Hometown: Cinnaminson, NJ
Undergraduate: Northeastern University, BS in Health Science
Student's next step: Pediatrics-PM&R residency at Nemours Children’s Health/Thomas Jefferson
Can you share a bit about your background and what led you to choose Drexel for your medical education?
My path to medicine has been deeply influenced by both my family and personal experiences. My father has owned a pest control business for decades, where I worked part-time from a young age. During my junior year of high school, my father was involved in an accident in which he fractured his sacrum and three vertebrae in his spine. In the months that followed, I watched as rehabilitation restored his independence and shaped his recovery. This experience led me to start pursuing a career in the rehabilitation field to positively impact the lives of patients and their families as others did for my father. During undergrad at Northeastern University, I worked as a medical assistant at an orthopedic sports medicine practice during my co-op. It was there that I got the opportunity to work alongside three physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians who mentored me and encouraged me to apply to medical school.
Ultimately, I chose Drexel University College of Medicine because of its commitment to serving the Philadelphia community in addition to the school being most aligned with my educational values which are rooted in strong academics, community service and research. After going to Boston for undergrad, I knew I wanted to come home to Philadelphia for medical school, and I felt as though Drexel gave me the best opportunity to create my own journey while giving back to the community I grew up in.
What experiences have most influenced your career goals and aspirations?
Since matriculating, I have continued to explore the rehabilitation medicine field, especially through my role as co-president of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Interest Group. We hold physician panels, sponsor fellow students to attend national conferences and facilitate mentorship pairings between students and residents. Through this group, I connected with my research mentor, Dr. Yetsa Tuakli-Wosornu, a sports-medicine physiatrist and director of the Sports Equity Lab at Stanford University. In the lab, I work on projects that promote safe sport for all athletes globally. Over this past year, I presented my work at two PM&R conferences. I was drawn specifically to pediatric rehabilitation at these conferences, and this reaffirmed my goal to become a physician advocating for children both on and off the field.
Whether it was tutoring high school students in college, working as a camp counselor, coaching youth tennis, or volunteering at a local emergency clinic as a medical student, my goal to become a pediatrician has been driven by the profound fulfillment I've experienced in my interactions with children and adolescents. A pivotal moment of confirmation occurred for me when a patient at the adolescent clinic on my pediatrics rotation felt comfortable confiding in me about his struggle with coming out to his family. This was a conversation I wish I had felt comfortable having with a health care provider as a teen trying to navigate the same scenario. In that moment, I realized the profound impact I could have on a young person's life, and I am grateful to have found a specialty — pediatric rehabilitation — that suits both of my specialty interests. My first pediatric rehabilitation rotation at Nemours Children’s Hospital in the beginning of my fourth year only further confirmed that it was the path I was meant to pursue after medical school.
Congratulations on getting your research published! Can you tell us about your research and its key findings?
My first study with the Sports Equity Lab at Stanford University, “Experiences of Interpersonal Violence (IV) in Sport and Perceived Coaching Style Among College Athletes,” was published in JAMA Network Open in January 2024. In this study, we found that one in 10 athletes reported experiencing at least one type of IV during their college sports career, of whom two-thirds experienced IV within the past six weeks. Furthermore, on multivariable analysis, female gender identity and non-heterosexual sexual orientation were independently associated with IV. Overall, when exposed to IV, collegiate athletes reported experiencing consistently worse psychosocial outcomes, including increased burnout and an expressed desire to consider quitting their sport.
In our most recently published study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, “Associations of Abusive Supervision Among Collegiate Athletes from Equity-Deserving Groups,” we found that nearly one in five NCAA collegiate athletes reported some form of abusive supervision — defined as sustained hostile verbal and non-verbal behaviors — by their coaches. We also found that athletes with disabilities and team sport athletes were significantly associated with higher reports of abuse, while gender, race, sexual orientation, and age did not show significant associations. Additionally, we found that positive coaching behaviors (e.g., progress checks, positive reinforcement) were associated with reduced abusive supervision reports, whereas harsh coaching (e.g., strong devotion to team success, harsh reactions) increased the likelihood of athletes reporting abuse. Both papers call on the NCAA to address the issues of interpersonal violence and abusive supervision to safeguard its athletes and advance the goal of fostering a safe sporting environment for collegiate athletes to thrive both on and off the field.
In this role, I can advocate for safe sport for equity-deserving athletes through research. As a non-heterosexual athlete myself, I take pride in this work to hopefully create change for athletes of all backgrounds so they can enjoy the sport they love in an environment free of abuse and harassment.
How do you manage your time between coursework, clinical rotations and research activities?
I think Drexel’s curriculum in the first two years inherently gave me the flexibility to balance coursework, research, and other extracurricular activities. With the flipped classroom model, it really puts the onus on the student to learn the material and then apply it in person. This seems daunting, but you adjust to it very quickly. It also helps you develop great time management skills and gives you the agency to create your own schedule week to week. In addition, I have always adopted a “work hard play hard” mentality throughout medical school. I always try to make time to do the things I enjoy outside of school such as hangout with friends, go to sporting events, travel on free weekends, and explore the Philly food scene.
Where did you match for residency?
I matched into a combined Pediatrics-PM&R residency at Nemours Children’s Health/Thomas Jefferson — my first choice!
What excites you about this program and your next steps in medicine?
I am looking forward to staying in the Philadelphia area where I will be training to become a triple-board pediatric physiatrist. I am super excited to be entering into a specialty focused on diagnosing, treating and rehabilitating children with physical impairments or disabilities to enhance their functional abilities and quality of life.
What advice do you have for those applying to medical school?
My advice would be to be genuine in your application and reflect on the experiences that truly drive your passion for medicine. Medical school is an intense journey, and it’s important to have a deep connection to the work you’ll be doing. Start early and take time to reflect on what inspires you in health care. Whether it's volunteering, research, or shadowing, make sure you're involved in activities that align with your interests, values, and create a cohesive story that the admissions reviewers can follow and truly know why you have chosen this career path.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to show your unique background and perspective. Schools like Drexel value diverse experiences, and it's important to demonstrate how your individuality will contribute to the community. Lastly, take care of yourself throughout the process. Medical school is a marathon, not a sprint, so self-care and time management are key to success and will only help you in your performance and actually enjoying your time throughout it.