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Operating Room Shadowing

About Ramy
Career: Aspiring physician
Highlights: Starting at a young age, helping orphans
in charity missions - Archangel Michael
Medical Mission Trip
Athletics: Soccer Varsity Team
Social: Delta Alpha Pi, Magna Cum Laude,
Biology Honors Program
Graduated B.Sc. Biology, English minor
- George Mason University

1995-
Born
 2009 Starting giving mother, Aida Nessim, vitamin B12 injections
at the age of 10 for her neurological manifestations
2010-Present
Leadership:
 Enrolled at the Archangel Michael Charity Mission Coptic Care Co. First packaged
and distributed food and monetary supplies to impoverished widows and orphans
2013
Entered George Mason University
2014-Present
Clinical Experience:
 Shadowed and volunteered at the DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center
First shadowed surgeries and emergency room.
2017-Present
Research Experience:
 Collaborated with a team of urology surgeon residents at Washington Hospital Center
2015-Present
Professional Affiliations:
 Founded the Fishermen (The Surgeons) Organization. First organized
a group to mentor young adults, visit court-involved adolescents and feed the homeless
2017 -
Honors and Awards:
 DC Veterans Affairs 300 Hour Youth Award

Why I have Selected the Field of Medicine?
What Motivates me? Cultural and Educational Background
and Experiences? Personal or Family Experiences?
Academic Experiences and Interests

My personal, family, and community experiences with diseases of the nervous system and the heart boost my morale to contribute to the treatment and advancement of knowledge of those conditions. Growing up in Egypt and seeing impoverished suburbs, I was exposed early on to the aggravated risk of heart disease flourishing due to the increase risk of infections from unawareness to rheumatic fever, poverty, inequality in access to healthcare, and the high cost of treatment. This condition directly affected my family. When I was twelve, my dad was diagnosed with atherosclerotic coronary heart disease and received a stent. During my senior year of high school, I was diagnosed with a minor disability and had difficulty receiving quality treatment. My mom was also diagnosed with third stage colon cancer. Due to the value my family puts on research and the high cost of treatment, my mom turned to a major research hospital at the expense of the government. This made me value the impact of hypothesis-driven research and protecting underserved communities.

Archangel Michael Charity Mission
Kids in Young Youth Development Program

Career Goals

Inspired by my sense of humor, friendliness, and determination to become a cardiac surgeon , during elementary school, I became known among my peers as the "smiling minister." This reputation developed in middle school to my nickname, "Doctor Ramy." That is all I could imagine myself to be - the minister of health. I am interested in the intersection between heart disease as well as cancer and the global effect.

Commitment to Community Service, Exceptional Qualities, Skills and Cultural Experiences

Moving to the US, I have battled the educational and cultural barriers that come along with being an immigrant minority with a minor disability, first-generation college student, and financially falling below the average income. Despite these challenges, I quickly sought experiences where I could fulfill my passion for service, medicine and research, simultaneously. I am graduating from George Mason University with Great Honors and Recognition, biology and English majors, and proficiency in Arabic and French.

Kids in Young Youth Development Program
Mentor: Dr. Hwang

Fall 2015

Ability to Think and Act Independently, and Work Effectively as a Member of a Team

In Fall 2015, I wrote a review article on discovering new targets and testing new drugs for overcoming glioblastoma multiforme published in the “Journal of Young Investigators.” This enterprise resulted in a connection with Dr. Jonathan Hwang. As an overview, in Dr. Hwang's lab I have two primary roles, to analyze the racial differences in genomic profiling of prostate cancer African American men and Caucasian males, and compare the accuracy of the Decipher genomic profiling using DNA information to the standard normal grams for prostate cancer risk stratification. This helped me appreciate the effect of genomic profiling on cancer prognosis. Additionally, in the summer of 2017, I wrote an article on telomere-mediated syndrome that connected me to Dr. Mary Armanios. This experience helped me discover the broad implications of genetic medicine and aging research on cancerous growth and will transition well into the medical field. During those two enterprises, I had written reports that gained my mentors' commendation and earned the top grade among my research team.

Mentor: Dr. Armanios
Kids in Young Youth Development Program

Leadership/Think and Act Independently, and Work as a Member of a Team
Interest in the Medical Field
Maturity in Thinking and Writing

Furthermore, I seized every opportunity outside the classroom to collaborate with my peers and positively impact the community. I published articles in George Mason University’s newspaper and journal, “Fourth Estate” and “George Mason Review,” and founded a club that mentored young adults and served people with disabilities, while also visiting court-involved adolescents and feeding the homeless in the DC. Founding the organization had its rewards and challenges. The possibility of failure presented itself as I invested time and energy in the club and applied for the student senate while I was a freshman taking full-load of classes. Towards my senior year, the university endowed the club with $3,000 for our activities. As a participant of those two research projects and founder of a club, I examined the research findings of thirty different original scientific articles related to neuropsychological disorders, oncology, and genetic medicine as well as connected with experts in those fields. It was immensely satisfying to study and absorb published research, synthesize them and develop new topics.

Inducted Youth

Healthcare/Volunteer Experiences and Shadowing

I have not only worked as a member of a team but also learned from mentors. I observed my first aortic valve replacement surgery with bypass while I was shadowing at Washington V.A. Medical Center. The doctor cut the veins from the foot and used them to bypass a clogged artery supplying the heart. I kept in close contact with the medical team to understand the significance of the different steps in the procedure. The QRS wave of the echocardiogram showed the valve not pumping rhythmically. The surgery was still going, and the doctor started stitching the new mechanical valve in place of the old stenotic one. The doctor’s quick and important decision of suturing a valve in a heart to replace the old malfunctioning one, the seasoned team, innovative ideas, and nano-technology in place allowing them to create and transplant the valve, made me immensely excited to be in the middle of the research team. I look forward to using my diverse experiences towards medical education and practice. I envision treating diseases of the nervous system and the heart as well as contributing to those fields as an active physician scientist.

Throughout I put a lot of effort to not forget my humble beginnings. Please see this letter from my mentors at the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS-NIH), where I applied for a job recently:


A Message From Ramy

I feel very lucky to get to connect with so many extraordinary people. Whenever I have the chance, I set aside a few minutes to share what I’m learning here on the Gadalla Notes. Thanks for reading.
Ramy Gadalla