy, and pediatric nutrition—all grounded in a commitment to health equity and social determinants of health. Johan is the recipient of the Bill Gates Scholarship and Brown University's Legacy Award from the Center for Students of Color. As a Dean's Scholar at RWJMS, he is committed to training where he grew up and serving the communities that shaped him.

Education

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

2026 – 2030

Majors:
  • Medicine

Brown University

Bachelor's degree program

2020 – 2024

Majors:
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)
Graduate schools of interest:
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Majors of interest:
Medicine
Desired degree modality:
In-Person
Medical school interest:
Yes

Career

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Medicine
Work experience:
2 years
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Politics
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
Johan Ayala Student Profile | Bold.org