I decided I wanted to become a doctor when I was very young after my little sister spent three weeks in the hospital with meningitis. I walked around my second-grade classroom telling everyone that would listen that I wanted to be a pediatrician, and one boy took it upon himself to spend the entire year laughing and yelling "Pedia-tri-cian! Pedia-tri-cian!" after me in the school halls. While I did not ultimately end up choosing pediatrics, I did continue to become a physician. I am excited to be the first in my family to pursue a career in medicine.

It was such a rewarding experience to be part of the second graduating class at UNLV. I knew it would be interesting to be involved in developing our medical school, and I am grateful for all of the passionate faculty that spent time listening to us and training us to become excellent, compassionate physicians. I was especially surprised by the opportunities that I had to participate in research and scholarly activity.

I am pursuing a career in emergency medicine and hope to practice in academic medicine. Mentoring and teaching are my passions, and those are the foundation of academic practice.

Since moving from Hyderabad, India, Nevada has been my second home. I started high school here, did my undergraduate here, and am now finishing medical school here. My parents and I faced many challenges restarting our life here. Adjusting culturally, financially, and socially was quite a task. Overcoming these challenges has helped me shape my perspective when interacting with patients. To be the first doctor in my family is a privilege and honor shaped by many sacrifices faced by my family.

Attending medical school has been a very rewarding journey. While extremely challenging at times, I learned a lot about myself along the way. There have been many memorable experiences along the way including our first EMT block, PBL, and the many school organization events. Through my clinical rotations, I was able to take part in many interesting patient cases while also getting an in-depth look at the challenges patients face in our community.

Our community service experience began from day one and has continued to be an important part of our medical education since then. Engaging with the community so early on helped me form a better understanding of our patient population and their healthcare needs.

I look forward to starting my residency in internal medicine open to practicing as a hospitalist or pursuing a specialty later. As a physician, I hope to continue advocating for women and minorities in medicine.

I have lived in Las Vegas, NV, since moving here from the Philippines when I was seven years old. Prior to attending medical school, I went to the Las Vegas Academy of the Performing Arts for high school and UNLV for undergrad. My family immigrated to the U.S. to provide my sister and me with more opportunities growing up, and now I will be the first in my family to become a doctor!

While I was in medical school, I finally became a U.S. citizen after living in America for nearly 18 years! I will never forget the time in medical school when I pumped a beating heart with my own hands during a resuscitative thoracotomy on my trauma rotation.

I plan on becoming an anesthesiologist!

I was born and raised in Nevada as the second oldest of seven children. I was homeschooled through high school and worked multiple jobs to pay my way through undergrad. My interest in medicine began with my fascination for first aid kits – I wanted one for my 11-years-old Christmas (sadly, I didn’t get it). Later in high school, I wanted to pursue international missions, and that desire led me to Pre-Med.

I was expecting to be incredibly stressed during medical school, but since there are fewer homework assignments than undergrad, I’ve had more time to study according to my own schedule. I’m responsible for more information, but I have more flexibility with how I can tackle it – it’s been fun! Plus, I have wonderful classmates and faculty who support me more than just academically, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

If you’d asked me ten years ago who and where I wanted to serve as a physician, I would’ve said the underserved people of some far-off country. Now, after engaging with my own community via churches, recreation centers, schools, and Nevada Homeless Alliance events, I’ve fallen in love with the idea of serving the people here in Las Vegas. This is my home, and I want to better it in any way I can.

I am pursuing Emergency Medicine. With this, I get to be part of medicine’s first contact with society, and I’m thrilled to become part of the team!

I have lived in Nevada since I was two years old. I was fortunate to go to high school here as well as receive an undergraduate education at UNLV. I was inspired to pursue medicine due to family ties to medicine, and seeing my own family in need of medical help.

My biggest highlight of medical school was making a band with four of my fellow bandmates. I found my girlfriend who I am very grateful for, and I am glad that we have decided to couples match.

I plan to specialize in cardiology or pulmonology/critical care.

I was born in California and moved to Las Vegas at a young age. I attended Advanced Technologies Academy before receiving my bachelor’s in neurobiology from UC Berkeley. Shortly after graduating, I learned that a family member was admitted to the hospital for psychosis due to schizophrenia, and so I returned to Vegas where I helped serve as a caregiver. It was this role that shifted my career towards patient care and shaped my goal of one day helping very ill patients.

I didn’t anticipate how much fun medical school would be. There’s something incredibly satisfying to learn so many disease processes/pathologies and (more importantly) how we manage and treat them. UMC’s Trauma & Burn service was particularly rewarding because it’s very hands-on, both in the O.R. and at the bedside. You really help the team make a difference in patients’ lives, even as a medical student.

I also assumed I would have no spare time in medical school, which was untrue. Although busy, life moves on outside of the hospital. I did a lot of (pre-pandemic) traveling during breaks, made good friends who make an even better company, learned to cook, attended three weddings of my close friends, and became a “favorite” uncle to my college roommate’s first kid. I lost my appendix (not fun, would not recommend) and found colleagues I would trust my own family with. And, despite some tough schedules, I feel closer than ever to my family and girlfriend.

I’m going into general surgery with current goals of specializing in either minimally-invasive or colorectal surgery. My hope is to eventually return to Las Vegas to treat patients here and work in an academic setting to help train our state’s future providers.

