My initial interest in medicine came from its diagnostic complexity and the critical thinking it demands. But what draws me in more deeply is bridging the gap between science and humanism, something that is especially evident in the field of pediatrics. The area where I grew up faced many challenges, including a lack of specialty care and limited access to medications and advanced medical technologies. Growing up in Iran, I witnessed firsthand how disparities in healthcare access affected the lives of those around me. One of my closest friends had congenital heart disease and required frequent visits with a pediatric cardiologist. Because there were no specialists in our city, she had to travel elsewhere for routine appointments, often missing school. I would take notes in class and meet with her afterward to help her catch up. Although I didn't realize it at the time, those experiences were some of the first moments that sparked my interest in pediatrics. Beyond the shortage of specialty care, international sanctions often made life-saving medications, such as insulin and asthma inhalers, difficult to obtain. This created an enormous burden for children and families already navigating chronic illnesses. Watching care become delayed because of limited access to medications and hospital technology showed me how deeply healthcare disparities affect not only patients, but entire families. These experiences strengthened my desire to pursue medicine to help close those gaps. Seeing these hardships growing up, I knew early on that I wanted to pursue a career in pediatrics. Over the past three years, I have dedicated my time to scribing in the pediatric emergency department at Randall Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Working alongside pediatricians and pediatric nurses has shown me what practicing medicine truly means. It is not only about clinical excellence, but also about meeting children at their level, walking at their pace, and seeing the world from their perspective. Families often arrive during the most stressful moments of their lives, yet I have watched providers transform fear into reassurance by taking the time to explain, comfort, and build trust. Those moments have shown me what real healing entails. I envision myself as a pediatrician who provides personalized care for every patient. A pediatrician who walks at the patient's speed, meets them where they are, and empowers both children and their parents with the knowledge to understand their diagnosis and treatment plan. What draws me most to pediatrics is watching physicians serve as translators, bridging the gap between complex medical knowledge and compassionate, family-centered care. It is that balance between science and human connection that inspires me to become a pediatrician, and I hope to build lasting relationships with patients and families founded on trust, partnership, and empathy. Beyond patient care, I also hope to advocate for greater equity in education and healthcare. As an immigrant, I understand how difficult it can be to navigate this journey without mentors to provide guidance. It is a personal goal of mine to support other students pursuing careers in medicine so they can become the next generation of compassionate physicians. By improving access to mentorship alongside access to healthcare, I hope to help create a future where more children receive the care, advocacy, and support they deserve.

My name is Ramak. I was born and raised in Kermanshah, Iran, and moved to Oregon when I was 16. I live in a close-knit family of 5, with my older brother and 1 younger sister. My resilience and adaptability were strengthened through our immigration journey when I was 16. I found myself in a new world and culture, and starting everything from scratch, any little interaction felt like an unfamiliar road. From learning that it’s acceptable to dip your fries in milkshake to managing office visits with my parents. It often felt like I was relearning to take baby steps everywhere. After a while, I felt as if I had adjusted academically and culturally, but there was still much to learn and many gaps to fill. Taking on new roles and leading projects, I would hit a new challenge. But my immigrant experience has instilled in me a commitment to lifelong learning and viewing challenges as a chance to grow. My initial interest in medicine came from its diagnostic complexity and the critical thinking it demands. But what draws me in more deeply every day is the power of bridging the gap between humanism and science to treat not just the symptoms but the whole person, and this is what drew me to medical school. The area in which I grew up faced many challenges, including a lack of specialty care and limited access to medication and advanced medical technologies. Growing up in Iran, I witnessed firsthand how disparities in healthcare access impacted those around me. One of my closest friends had congenital heart disease and needed frequent visits to pediatric cardiology. Due to the lack of specialists in our city, she had to travel to another city for routine appointments, often missing class. I used to take notes and meet with her outside of class to help her stay caught up. In addition to a lack of specialty care, due to international sanctions, a lot of times, life-saving medications like insulin and asthma inhalers are not always available. This adds a huge stressor on patients and families dealing with these chronic issues. With limited access to medications and hospital technology, I witnessed how care was delayed and affected those living around me. These experiences shaped my understanding of health disparities and fueled my desire to help close those gaps. Leading up to my experience here in Portland, Oregon, I know many healthcare challenges persist in underserved communities, including rising costs, systemic bias, and many other barriers. Working in the emergency department has shown me the impact of limited access to care on both patients and hospitals. This lack of access to care leads to care being delayed or avoided. This has led to emergency departments becoming a safety net for non-emergent needs. Not only does this lead to gaps in care and an inability to apply preventive care, eventually leading to higher chronic issues for the patients, but this also leads to long wait times, staff burnout, and financial strain on hospitals. These experiences have deepened my understanding of systemic healthcare challenges and reinforced my commitment to serving vulnerable populations. I hope to build on this work as a medical student by contributing to efforts like free clinics and expanding my work in Pacific Refugee Support Group and, ultimately, as a physician advocating for equitable healthcare access.

