November Spotlight: Rahma Ali

Our spotlight this month is Rahma Ali. 

Rahma Ali (she/her/hers) is a junior undergraduate student in the College of Liberal Arts. She has a declared major in Biology, Society, and the Environment with Leadership and Public Health minors. As a First-Generation student, she is always so passionate about leading a path not only for herself but also for her younger siblings, and all of her peer mentees through the President's Emerging Scholars (PES) program. Her hobbies include spending time with her friends on campus, and her family off campus as she is a commuter student. She really enjoys any outdoor activities, specifically hiking/long walks, and spending her extra time doing student advocacy, volunteering, and fundraising opportunities throughout campus as well as off campus communities. Her favorite go to restaurant/drink places are Wally’s (her favorite meal is the Saj Beef Shawarma Wrap) and Kung Fu Tea (her favorite drink is the Coco Cream Wow with milkcap and extra brown sugar) both over in Dinkytown.

What health career are you interested in? How do your passions align with this career? 

There are so many healthcare professions out there I’ve always had an interest in, starting off with pediatrics because as the eldest of six children in my household, I was practically the third parent in the family. I’ve always felt comfortable taking care of kids, spending many hours being around them, and most importantly knowing how to interact with children the "right way." Later on as I was more exposed to the day-to-day life of a pediatrician, I came to the realization that the majority of the patients that go into the pediatrics office are very young children that can’t talk for themselves that well. Which then leads to their parents or guardian talking for them and explaining what the issue is with their child to the doctor. That is when I realized I would rather go into a specialty or career field where I’m able to experience that one-on-one connection with the patient themselves, rather than having their parent or guardian speak out for them the whole time. 

This led me to exploring other health career specialties such as internal medicine. What drew me to this specialty is the long-term connection the doctor develops over time with their patients. Focusing on long-term illnesses and patients with multiple and chronic conditions allows the caretakers of those patients to get to know their patients, and build that one-on-one bond over time without really worrying about having a parent or guardian to speak for them. I’m really passionate about communicating, communicating in every aspect. Communication is key to everything, being able to communicate with everyone around you, getting to know those around you, expressing your emotions, advocating not only for yourself but also those that you’re caring for, etc. This is a passion that really connects me back to why I want to go into the healthcare field.

You're in the Health Profession Pathways Program! What have been some of your highlights from being in Pathways? Any particular courses, events, or moments that stand out? 

The first Pathways course I took was AHS 1102: Orientation to Health Careers and that course was completely online so I wasn’t able to talk to anyone in-person throughout the whole course period. I was able to reach out to our TA (Hannah), who was also majoring in Biology, Society, and the Environment. I was able to sit down with her and get resources for courses she liked throughout her three years of being at the U. In that course we focused a lot on discussions and making sure students were able to connect some way since it was an online course. 

Then I enrolled in AHS 1104: Experiences in Health, which was an in-person course. I was able to take it with all the other lovely Pathways students from the same 2021 Cohort. I really enjoyed it a lot, and to this day it is one of my favorite courses. The course was focused on exploring all the healthcare professions by visiting all their sites in-person. I’ve really liked the process of this course because as a visually learner and outgoing person, this course was very helpful with experiencing the professions one-on-one with the professionals. 

Another part of the Pathways program that has been helpful to me is the shadowing opportunities we’ve been provided. I was able to shadow multiple doctors over at Smiley’s Fairview Clinic throughout my sophomore year, and I really enjoyed being on site with residents, physicians and in general getting those clinical experience hours. Another one of my favorite classes I was able to take through Pathways is the AHS 3004: Health in Ecuador - Humans, Animals, & Ecosystems course. I took this course to be able to go on the Spring Break 2023 Quito, Ecuador study abroad trip. This experience is one I’ll forever talk about. I really enjoyed every moment of the trip abroad and hope to go back on my own whenever I get the chance.

You are involved in a lot as a pre-health student--from student groups, to programs, to extracurriculars, and more! How do you manage your time and balance your priorities?

Google calendar has become my best friend since freshman year of undergrad. Because of how much stuff I have going on from student groups, to programs, to extracurriculars, and more, I have to make sure I have a set schedule for everything from meeting times to setting time aside for lunch and dinner. If it wasn’t for Google calendar, I don’t think I would’ve survived my journey throughout University so far. It’s been more helpful than writing everything down, specially for whenever meeting times and locations change, it’s easier to just update through the Google calendar invite. This has been my go-to way of being able to stay organized, manage my time wisely, and prioritize my tasks.

Any advice you have for others who are pursuing a health career?

Build connections, get yourself out there and connect with any and everyone. It may be easier said than done but think of the long-term end goal of where you want to be. Being able to have those connections to be able to get you from point A to point B in an “easier” path is very helpful. I’ve always heard of the statement “it’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows you.” You can know everyone if you want to, but at the end of the day, those individuals know you back, so remembering to leave a good impression and find a way to stay in touch for the future is really important.

Thank you, Rahma, for sharing your perspectives and experiences with PHSRC Pulse readers!