Skip to Content Skip to Footer
nadeem albadawi

OMM Fellow Nadeem DO ’21

OMM Fellow Nadeem A. DO ’21 valued his participation as a SPaRC student. “I was able to talk to and learn from students who had just gone through the curriculum I was about to start and learn from their experiences,” says Nadeem.

Why WesternU

Nadeem was attracted to WesternU because of its community feel, “As a connection of multiple colleges within the health care field, interprofessional relationships are fundamental to the WesternU experience. I loved studying not only with my colleagues in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, but other colleges as well such as the College of Podiatry.” Nadeem recognizes the value of collaboration at WesternU by noting “This produces a cohesive environment focused on learning to provide the best care possible for our future patients.”
astoddard

Alivia S. DMD ’21

Alivia S. DMD ’21 valued her participation as a SPaRC student. “Participating in SPaRC was life changing for me. Throughout dental school this bond between us SPaRCies has never failed. We truly are a little family,” says Alivia.

Value of SPaRC

Alivia reflects on why she chose to participate in SPaRC. “Coming to California from out of state, I was extremely nervous. I hadn’t even really traveled much, let alone lived in another state. But I was able to move down to SoCal from Washington early, learn about the area, meet faculty, upperclassmen, and my best friends.” Reflecting on the benefit of her SPaRC experience, Alivia says, “Starting dental school after already being here a couple months, I felt so much more confident hearing faculty say my name on the first day, saying hi to people from other programs in the halls and already having an incredible support group. My home away from home.” According to Alivia, “We have had each other’s backs through it all these last four years and I can’t thank LEAD enough for bringing us together. Love you guys!”
earroyo

Emily A. MSPA 20

Emily A. ’MSPA 20 valued her participation as a SPaRC student. “SPaRC provided support by helping me learn how to prioritize or “triage” the tasks that needed to be done,” says Emily

Value of SPaRC

Emily reflects on her positive SPaRC experiences. “In the various graduate health programs, we are given an overload of assignments and topics that need to be studied, by being able to “triage” these things, I was better able to focus my time,” says Emily. According to Emily, “SPaRC also helped me learn how to take time for myself in the midst of crazy schedules. It is extremely important to do things that make you happy or else you will definitely feel the burnout.”

One particularly positive SPaRC experience Emily states is worth noting, “was getting to participate in community outreach at a shelter and center that provides assistance to women and children that were victims of abuse. It was so uplifting to provide education about a variety of areas to these women and children. It was an honor to do a small part for them.” Lastly, “after SPaRC is over, you will continue to have support because of the people you have met whether it be fellow students or the facilitators,” says Emily.
dperez

David P. DMD ’21

David P. DMD ’21 appreciates his role as a SPaRC student. “The memories and support groups I made in SPaRC gave me the right footing to begin my journey at Western U” says David.

Why WesternU

David chose WesternU because he was “most motivated by the humanism aspect of WesternU. I come from a small, farm town in Northern California. My goal is to return to my community and help the migrant field workers of my city.” David continues by explaining his goal of returning to his hometown “to serve my community as a fellow native, to give back to the city that helped me be all that I can be.”
angelica nava

Angelica N. OD ’21

Angelica N OD ’21 valued her participation as a SPaRC student. “SPaRC has provided emotional as well as academic support throughout my journey at WesternU,” says Angelica.

Why WesternU

Angelica was attracted to the field of Optometry because “I wanted a career in the health care profession that had flexibility and I was passionate about.” Angelica chose WesternU because the clinic is on-site and that “class size was small enough to be able to receive one on one help from professors in class as well as in clinic.”
Garrett T. DPT

Garrett T. DPT ‘19

Garrett T. DPT ’19 is a graduate of WesternU and SPaRC. Currently, Garrett is completing his sport residency program in Birmingham, Alabama. Garrett works with elite athletes across the athletic spectrum from high school soccer, processional ice hockey, first round draft picks and numerous NFL players. Throughout his residency program, Garrett reflected on his academic and personal successes that have helped him in his career endeavors.

Rewards of Persistence
“While exertion of medical school may be challenging, the outcomes are rewarding,” says Garrett.

Garrett attributes his success to his focus on authentic patient care. “Adding authentic value to the patients you treat, the parents you communicate with and everyone you can connect with will become the foundational groundwork to increase the opportunities you will earn,” says Garrett. “Your capacity to add value in the designated field you will practice medicine is what you’ve initially signed up for; adding value to your patients and the community you will relate to is a responsibility you are unquestionably destined for,” says Garrett.
Ashley P. DPM ’20

Ashley P. DPM ’20

Ashley P. DPM ’20 reflects on the support she received from LEAD and SPaRC

The Value of LEAD

Ashley appreciates the support she received from LEAD. “I met with LEAD counselors frequently often scheduling meeting a couple of times a month,” says Ashley. Ashley met with LEAD counselors whenever she needed help with exams or any stressors in life. “I had so much support because they were able to listen and give me great advice. Each meeting made me feel better. I am extremely grateful for the friendships and assistance I had with LEAD,” says Ashley
Eric C. DO ’20

Eric C. DO ’20

Eric C. DO ’20 appreciated his role as a SPaRC teaching assistant.