I grew up in Las Vegas and attended high school at Sierra Vista High. I then attended UNLV, where I was a first-generation college student and received a degree in kinesiology. I was fortunate to subsequently be able to attend the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine. I was driven to pursue medicine by my desire to have the means to help people in their time of need. I felt medicine was the perfect blend of challenge, science, and human engagement which I sought in a career.

Medical school has been a great and challenging time of growth and learning. I feel as though attending medical school has given me the tools to become a successful resident. During this time, I was able to lay down the holy riffage with bandmates: Laura, Greg, Tristan, and Darlene. While we only played for beer money and didn't strike it big, these were good times.

I am going into emergency medicine with hopes of pursuing a fellowship in medical education or sports medicine.

I was raised in Vegas as the oldest sibling of four. My younger sister was diagnosed with autism when I was young, and I quickly became involved in the special needs community. Between Special Olympics, activities at Opportunity Village, and tutoring special needs kids on a one-on-one basis, I developed a desire to truly advocate for those in need.

Despite finally achieving my lifelong goal of starting medical school, the true highlight in these last four years has been the birth of my two children. Regardless of how difficult a day was, I always enjoyed coming home to their smiling faces and reading books with them.

My desire to advocate and serve those in need stuck with me throughout medical school, where I had many opportunities to serve. I always believed the best way to make the most lasting, positive impact on a community is to make a positive impact on the kids in that community. I believe I was able to play a small part in the larger picture as I gave presentations at high schools, wrote children's books, and served as a church youth group leader.

All in all, I look forward to the day when I can practice pediatrics in a teaching and mentoring role, and help inspire future pediatricians to see the true potential these kids have.

Growing up in Las Vegas, I never had an encounter with a female physician. It was not until I moved away to the Purdue University Northwest for college and began working as a medical scribe in the emergency department that I had my first interaction with a female physician, and decided to change my career trajectory from PA school to medical school. During medical school, I have been actively involved in mentorship and community engagement to show other young women it is possible to have a full life and family in addition to pursuing a career in medicine.

I feel incredibly lucky to have found a truly amazing group of lifelong friends in medical school. I got engaged and married during this time, but most importantly our dog Maya joined our family. One of my most memorable clinical moments was successfully intubating the very first patient of my sub-internship in emergency medicine at the beginning of my fourth year.

I am thankful to have been so supported by Dr. Culley and Jennifer Young throughout my years as a medical student, in particular for their assistance in our creation of an annual flu vaccine clinic at the local boys and girls club. The experiences I’ve had engaging with our community have been formative in my decision to pursue emergency medicine and will impact my future practice.

I look forward to serving the underserved and the privilege I will be granted to sit with patients during their time of need. Future interests include wilderness medicine, social emergency medicine, global health, and disaster medicine, and I can’t wait to explore these fields in residency.

I was born and raised in Las Vegas, but left briefly to attend college in Portland, OR, becoming a first-generation college student. I then returned for medical school. My inspiration to become a doctor stemmed from my best friend's father growing up.

Some of my most memorable moments in medical school come from partaking in our perennial second-place intramural basketball team, "Scholars and Ballers," in addition to being selected as a Fellowship for Anesthesia and Education Research foundation scholar.

Community service played a large role in my growth during medical school. As a local Las Vegan, I surprisingly had no prior experience with the Historic Westside and the rich history that this neighborhood has. It has been one of my proudest accomplishments to have been able to partner with this community and serve an organization that I grew up a part of. I frequently reflect on these interactions and experiences when setting goals for my future endeavors.

I’ll be pursuing a residency in anesthesiology with plans to complete a fellowship in critical care medicine.

I was born in North Carolina and have lived in five different states and two different continents before moving to Las Vegas for medical school.

My favorite part of this journey has been the friendships and bonds that have been created between my classmates and me. From the long nights studying to the snowboarding trips in Utah, I am glad I was able to experience it all. I am excited to see what the future has in store for all of us.

I have only begun to uncover the vast amount of options open for emergency medicine physicians. As of right now, I am keeping all my doors open and planning to experience each aspect to the fullest.

I moved to Las Vegas from the Philippines when I was around five years old and have spent the majority of my life here. My journey to medical school was not easy but was made possible with the endless support from my amazing family and friends. I was inspired at a young age to become a healthcare worker as I watched my mother work tirelessly as a nurse, and eventually a nurse practitioner. Although she always came home exhausted after a long shift, it was always evident how much she enjoyed her career. I became more intrigued when my aunt was diagnosed with cancer. Our family pulled closely together to support her through her journey. When it was announced that she had entered remission, I marveled at the team of physicians that helped restore her health. It was at this point that I knew I wanted to make that same impact.

Throughout medical school, I gained some wonderful life-long friends that have helped me get to where I am today.

I was born and raised in Southern California and moved to Las Vegas to attend college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). After receiving my finance degree while simultaneously working as a VIP Host at a popular Las Vegas nightclub, I made the decision to pursue a career in medicine and ultimately matriculated into the M.D. program at the Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. As the first in my family to attend college, the inspiration for my change in trajectory towards a career in medicine was influenced by my volunteer experience in the emergency department at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. During this experience, I realized that rather than working tirelessly to execute lavish events for the rich and famous, I yearned for a career that moved beyond socioeconomic status to improve the entire community.

