Barbara was born in Beirut, Lebanon and she moved to the USA in 2003. Growing up, she frequently found herself lost in the tumultuous airs of war, as bullets were ringing by and rockets fell around her home. When the streets of Lebanon filled with victims, she witnessed the medical professionals in her family rushing to their rescue, opening up their clinics to care for the sick and the wounded, sometimes without electricity, and she vowed to complete her own journey dedicated to serving the ill when they need it the most. Barbara studied Biology at the University of Texas at Dallas, and subsequently pursued a Master of Science in Biotechnology at Johns Hopkins University. She is currently a medical student in her third year at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and she hopes to become an OB/Gyn.

Emily is an energetic beach girl from Virginia Beach, Virginia. She went to MIT and studied biological engineering with a minor in business management. While working in the biomedical industry, she realized that she wanted to explore the political realm of health industry, and pursued her MPH at Dartmouth. Her thesis focused on the health outcomes of mothers and newborns in perinatal home visits programs by nurses and trained professionals. She then decided to go to medical school back home in Virginia and is currently a third year student at VCU. She is active in the student government and was recently elected president. She has been working on various research projects and she volunteers in the community. Emily also participates in an honors program assisting underserved populations internationally and locally. She is interested in working with pediatric populations in the future.

Although born and raised in Cape May, New Jersey, Jeff considers himself a good ole southern boy at heart, spending most of his life in Williamsburg, Virginia. He passed the majority of his adolescent years in an ominous battle, with nothing but a golf club in hand, preparing for an undoubtable failure as a professional golfer. After years of defeat, he realized it would prove more valuable to battle fires, leading him to the local fire station. Through this experience, Jeff fortuitously discovered his passion for medicine and the privilege that the title of physician carries. While living in Guatemala, he witnessed the pure, inhumane disparities that are all too prevalent around the world. Motivated by his passion and experiences, he is now preparing to fight a different battle, one in which defeat will not be an option. In his free-time, Jeff enjoys reading, hiking and jamming with his buddies in their rock band, Bacchus Rawkus.

Supraja Rajagopalan is an Iowa native and a third year medical student at Virginia Commonwealth University. From a young age, Supraja was taught that with a dedicated focus and a determination to succeed impossibilities become possible. Her passion for participating in the global community began with her family’s yearly trips to India, and their constant emphasis that we all share in the responsibility to care for one another. Supraja plans on pursuing a career as an OBGYN, and hopes to use these skills to empower women globally. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, learning new languages, and curling up with her adorable kitties and some Tolstoy.

Julian Hinson is currently pursuing a medical doctorate at Meharry Medical College while developing both visual media and healthcare technology as a vehicle of care for the underserved. His path to medicine includes a 2010 B.A. in Chemistry and French language from Hope College, as well as a year-long internship as an emergency medical scribe in two ‘Twin Cities’ hospitals. He currently serves as the copy editor for Meharry‘s PULSE newsletter and recently joined the writing staff of MDlingo.com

Julian is passionate about applying the principles of ‘design thinking’ to the field of medicine, and when not in the clinic – he can usually be found pointing his camera or pen at the inspiring young-professionals he calls “The UnDetourred”. You can find both his and their stories at apptlychosen.wordpress.com.

Jay-Sheree Allen is a 3rd year medical student at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. She currently serves as the Student Vice President to Alumni Affairs in the Student Government and is the Community Service Chair for the Student National Medical Association (SNMA). She graduated from The City College of the City University of New York (CUNY) in May 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Magna Cum Laude.

She is the Founder and visionary behind the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Women of Excellence, Strength & Tenacity, Incorporated (WEST) whose mission is to empower young women to develop their strengths and leadership abilities and live up to their highest potential. She fulfilled a one year commitment with Jumpstart Americorps in New York City and taught biology and chemistry classes in Tanzania, Africa to over 150 young women in a Girls Empowerment Science Camp.

Andrew Marshall is a medical student at Meharry Medical College and a member of the graduating class of 2015. He is an Ingram Scholarship Recipient, and at this time he serves as President for the Medical Class of 2015. In May 2010 he graduated from Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL with a B.S. in Computer Science.

Andrew is a tinkerer, programmer, athlete, gamer, and future ER physician. Hailing from the small island of Barbados, he now calls Nashville home. He loves to travel, and enjoys the occasional game of tennis. Having worked before medical school as a Software Engineer, he has a specific interest in medical technologies and hopes to one day use them to revolutionize medicine in the developing world.

I enjoy good coffee, yoga, and time spent with my family and friends.

I do not enjoy studying for hours.

What keeps me going through of hundreds of lectures, countless pages of reading, and endless days spent in the library quiet section? Knowing that at the end of it all, my knowledge will transform into services for those in need. After a summer spent in Washington D.C. as an American Medical Association Government Relations Intern, and as a Health Policy Fellow with the American Association of Public Health Physicians, I learned that healthcare is complicated system. I make sense of the complications by staying active in the medical community and keeping the goals in mind. As a public and global health advocate, I’m in it for my patients, my community, and the world. I am ignited by global healthcare.

The meaning of the name “Gowri” is a manifestation of the Hindu goddess Parvati. Living up to my namesake, who symbolizes power and strength, my passion for global health is truly ingrained in my upbringing. I was born in Sacramento, California and grew up in 8 different towns before enrolling in NEOMED’s 6-year BS/MD program. I have lived in Japan, Germany, Hawaii, Texas, Maryland, and Ohio! As a world-traveler in the medical field, I’ve immersed myself in a variety of cultures and have fallen in love with learning how to address health disparities. In my spare time, my hobbies include exploring, reading books, painting, and snowboarding. As a daughter of active duty military, it’s been an honor travelling the world. After working in the OB/GYN department in inner city Akron, I saw the vast diversity of patients in just one hospital. I’m looking forward to coalescing my passions for medicine and global health in order to truly make an impact on an international scale.

I immigrated to the US from China when I was a little girl, and it was like stepping into a completely different world. The food, the language, the people…the contrast between rural China and my suburban home was black and white. Growing up in Ohio, I had hobbies like any other kid – playing piano, painting, and hanging out with friends. But part of me never left Jiangsu Province. The diversity that exists on our planet is truly amazing. Although I have helped out in many ways in my own community through volunteering and research, I want to be able to give back to the globally underserved population. This desire is what prompted me to pursue medicine, and is what continues to ignite my passion.