My resilience and adaptability were strengthened through our immigration journey when I was 16. I found myself in a new world and culture, and starting everything from scratch, any little interaction felt like an unfamiliar road. From learning that it’s acceptable to dip your fries in milkshake to managing office visits with my parents. It often felt like I was relearning to take baby steps everywhere. After a while, I felt as if I had adjusted academically and culturally, but there was still much to learn and many gaps to fill. At many times, it was easy to feel behind everyone else, but after some time, I learned to view these opportunities as a chance to grow. The world of medicine is always changing and advancing every day, and in addition, no patient’s story is the same as the other. My immigrant experience has instilled in me a commitment to lifelong learning and viewing challenges as a chance to grow. The area in which I grew up faced many challenges, including a lack of specialty care and limited access to medication and advanced medical technologies. Growing up in Iran, I witnessed firsthand how disparities in healthcare access impacted those around me. One of my closest friends had congenital heart disease and needed frequent visits to pediatric cardiology. Due to the lack of specialists in our city, she had to travel to another city for routine appointments, often missing class. I used to take notes and meet with her outside of class to help her stay caught up. In addition to a lack of specialty care, due to international sanctions, a lot of times, life-saving medications like insulin and asthma inhalers are not always available. This adds a huge stressor on patients and families dealing with these chronic issues. With limited access to medications and hospital technology, I witnessed how care was delayed and affected those living around me. These experiences shaped my understanding of health disparities and fueled my desire to help close those gaps. Leading up to my experience here in Portland, Oregon, I know many healthcare challenges persist in underserved communities, including rising costs, systemic bias, and many other barriers. Working in the emergency department has shown me the impact of limited access to care on both patients and hospitals. This lack of access to care leads to care being delayed or avoided. This has led to emergency departments becoming a safety net for non-emergent needs. Not only does this lead to gaps in care and an inability to apply preventive care, eventually leading to higher chronic issues for the patients, but this also leads to long wait times, staff burnout, and financial strain on hospitals. These experiences have deepened my understanding of systemic healthcare challenges and reinforced my commitment to serving vulnerable populations. I hope to build on this work as a medical student by contributing to efforts like free clinics and continuing my work with refugee families at Pacific Refugee Support Group and, ultimately, as a physician advocating for equitable healthcare access.

Growing up in a system where women’s rights were strongly restricted, I saw firsthand how education can empower women to find their voice in society. Their strength inspired my path into medicine and my desire to support others in achieving educational success. I know how difficult it is to follow through without mentors to guide you, so it is a personal goal of mine to support female students and specially those with underrepresented backgrounds through their journey in medicine. I strongly believe that being a physician is not confined to clinical settings. The physician I aim to be is also a mentor and advocate for equity in education and healthcare. With this goal in mind, I am currently working with Pacific Refugee Support group and help refugee children with their education by tutoring them. I'm currently an interpreter and a tutor for an Afghan family, helping 3 daughters in their school work and trying to encourage them to complete their middle school and high school with the goal to start college later. As I'm starting my medical school journey this year I hope that I can expand my involvement with this volunteering group and also explore mentorship opportunities available in the school. My immigrant experience has shaped my resilience, openness, and empathy through many challenges and adapting to a new culture, language, and environment. I have learned to take each opportunity as a chance to learn, and strategies that helped me adapt include seeking mentorship and embracing feedback, which was essential not only to adapt culturally and academically but also important during my clinical and research experience in a fast-paced world of medicine and science. In the growing journey of gender equality in STEM I hope to share these lessons I've learned with others. As world of STEM is always developing, I now know that though changes might be initially overwhelming, they lead to growth through commitment, persistence, and community support. As a women in STEM I hope to contribute to this community's developing identity by helping foster a culture of support where everyone feels seen and valued, especially while navigation unfamiliar journey like I once did. Whether it’s classmates facing the steep learning curve of medical school or undergraduate students trying to understand their academic journey, I want to be a support for them while they are navigating through these, contributing through peer mentorship programs, support groups, and student-led initiatives that prioritize belonging and wellness.