"Be open to those "a-ha" moments."
Amali Fernando is a second-year medical student at Stritch School of Medicine. She grew up in Woodinville, WA and did her undergraduate education in Chicago. She studied Biology and Neuroscience with Interdisciplinary Honors at Loyola University Chicago. In her undergraduate years, she was involved in activities such as GlobeMed and research on neural development in mice. She then matriculated directly to the Loyola University's medical school (Stritch) through an Early Assurance Program offered to select undergraduate students. As a medical student, she continues to volunteer at clinics that provide care to underserved communities. As a first-year student, she served as a health coach for Fresh Start (a program for people on parole) and Access to Care (a clinic for patients without insurance). She is currently volunteering at CommunityHealth - the largest volunteer-based clinic in the nation - and working to set up a Medical Evaluation Program for those applying for asylum. This year, she was able to take an interdisciplinary class at Loyola's law school, alongside legal and social work students, focused on caring for underserved communities as well as participating remotely in Global Health Honors research. Although she is not yet certain what field of medicine she hopes to pursue, she aspires to a career that promotes global health equity and provides care to those who need it most.
If you are interested in hearing more about what med school is like, tips and tricks on how to get in, what you can do with a degree in medicine, or more about Amali's inspirational story, click on Amali's photo to hear her speak.