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Tag: FURM

Frances Imarhia (’22)

Meet Frances Imarhia (she/hers), a sophomore from Granbury, Texas. Frances is a Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) candidate and plans to concentrate in Biomedical Engineering. She is also a junior representative for First-Generation/Underrepresented in Medicine (FURM). Read the full interview below:

How are you? How’s your year going so far?
I’m doing well surprisingly. My year has been really busy. I decided to take 5 classes this semester. So far, I’ve been managing it. You can say managing very loosely. I’ve been really busy but in a good way. I think I’m getting a lot accomplished and starting to really settle in here. 

Can you tell me a bit about your work with FURM?
I’m currently a junior representative for FURM. First of all, I’m a PLME, which coming here I was really excited about. I quickly grew to notice as a PLME you’re surrounded by a lot of people who have been exposed to medical and higher education for pretty much their entire life.

For people like me who are first-generation, there are obvious differences in our experiences in the field and our comfort talking to physicians. When I heard about FURM, I saw it as something that was really necessary. I was looking for more ways to get involved. That’s how I became a junior rep.

My freshman year, I struggled a lot with imposter syndrome. Getting to know these people in the UFLi community and the FURM community and realizing that these intelligent and talented people also felt the same way, it made me feel like maybe I’m not the problem. I felt really comforted by that fact so I’m hoping to help other people who feel the same way. 

Advice you’d give your freshman year self?
Learn to ask for help. It’s not a sign of weakness. Specifically in the STEM community for UFLi students, we typically come from schools that are underfunded or not well run. We don’t start off on the same playing field as our peers, so it makes intro classes very difficult. I struggled in multivariable calculus. Half the people in the class had taken it in high school. At my high school, the calculus class was basically just us watching Khan Academy trying to piece things together. It feels like you’re playing catch up, so it’s not wrong to ask for help. We’re the ones those resources are here for. We deserve to be here just as much as anyone else.

Hemant Kadiamada (’20)

For our Community Narrative this week, we interviewed Hemant Kadiamada (he/him/his), a senior concentrating in Public Health and participating in Brown’s Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME). Hemant was raised in Southern California, but also considers his mother’s hometown in Mexico and his father’s hometown in India some of his homes. Read more below:

How are you? How’s your year going so far?
Right now I would say that I’m in a good place in my life. This  year is so different from any other year at Brown, and most of that difference is a lot of good. I think a big change is definitely the classes that I’m taking and the things that I’m doing. It’s a mix of classes and also projects and opportunities. It’s so easy to remind myself I’m doing this because I really like doing it. It’s so easy to bring myself happiness through the work that I’m doing.

Freshman and sophomore year, I was doing a lot of the PLME requirements. Going into Brown, I knew I wanted to pursue a medical track but I was also so young. I didn’t know a lot about what that meant. I was kind of following a premed journey. I think in that way, premeds really have a difficult time because they have to take such rigorous classes that require a lot of time.

I think medicine is so beautiful because it has this human aspect rooted into it – connecting with people, listening to people’s stories, and wanting to guide them to live a good life. That’s also why I really love Public Health. It’s really the bridge to me. I think it’s a beautiful way to remind myself that as I’m going into medicine, people are more than what goes on in their bodies. We all have journeys we go though. Those are just as, if not more, valid than the genetics or biological factors we’re born with. 

Advice you’d give your freshman year self?
I would actually say don’t be afraid to think about yourself outside of Brown and remember that the world is so big. Yes, my place here matters so much, being in school and pursuing an opportunity that is my own and is really a manifestation of what I want to do in this world, but don’t be afraid of the world around you, of experiencing new things, of possibly facing challenges.

Even if I go through something difficult, I believe that I have the strength to continue going. Even if I can’t do it on my own, I have the ability to ask for help, whether that be through family, friends, or other resources.

Who are you away from Brown?
Away from Brown, I am a person who really loves this world. When I think about the world, I think about my family. I think about where my family is. I also think about my cultures. I also really love my spirit of adventure and wanting to explore new things to really see what this life offers. 

I really like exploring the world around me and observing and listening. When I’m back home, I go on a bike ride that’s from my house to the beach, which is like 2 hours. I like going to a new area and just adventuring around, seeing new things. Away from Brown, I would say I’m someone who really values this present moment.

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