SOMG Graduation Year:

• I graduated in May 2019 

What are you doing professionally now?

• I am currently ending my 3^rd and final year as a Categorical Pediatric Resident at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. I will serve as Chief Resident for 2022-2023 starting this June, with plans of completing a Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship afterwards.

Any personal life updates since graduating?

• I had the most amazing wedding, in October 2021 and married my, now, husband, Christian. We started dating right before I was accepted into medical school. He has been so incredibly instrumental throughout my medical journey. 
• I also started a small online business called ‘BlackDoctorTees’ (www.blackdoctortees.com).  I wanted to create apparel with a purpose to inspire, celebrate and encourage black youth to join STEM (Science, Tech, Math, Engineering) careers. Our goal is to use profits to help create individual scholarships for books and study materials for minority pre-medical students. 

Best memory of your time at SOMG:

• My best memory of SOMG was surely Match Day. I had about 10 of my closest friends and family join me for the special occasion. It is surreal to be able to share such a moment with your biggest supporters and have your dreams come to fruition. I matched at my top choice and the feeling was unimaginable. 

How did your time at SOMG prepare you for where you are today?

• SOMG prepared me in the best way for my clinical rotations. When I arrived to residency, I already felt extremely comfortable writing notes and giving presentations. I felt confident talking with families and patients. My knowledge base for pediatric conditions was strong, and I had already had the opportunity to do several circumcisions as a medical student, so I was ahead of the game when I had to perform them as a resident. 

What person, course, or experience most influenced you while at SOMG?

• Dr. Thomas Nathaniel was an exceptional instructor and mentor throughout my time at SOMG. I will never forget the day he took time out of his busy schedule to review a neurology topic that I found difficult to grasp. He continued to help me until I understood, which took well over an hour and a half of his time. He was always compassionate, patient, and helped students any way he could. He even supervised several research projects, which allotted me the opportunity to get three publications out of the work. I am so grateful to faculty like him. Also, huge shoutout to amazing members of SOMG like Lucy Conway and Dr. Catalana – their kindness and desire to create a place where students can thrive and feel supported will never be forgotten. So glad I chose SOMG for my medical education.