The Value of SPaRC

Eric’s contributions to the Summer Preparedness and Readiness Course (SPaRC) as a student teaching assistant have not gone unnoticed. As a student teaching assistant, Eric worked closely with faculty and LEAD staff to help newly admitted students enrolled in the SPaRC program acquire academic and emotional skills needed to be successful at WesternU,

Eric attended medical school at WesternU because of his desire to help people and the opportunities to do so in the surrounding communities. His goal of helping others was met when he assumed the role of a SPaRC TA.

My role as a TA for SPaRC was one of my favorite moments at WesternU, says Eric.

“Helping incoming SPaRC students realize what they were capable of and preparing them for the rigors of graduate education was very rewarding,” says Eric. “I appreciated the chance to support other students at the start of their degree program,” says Eric. Eric has been able to look back proudly on his memories as a TA and stay in contact with many SPaRC students. “I feel proud to have witnessed past SPaRC students thrive in their prospective programs because of the support they received,” says Eric.

Working as a TA for SPaRC helped Eric professionally. His SPaRC TA experiences helped him become a better teacher. “It was my first experience lecturing in front of a group and allowed me to mature as a public speaker,” says Eric. “This experience directly affected my skills in-patient care as I was able to learn techniques to communicate more effectively,” says Eric. The development of Eric’s teaching and communications strengths later contributed to his selection and successful completion of his prestigious OMM Fellowship for three years.
shannon

Shannon DPT ’20

The Value of SPaRC

Shannon I., DPT 2020 appreciated the support received from SPaRC. “The SPaRC program allowed me to develop life-long friendships,” says Shannon. While in SPaRC, Shannon worked with students in five other degree programs allowing her to develop strong friendships with students outside of her home program. Even three years after completing SPaRC, Shannon still enjoys catching up with other SPaRC students.

Gaining a new family at WesternU and LEAD

In addition, Shannon has enjoyed her experiences while attending WesternU and visiting the Office of LEAD. Shannon selected WesternU because of its highly qualified faculty who possess a wealth of knowledge and its small campus feeling. Shannon has enjoyed an environment where she can get to know everyone and has appreciated faculty, staff, and students offering positive energy without any negativity. Shannon believes her interactions with LEAD have been beneficial. “I always reached out for help at the LEAD office when I experienced stress and felt challenged to do better in my classes,” says Shannon. Along with faculty and classmates, LEAD encouraged Shannon to improve and do better. These supportive individuals who have always listened and offered advice quickly became part of Shannon’s family.
Chan P., MSPA ’20

Chan P. MSPA ’20

Chan P., MSPA ’20 discusses how SPaRC contributed to his successes at WesternU both academically and personally.

The Value of SPaRC

Chan P., MSPA 2020 appreciates the support he received from the SPaRC (Summer Preparedness and Readiness Course) program. “I feel grateful that I was part of the SPaRC program,” says Chan. Chan benefited from this program more than expected. “Initially, I joined SPaRC because I wanted to get a head start and a refresher in anatomy and physiology but benefited from many other aspects of the program,” says Chan. “My learning experience in the cadaver lab proved to be invaluable and prepared me for my academic studies,” says Chan. More importantly, Chan met some of the most awesome people not only in the incoming class of PA program, but in other programs like osteopathic medicine, dental, and optometry. “Learning about each other’s unique backgrounds allowed me to appreciate the diversity of WesternU and gain new interprofessional insights about healthcare delivery,” says Chan.
Joshua S. DMD ’19

Joshua S. DMD ’19

Joshua S. DMD ’19 discusses how SPaRC helped him achieve an academic and personal advantage at WesternU.

The Value of SPaRC

SPaRC (Summer Preparedness and Readiness Course) gave Joshua an advantage in his education and made him more successful academically and personally. “I developed my skills in time management which were incredibly important during my past 4 years at WesternU,” says Joshua. “The director’s lectures about how to approach exams and how to manage information and prioritize content were invaluable to my success. Knowing that I had a support system in place also made me feel comfortable if I ever needed to take advantage of other academic support services.”

SPaRC was also memorable for Joshua because it allowed him to develop his skills in teaching and mentoring students. “During my SPaRC program, I admired and appreciated the 4th year students who presented overviews of foundational dental content,” says Joshua. “Prior to my 4th year, I served as a SPaRC tutor and continued a tradition of student-taught sessions in SPaRC. I appreciated the opportunity to teach new SPaRC students the skills and knowledge I had acquired during my SPaRC program.”
James Z. MSPA ’19

James Z. MSPA ’19

James Z. MSPA ’19 discusses how he turned his passion for medicine and education into a career.

The Value of SPaRC

James Z. MSPA ‘19 appreciated the support he received from the SPaRC summer program. “The SPaRC (Summer Preparedness and Readiness Course) program prepared me to succeed in my graduate program at WesternU”, says James. “I gained a strong academic foundation through our review of key subjects, study habits, study tools, and connections to numerous university resources. This foundation supported me throughout my time at WesternU.”

In addition, SPaRC offered James a valuable inter-professional educational experience (IPE), which not only adequately prepared him to succeed as a student within his own program, but connected him to a diverse group of colleagues and medical professionals from different graduate programs at WesternU. “There were many positive moments from the program”, says James. “I enjoyed the inter-professional collaborative community health event at the House of Ruth and mentorship from WesternU upperclassmen. However, the camaraderie between my colleagues from the SPaRC program, which continues to this day, has been something I truly cherish.”