My decision to attend the Kerkorian School of Medicine was one of the best decisions I’ve made. All of the faculty and administration have been amazing to learn from and very supportive throughout the entire process. I also met my beautiful fiancé and classmate, Jessica Hill, on the first day of medical school and we have been inseparable ever since.

I plan to specialize in plastic and reconstructive surgery, with an emphasis on aesthetics, oncologic reconstruction, and gender-affirming surgery.

I am a Las Vegas native! I went to Rancho High School and I was in their medical magnet program (Go Rams!). I attended UNLV for my undergrad and pipelined through to the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine. I was inspired at a young age to become a doctor and I have been supported by my mother on this journey. My mom is my biggest inspiration because she was able to raise three children on her own and encouraged us all to follow our dreams.

Medical school has been a very fun yet challenging time for me. I've learned some of my hardest life lessons during this time but I do not regret the path I have taken. I have been blessed with great friendships and I have seen things that many hope to even get a glimpse of. Medical school has taught me that no matter how bad things get, we must always show our gratitude. I am grateful for the struggles I have endured and the struggles that my patients have allowed me to be a part of with them. I am very blessed.

My goal is to become a competent anesthesiologist and possibly go into a cardiac or chronic pain fellowship before starting my career in private practice. Most of all, I wish to be happy doing whatever it is I am doing 10 years from now.

I went to high school and undergrad in Reno, Nevada. Growing up with my mother as a nurse and my father in health insurance/population health made me want to become a doctor.

I thought medical school would be miserable, but I was surprised by the work/life balance I maintained. During this time, I created lifelong friendships.

I plan on specializing in rural family medicine (mix of primary care, OB, and ER).

While originally born in Arizona, I moved to Las Vegas when I was two years old. I went to college at Arizona State University but returned home for medical school at UNLV. My interest in medicine started back in fifth grade when I read a historical fiction novel about a yellow fever epidemic. My life science class the next year and my medical classes at my magnet high school only solidified my interest. College allowed me to further explore my love of biology as a microbiology major, and I witnessed first-hand the impacts disease can have on families as a counselor and board member for the amazing organization Camp Kesem – a free summer camp for children that have parents with cancer. Through it all, my passion for medicine has never wavered.

Medical school matched the intensity I expected for studying, but what pleasantly surprised me was the amazing friendships and close bonds I made. Learning to balance the two could be challenging sometimes, but I am incredibly grateful for these wonderful friendships. Medical school also brought with it one of my favorite vacations after I took step 1 – a cruise to Tahiti with my mom right before the pandemic. Once COVID-19 hit, I was thankful to be in Las Vegas as it allowed me to spend quality time with my family. During quarantine, I taught myself knitting for a new hobby, and I have loved the creative outlet and stress-relief that it brings. Overall, medical school has been a challenging and incredible experience.

In the future, I plan to be an OB/GYN. It fascinates me, and I love the mix of clinic and surgery, the patient population, and the people. I am passionate about the whole specialty and cannot imagine giving up any piece of it; I plan to be a generalist OB/GYN. I can see myself in private practice or academics, or perhaps some hybrid of the two.

I came to Nevada after I finished high school in Alaska. Shortly after, I joined the United States Navy as an electronics technician and served onboard two naval warships stationed in Japan. During my service, I decided to pursue medicine because I wanted to provide better medical care to my fellow sailors. My journey to medical school was challenged with financial difficulty and a lack of proficiency in the English language. However, the worst challenge was overcoming my own insecurity that there might not be a second chance If I did not get accepted because I was much older than the average applicant. The best choice I’ve ever made is that I did not give up.

The most memorable moment in medical school was when one of my patients asked me to become his doctor when I finish my medical training. I plan to pursue psychiatry and specialize in child and adolescent psychiatry. After I finish my residency training, I will serve our communities in Southern Nevada.

I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and completed my undergraduate degree here at UNLV. From a young age, I always imagined myself becoming a physician. As I grew up and discovered my passion for women's health, I realized OB/GYN was the perfect field for me.

I expected medical school to be difficult, but I had no clue just how much I would be challenged mentally and emotionally. But along with the difficulties came a great deal of personal growth and endless fun memories. I established and maintained amazing friendships that made the journey enjoyable. Additionally, medical school was where I met my fiancé/classmate, Demitri. We are looking forward to our wedding in April!

During medical school, my main community service project involved working with an organization dedicated to aiding victims of human and sex trafficking. Working with this underserved population – so prevalent in my hometown – was extremely rewarding, and I believe I will be a more competent provider because of it.

I plan on specializing in OB/GYN for residency, and because I love all parts of OB/GYN, I am still undecided on whether or not I will sub-specialize in the future. I see myself participating in resident and medical student education throughout my career.

My interest in medicine was originally piqued after dealing with multiple, sports-related injuries in my youth, high school, and college careers. After completing undergraduate education at UC Berkeley and a research gap year at Stanford University, I decided to attend UNLV for medical school.

My work at C.P. Squires Elementary School and my assistance with school engagements hopefully displayed that I was a willing and able member of the Las Vegas community. Furthermore, I hope that my engagement with youthful members of the community displayed that a career in medicine is an attainable goal, regardless of background.

I'm looking forward to Match Day!

