my name: Aihab Aboukheir Aboukheir
I’m a second year medical student at Ponce Health Science University. Before getting here, I was just like all of you – chasing my dream.
I was born in Syria and in 1997 my father decided to move. His destination? Puerto Rico. I grew up in this island and became the person that I’m right now. At 9 years old I started learning most of the things I now know - from my first spoken Spanish word to the proper way to address a patient. My hobbies are soccer and tennis and I do speak three languages.
Since I was in high school, I always wanted to have a mentor to help me through all the decisions about getting into a medical school and couldn’t have it. I don’t want the same thing to happen to other kids and that’s why I’m part of Legacy LITTLE heroes. Everyone should have all the information that is out there and a person to look up to that helps him or her achieve their dreams. Even medical students need that, so by being part of this association I feel and help to achieve its dream and even we medical students need that too, so by being part of Legacy LITTLE heroes I feel like I’m helping students achieve what they desire the most.
I’m still at Ponce this summer but I visit my family in Carolina almost every weekend. This summer was unexpectedly active. At first, I worked in the anatomy lab at Ponce Health Sciences University for three weeks in a program called “Techniques of Macroscopic Anatomy.” Our group consisted of college students and first year medical student mentors (upcoming MS2). Our job was to prepare the specimens for the upcoming MD 2019 students. The experience was awesome. We learned as much from the college students as they did from us. After this program, I did some shadowing at San Cristobal Hospital with Dr. Richard Soler, an anesthesiologist and the head of the operation room. At the same time, I found an opportunity to do research. I’ve learned that you should take advantage of all the opportunities that come up in life because you don’t know when you will have one again, so as of now I’m doing both things: shadowing and doing research in deep vein thrombosis, DVT.
For the anatomy lab summer program, the key thing is to be interested in surgery and to have a good relationship with the department. If you are comfortable working with the cadavers, you’re good to go. It’s a good experience if you don’t want to spend the entire summer doing research.
For the shadowing experience, it really depends on how proactive you are. Dr. Soler is one of my classmate’s so I didn’t hesitate to talk to him and express my interest. As for the research, I made a good relationship with a third year resident in surgery at San Lucas Hospital and I got to know my mentor through him.
who am i?
why am I part of LITTLE heroes?
where am I? what am I doing this summer?
how did I come across what I'm doing?
what fascinates me about what I'm doing?
There is no better feeling than knowing that you are doing what you desire the most and that’s something you will never find out until you try it out yourself. Since starting medical school, I knew that I liked surgery but I wasn’t 100% sure about it. After starting my shadowing and research this summer, those doubts have disappeared.
My advice: Try to do research, shadowing, work, etc in the field you desire the most.
how have I grown so far after my first year of medical school?
Beside some minimal clinical experience, first year is entirely an academic and in some way a frustrating year in medical school. You have to be resilient from the first day by finding the right way to study and mold yourself for every challenge. The faster you learn how to do this, the better you’re going to feel in the rest o the year. For that reason, I’ve grown to be a resilient and moldable student who is able to accomplish every challenge ahead. Another thing that I learned this first year is consistency, the only way to pass classes is to study. Study hard and consistently.
what inspires me every day in what I'm doing?
The fact that my shadowing and research is deeply related to what I’m interested to do in the future is my inspiration. To wake up every day knowing that I like what I’m about to experience in the operation room and in my research experience is a fascinating feeling and I feel very grateful for that. You shouldn’t do anything that you’re not entirely happy with it, if that’s the case then you should better rest and do nothing because you’re going to be lying to yourself and to others.
how do I think I will grow after this experience?
I’m still growing and every day I learn new things and those will change the way you see the world.Us physicians got to be very open-minded because our profession faces constant changes and if you can’t keep up with those and master them your patient wellbeing will be in danger.
additional comments:
If you think medicine is the right career for you then read about it, seek help, understand and be sure that’s something that you’re willing to do for the rest of your life because once you start there is no way of going back without remorse.
During surgery at San Cristobal Hospital Surgery Room, Ponce Puerto Rico
This is my group at the Technique of Microscopic Anatomy Summer Program, TMA-2015.
From left to right: Aihab Aboukheir Aboukheir, Carlos Melendez, Adriana Ferreris and Jose Diaz
San Cristobal Hospital, Ponce, Puerto Rico