I was born and raised in San Diego, but I have lived in Las Vegas for almost ten years. Out of high school, I was recruited to the UNLV swim and dive team for college, where I received my degree in biology. My time as a pre-medical student and collegiate athlete was rewarding but also very demanding. I am grateful for this experience, as I attribute many of my medical school successes to things I learned during my time as a student-athlete.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed medical school. Although it was a very rigorous experience, I also had a lot of fun and met some incredible people along the way.

Throughout my four years of medical school, I volunteered at "The Center," an organization that aims to provide resources to the LGBTQ+ community and the underserved Las Vegas population. Through this experience, I have met some amazing individuals and feel that I have grown to become a more understanding person.

After graduation, I will be specializing in diagnostic radiology.

Growing up in a small town in California gave me many opportunities to help animals and practice basic veterinary medicine. As I went through college and wrestled with the women’s wrestling team at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, I was fascinated with sports medicine and my anatomy and physiology classes. I decided to apply to medical school, rather than veterinary school, and I never regretted my decision. I have been able to connect with my patients in the hospital and really get to understand who they are outside of their medical issues. I have also been able to continue to work with animals, and my understanding of animal medicine has grown with my knowledge of human medicine.

As a medical student, I believe I was able to grow in my communication skills. I learned so much about how to encourage open communication, and create connections with patients through wholesome conversation. I also enjoyed working with the equine therapy horse sessions, which taught me about working with children with ASD. Another proud moment in my medical school career is making a band with my fellow classmates. We have written music and performed live shows throughout our four years in medical school. And I am happily couples matching with my boyfriend into internal medicine, whom I met in medical school.

My plans for the future include going into internal medicine, and possibly pursuing a fellowship in the future. My long-term dreams include building a horse ranch and incorporating equine therapy into my medical practice.

I never had a moment where I felt suddenly inspired to become a doctor. My love of learning and my passion for helping people gradually led me there. I tried to love business and finance, both of which I'm still interested in, but I couldn't imagine giving up the opportunity to become a physician. During my undergraduate education, I married a southern Utah girl and made several connections in the medical community. Those early connections helped guide me as I prepared to make the jump into medical school. After graduating, my wife's extended family talked us into moving to Nevada, where I made early connections with UNLV through the pediatric department. I recognized then what an opportunity it would be to be among some of the first students to attend the medical school. Now, the valley has become home to me as I've learned to balance schoolwork, family life, and community service.

I had heard about how hard medical school would be. I kissed my wife goodbye on day one, assuming I wouldn't see her for the next four years. But we learned to be efficient and found that we had plenty of time together along the way. We welcomed two more kids, my wife got her degree, we moved into a house, and we survived the challenge of applying and virtually interviewing for residency. Medical school was tough, but it turned out to be some of my best years so far.

My plan is to become an incredible anesthesiologist. My wife plans to get her master's in public health. Together, we plan to team up and get involved in humanitarian work and global health. We want to help increase the health of the most underserved communities of the world while raising our growing family.

I was born and raised in rural northern Nevada, in Winnemucca. Growing up rural, I lacked many academic and diverse opportunities but I had a wonderful childhood experiencing the best rural Nevada has to offer. Upon graduating high school, I wanted to go to school out-of-state to broaden my experiences. I went to undergrad at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and studied biomedical engineering. It wasn't until halfway through my engineering degree that medicine became an interest of mine. No one in my family has ever pursued a career in healthcare before. With lots of help from my mentors, becoming a doctor became a tangible goal for me.

Coming into medical school, I thought this was going to be the most difficult time in my life. Surprise! It was difficult, but it was much more manageable than I thought. As students, it is amazing how quickly we learn to adapt and balance all the things on our plate. Now, looking forward, residency seems like it will be the most difficult time in my life. However, what medical school has really taught me is how to enjoy life. Life will always be difficult; a new thing will always pop up, but we adapt. I will never forget all the wonderful friends, mentors, and faculty I have met and worked with in these four short years. Medical school has been a memorable chapter with lots of personal growth and change. I am excited to begin the next and see what life has in store.

I plan on becoming an OB/GYN with hopes of continuing my education to become a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist.

I grew up in Las Vegas with my wonderful family. My father is an interventional cardiologist and I “rounded” with him in the hospital as a girl – I would make cards at the nurses’ station for his patients and deliver them after he had seen the patient. Though I always knew I wanted to be a physician, volunteering at Valley Hospital in my summers home from college solidified my decision. I enjoyed building relationships with patients and making their time in the hospital more comfortable in whatever way I could. I have benefited from amazing mentors in Las Vegas and want to give back to this amazing community.

I have found lifelong friends in my classmates at UNLV and for that, I will be forever grateful. The highlight of medical school was marrying my wonderful husband and celebrating with family and friends. You can catch us singing “Home Means Nevada” by heart at Golden Knights games!

For community engagement and service, I taught harp and piano lessons to beginning music students who would not otherwise have the opportunity to learn music. Seeing these children develop their talents and become confident enough to perform at our holiday recitals was truly joyful. When the pandemic hit, I made activity packets for local children stuck at home in quarantine. I believe every child deserves support and love and being able to share a small piece of that meant the world to me.

I plan on practicing in Las Vegas and providing the standard of care our community members deserve. My husband is a commercial airline pilot also based in Las Vegas and we plan on giving back to the community that built us and our family.

I was born in France and moved to Nevada when I was 10 years old. I learned English as a second language and have been in Nevada ever since. I was the first in my family to graduate college and will be the first doctor as well. I have always loved science and have wanted to be a doctor since I was 15 years old. To solidify this, I volunteered at a children’s hospital in my mother’s hometown in Brazil during high school and never looked back.

I was surprised to meet some of my closest friends in medical school and I am very grateful for them. One of my most memorable moments includes traveling to wine country with them during the halfway point of our third-year clerkships! After taking Step 1, I got engaged to my now-husband.

I plan on going into Diagnostic Radiology! As of now, I also plan to pursue a fellowship in Abdominal Radiology or go into academics.

I moved to Las Vegas from California when I was five years old and have stayed here ever since. I did my undergrad at UNLV and became a first-generation college student. My experiences as a volunteer since high school exposed me to disadvantaged populations, which inspired me to become a physician to help the helpless.

I thought medical school would require us to have physical textbooks and be in lectures all the time, but the curriculum was very flexible with electronic books/notes and the option of reviewing recorded lectures. I especially enjoyed having a food tour in Chinatown during our EMT block. During my time at medical school, I have witnessed my confidence increase and also got my first living pet!

I plan to specialize in neonatology.

I moved to Vegas from Japan when I was nine years old and now consider Las Vegas my hometown. I attended the University of Nevada, Reno for my undergraduate education. As a first-generation student from a low socioeconomic background, there have been many challenges in my path to medicine, but I have been fortunate enough to have had plenty of help along my journey.

Medical school has been the most challenging but rewarding experience of my life. Every moment has been memorable, from group studying during preclinical years to moving on to clinical rotations in the hospitals. I am grateful for all the new lifelong friendships I have made, and I hope to continue to stay in touch through residency and beyond.

As for my future, I plan to do my residency in anesthesiology. Currently, I have not decided on a subspecialty but I’m keeping an open mind for further fellowship. I am eager to learn about the wonderful field of anesthesiology.

I was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. I attended the University of Nevada, Reno where I majored in molecular microbiology and immunology. As an undergraduate, I worked as an ophthalmic technician at an ophthalmologist’s office for almost two years. My experiences working there convinced me that I wanted to go to medical school, and I was so excited to move to Las Vegas to attend Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV.

Looking back on these four years of medical school, I am so grateful to have met some of my closest friends here and to have had the opportunity to learn from amazing mentors and faculty. During medical school, I was happy that we had the opportunity to give back to our community and volunteer at various organizations throughout Las Vegas. I enjoyed the time I spent at Green Our Planet, where I was able to teach K-12 students about their school garden and healthy eating habits.

I plan to start my training in internal medicine this upcoming July. I hope to be involved in academics in the future because I love teaching others and I want to be involved in the education of future medical students and residents.

After essentially growing up in Henderson, Nevada, once coming from Southern California I went to Green Valley High School and subsequently UNLV for my bachelor of science in nursing. Working as an intensive care nurse for about six years prior to going to medical school opened the door to realizing medicine is not like Grey's Anatomy or some TV show drama, it is not romantic nor always exciting, but it is very real. It made me realize the massive straddling maneuvers that medical providers need to perform. To be emotionally and intellectually present in difficult patient care situations, yet have the self-preservation to pick up and move forward on the cases for which you cannot help, which was even more revealing in seeing how care was provided to my mother while she was going through her own healthcare journey.

Medical schooling has been one of the most trying times of my life, from the literal hundreds of hours staring at my computer studying, doing practice questions until the early morning, prioritizing studying over sleeping, the long hours in the hospital, even extending to missing birthdays or holidays because I had to study or was expected to be in the hospital. Something that my family has always said to me is, "allow yourself to uncomfortable, it is there where you will be able to see what you can learn about yourself". Medical school definitely was an attestation of that, developing what is important to you and sitting back and reflecting on why you went through this process can definitely help reinvigorate your desire to practice medicine. I have met some of the most real people in my life through school and will cherish the relationships that I have fostered in the last four years.

As of now, after completing my internal medicine residency I have plans to seek fellowship training in either pulmonary critical care or cardiology. I love education and would love to have the opportunity to teach academic medicine in a large inpatient setting.

I moved to Las Vegas from a small town in Northern California in 8th grade and have considered it home ever since. I remained in Nevada since moving here and completed my undergraduate in northern Nevada at the University of Nevada, Reno. I knew that I wanted to return to Las Vegas and be with my family during medical school and was ecstatic at the opportunity to come back home. I am incredibly grateful to have learned in the community that welcomed our new medical school with open arms and invested in their future physicians. I initially wanted to become a doctor to combine my passions of science, teaching, and helping others which medicine allowed me to do. Now I am able to share my passions with my community while making a difference in my patients’ lives.

I thought I knew what to expect when I started medical school – long days of studying, clinicals, etc. What I didn’t realize also came with medical school were the relationships that you make during these four years. I have kept in touch with my clerkship preceptor from my very first year, made life-long friendships, and built meaningful relationships with faculty. Surprisingly my favorite memories are from the long days of studying when I would do practice questions with my friends and go over Step practice exams with them. At the time, I would have never thought that some of my favorite memories would come from Step 1 dedicated studying. I accomplished other personal goals during medical school like my engagement to my fiancé and watching my step-daughter grow throughout the last four years. I am grateful to have been part of a school that not only pushed us to grow in our careers but also in our personal lives and cared about our wellness.

After completing my family medicine residency, I am considering a fellowship in women’s health. My future goals include having a broad-spectrum, clinic-based practice. I also hope to work in academic medicine, teaching, and mentoring medical students.

I moved to Nevada at the age of 12 and completed my final middle school years, as well as high school here. One of my biggest obstacles to education was finances. I had to work during high school and college, while receiving loans and grants, to support my college education as well as my medical school application fees. The turning point which lead to my journey in medicine was during my microbiology class at the College of Southern Nevada when my professor stated that: A doctor would be able to identify a specific bacterial strain growing on a petri dish. Although now knowing other professions would be able to do the same, I was initially drawn to the level of expertise physicians demonstrate.

I thought medical school would be more time-intensive. I was surprised by the amount of time and balance I was able to obtain during these past four years. Thinking back, some of my most memorable moments were spending late nights with friends and study groups in the library as well as winning the 2019 UNLV Spikeball Tournament.

I intend on becoming an academic orthopedic surgeon with plans to further specialize in spine surgery, which may change based on my future experiences.

From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a doctor. The oldest daughter of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, I grew up observing minor surgeries and looking at x-rays in his office. I was absolutely transfixed. After leaving Las Vegas to complete my undergraduate education in Utah, I returned home to work at the Ackerman Autism Center. While there, I gained a love and appreciation for underserved populations, and I realized how critical the need was for medical providers in the Valley. It only made sense to pursue my medical education in my hometown with the community I know and love, and KSOM has exceeded my expectations. Having the opportunity to study at KSOM as an Engelstad scholar has been a life-changing experience for which I will be forever grateful.

The highlight of my medical school experience has been the bonds and friendships I have made. Through the long hours and difficult days, I have turned to my classmates-turned-best friends who are oftentimes better support than my husband and family because they know firsthand what I am experiencing. Over the last four years, I have been blessed to make countless memories with my friends. From celebrating each other's weddings to rejoicing in the birth of a new "future doctor," to mourning the loss of beloved pets, I am leaving KSOM with not only a first-class medical education but also with lifelong friends.

I plan to pursue a career in OB/GYN in an area with a large Hispanic population where I can use my Spanish language skills to serve those most in need.

I was born and raised in Henderson, Nevada. I studied biology and psychology at the University of Oregon and later earned a master of public health degree from UNLV. Seeing the health problems my grandmother struggled with early on in my life inspired me to go into medicine.

Being involved in many clubs, interest groups, and service organizations was a highlight of medical school. Giving back to the community throughout the pandemic by helping with COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts was extremely rewarding. Getting the chance to vaccinate my own family members was a unique and memorable experience.

I really enjoyed working with Signs of Hope; helping survivors of assault through a crisis was a great experience, and it made me a better advocate for my patients. Serving the most vulnerable populations within Southern Nevada was very fulfilling, and confirmed my desire to focus on the underserved in my future career.

I plan to go into internal medicine with a focus on primary care and HIV medicine.

I came to Las Vegas in 2015 when I told Teach for America that they could send me anywhere. When I was done with my two-year teaching commitment, I decided to stick around, and I've been here for seven years now. I love the Las Vegas Valley!

I didn't think I would meet so many genuinely kind and fun people in medical school! I have also enjoyed working on the volunteer ski patrol at Mt. Charleston. I get to combine my love of the outdoors and medicine!

I'll be going into internal medicine and choosing between generalist and maybe pulmonary/critical care in the near future.

As an inquisitive child growing up in the Bay Area, my favorite question has always been “why?” Naturally, science was the conduit through which I could satisfy my itch. Thus, it comes as no surprise to those close to me that I pursued graduate studies and research at NYU and Harvard Medical School to understand the etiology or the “why” behind the disease. However, to effect change, one simply cannot understand why, one must also do. During this time, I had the opportunity to help build a cancer institute abroad in the Caribbean. It was my time in Boston and the Caribbean, witnessing the many patients healed by the miracles of modern medicine that I became inspired to heal as a doctor – to use my why to do better for patients.

While living in Boston, my family had relocated to Las Vegas, and UNLV was in the process of pioneering a new medical school with a bold vision. Coming from a family of immigrants and growing up in Silicon Valley, entrepreneurship and blazing my own path is something that always spoke to me. Thus, UNLV’s vision to modernize medical education and transform the health of Southern Nevada was an opportunity I could not miss.

Science helps me discover the “why” so that I can work as a doctor to “do” better for my patients. In that spirit, I plan to work as an oncologist and physician-scientist and to help heal cancer patients to the best of my ability while simultaneously working in the lab to discover better cures and diagnostic tools for those that I serve. It would be an honor to give back to Southern Nevada and UNLV for all that they have done to support my growth and develop me into a capable young physician.

I have always strived to help others live happier, healthier, and more meaningful lives, whether caring for patients on October 1, helping to build stable homes for low-income families through Habitat for Humanity, providing food and clothing to at-risk youth through the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, administering COVID-19 vaccinations to the public, or mentoring students and tutors at the Academic Success Center at UNLV to create an impactful tutoring program for hundreds of students. I have dedicated hundreds of hours to programs like these – not only to help those less fortunate but also to pay homage to the many people who have helped me. Growing up, I was like many of these people. I came from a low-income family, switching homes so often that by the time I was twelve, I had lived in more than eight different households – often with other families. Had it not been for the friends and family in Las Vegas who assisted me, I would not be where I am today. This instability taught me two important life lessons: to always empathize with the circumstances of others and to treat the medical profession as both a privilege and a responsibility.

Medical school provided me with exposure to many different ways to practice medicine. Specifically, it helped shape the compassionate, confident, and hardworking physician I will become in order to directly impact the lives around me.

In the future, I plan to become an emergency medicine physician, channeling my intelligence, creativity, and compassion into skills that benefit my community by offering clarity and resilience in high-stress situations, a willingness and competency to help in all areas of the department, and mentorship to incoming medical students and residents.

I grew up in Reno, Nevada. During medical school, I built a whole new family! I have made friends that I will be close to for the rest of my life. They have seen my highs and lows and we have celebrated everything in between. I am so lucky to have gone to UNLV because the people here changed my life.

I had the opportunity to do my volunteer service with Three Square. My team was able to aid the community by instructing them on nutrition literacy and giving them power in their healthcare through healthy eating. We provided basic instruction on nutrition, recipes, and tips for grocery shopping!

I am hoping to match into OB/GYN and would then like to do a fellowship.

My biggest motivation for becoming a doctor comes from my own experiences as a patient. Growing up as a gymnast who constantly injured herself, I commonly came face-to-face with doctors from many different specialties. I was particularly inspired by the ones who displayed empathy and kindness towards me, which motivated me to pursue a career in medicine. I want to be the kind, empathetic doctor who encourages her patients to protect and maintain their health.

I was not sure what to expect out of my medical school experience, but I am happy to have found lasting connections with people who I expect to be friends with for many years to come. These people have become a support system that I never knew I needed during medical school, and I cannot imagine having gone through this experience without them.

Being involved in community engagement helped me find my passion for advocacy work. My experiences have driven me to pursue a career in medicine that will continue to involve advocating for underserved populations in healthcare.

I am applying to internal medicine with hopes to pursue a fellowship in either infectious disease or pulmonary and critical care medicine.

My family moved to Reno, Nevada when I was nine years old. I attended Johns Hopkins University for my undergraduate degree and was initially inspired by my parents (who are both engineers) to major in engineering, but soon discovered an interest in medicine and healthcare. After a gap year in Boston, I then returned to Nevada to pursue my medical degree.

Many of my favorite memories from medical school are during the preclinical years when I was able to meet my classmates, join several organizations on campus, and relax and bond outside the classroom. A lot of these memories were shared over a meal or cup of boba! The clinical years were a steeper learning curve than I expected, but ultimately I learned a great deal about medicine and the social and economic culture of our future profession.

I was able to volunteer with several organizations throughout my time in medical school, including The Center of Las Vegas and the UNLV Call Center. Through this community engagement, I was able to connect with the greater Las Vegas community and understand more about the populations I hope to serve in the future.

I plan on being an obstetrician-gynecologist, though am unsure if I will be subspecializing or what clinical setting I hope to practice in. Right now, my future is an open book!

As a first-generation student, my life has been filled with experiences that have fueled my passion for medicine. My parents immigrated from Mexico to Los Angeles in pursuit of better opportunities. I did all my schooling in Las Vegas including high school at SECTA and a bachelor's degree at UNLV, achievements that I was the first to obtain in my family. Prior to medical school, I worked at Project 150, a nonprofit helping disadvantaged high school students that fueled my passion for community engagement.

My journey as a medical student at KSOM was tough following my father's passing during my first year of medical school. Although difficult, these experiences led me to pursue a career in internal medicine, a field where I believed I could use my skill set and background best to benefit my future patients. I also developed my passion for mentorship and as a minority first-generation student, want to inspire our future generations of doctors to represent the populations we serve.

To sum it up: medical school is hard. The physical toll of standing for hours of surgery, the mental toll of hours on end of hitting your space bar for Anki cards, or the emotional toll of the life-changing conversations you have with patients all were experiences that were new to me. I am grateful for my classmates, particularly those that became my closest friends and I was able to share these moments with. They not only provided me a safe space but also taught me so much and have allowed me to shape the type of physician I would like to become. I also am thankful for my mentors who pushed me even when I believed I could be pushed no further. They say it takes a village and to be quite honest, it felt more like a small country I had behind me, and am eternally grateful to everyone who has helped me on this journey.

My plans following graduation are to pursue an internal medicine residency. Regarding future plans, I am considering pursuing a fellowship in infectious disease or a career as an academic hospitalist.

I was raised in Las Vegas since moving here at the age of four. Before starting my medical journey at Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, I worked as a janitor, receptionist at a Ferrari dealership, and event staffing manager. Learning English as a second language and being a first-generation college student were some obstacles I had to overcome during my journey to medical school.

I was able to combine my love for teaching, children, and dermatology by working with Nevada Cancer Coalition and teaching local elementary-aged children how to be "Sun Smart." I plan to continue mentoring students throughout residency and as an attending physician. Seeing pre-medical mentees achieve their goals and matriculate into medical school has been incredibly rewarding. One of my proudest accomplishments was founding the annual Latino Medical Student Association "Noche de Padres," a bilingual event for parents of prospective medical students that explains the path to medical school and how parents can help.

I would like to practice as a dermatologist here in Las Vegas and teach our future generation of physicians.

I am a first-generation college student who was adopted and raised in a family of eight people. My father who worked as a mailman and my mother as a phlebotomist instilled the value of hard work, frugality, and the ability to pursue a career in medicine. I am happily married and the proud father of two beautiful girls.

I anticipated but was not ready for how time-consuming medical school was. Finding a balance between work and life was hard but something I was able to carve out eventually. I especially love the lifelong friendships that I have built during medical school yet the most memorable moment was using the skills that I had gained during my OB/GYN rotation to deliver my second daughter during my third year of medical school.

The impact I was able to see in the lives of the people I mentored while in medical school was incredibly rewarding specifically among minority and underserved students. The relationship I was able to help foster between the medical field and the Las Vegas community as they healed from the October 1st shooting through Stop The Bleed was rewarding as well.

I will be specializing in psychiatry and hope to open a private practice with a special interest in consult liaison and sports psychiatry.

I was born and raised in Henderson, Nevada. While in college, the school of medicine was just getting started. I went to several of the initial meetings with the dean of missions prior to the opening of this school and was highly impressed. I felt that the school was truly dedicated to the community and making well-rounded physicians. Both of which held true throughout my training here.

During this time, I was honored to have worked with our director of wellness and integrative medicine, Dr. Anne Weisman, as a student government wellness rep for my class. I was so happy that student government was able to get a psychologist for our students and build a wellness and meditation room on campus. I think a lot of the time the focus in medical school is getting good grades and doing well in clinical rotations. This can be detrimental to our mental and emotional well-being. I am so glad that Dr. Weisman is faculty here to encourage all aspects of wellness during such stressful times for us students.

I am excited to become a family medicine physician. Family medicine has always been a major draw for me, not only does this field require you to know all aspects of medicine, but also all aspects of the patient as a whole. I am passionate about community medicine and preventative medicine. Both of which are highly needed in the Las Vegas community.

I was born in a small town in Ethiopia called Ziway. After immigrating to the United States, I pursued my childhood dream of being a physician. I studied biology and mathematics with a minor in chemistry at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Utah is also where I met a remarkable woman who would become my future bride, a Las Vegas native. Before medical school, I worked as an educator teaching mathematics at Utah Valley University and Salt Lake Community College.

Medical school is challenging as it should be. I am not foreign to challenges. From learning a foreign language, English, to working 80 hours a week to support my family back in Ethiopia has shaped me to become a compassionate and resilient physician. But the challenges of being a medical student and a parent during a global pandemic can’t be overstated. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I found myself in one of the most trying times of my life. I stayed positive, disciplined, and learned what can be achieved with passion, goals, and resilience.

To me, medical school is like driving a really fast car on a highway that only has a minimum speed. You can go as fast as you wish, but it is essential to find an optimum speed that matches your personal life and goal. Because of the multiple roles in life, I needed to find that balance early. I welcomed my daughter in my second year of medical school. I published two papers in peer-reviewed journals as a primary author. I have met so many people who helped me grow as a physician and as a person.

I plan to do my residency in internal medicine with the possibility of pursuing a subspecialty (cardiology or GI). I enjoy being in an academic setting – teaching and doing research.

I was born in Los Angeles but moved to Las Vegas before I was one year old. I've lived in Las Vegas since, including high school, undergrad, and (obviously) medical school. The journey towards and during medical school has been difficult as a first-generation college student and as the first person in my family to go into the medical field, but I remind myself of the initial inspiration to enter medicine: my dad, and I continue on this path in his honor.

I knew medical school would be difficult and full of studying, but it's a whole other concept to actually experience it! I'm so thankful for all my friends and for the memories we've made; they made this journey worthwhile.

My future is a blank page; between the longitudinal relationships formed in clinic to the complex and acute presentations in the hospital, I can't decide. Who knows, maybe I'll end up doing both! I may even decide to follow my/the heart and do a fellowship in cardiology (pun half intended).

I was born and raised in Nevada. My inspiration to become a doctor was to combine my love for the sciences with a desire to care for the community.

I thought medical school would be a marathon and I was surprised that it was a marathon/sprint combination. I will never forget discovering a passion for my specialty of choice. Another memorable moment during medical school was getting engaged!

My plan for the future is to further specialize as a pediatric emergency medicine physician.

I’m originally from Ukraine, Lugansk. I immigrated with my family to Las Vegas in 2006 when I was twelve years old and did not speak a word of English. Six years later, I graduated as valedictorian from the College of Southern Nevada High School and went on to graduate as summa cum laude from UNLV, earning a bachelor's degree in biology. My inspiration to become a doctor came from my mother and grandmother who guided my path after the passing of my grandfather in Ukraine from brain cancer. I became a member of the inaugural class of Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine in 2017, founding the American Medical Students Association chapter at the school and serving as the first student delegate to the Nevada State Medical Association (NSMA) through the Clark County Medical Society (CCMS), a local branch of the American Medical Society (AMA).

In the future, I see myself as doing some sort of a startup or getting involved in healthcare legislation. A pharmaceutical company or my own practice is within my realm of choice. A physician-entrepreneur would be the best way to describe what I’m looking for in the future.