Four MS in Health Care Transformation Alums Inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha
October 12, 2022
Please join the Value Institute for Health and Care in congratulating MS in Health Care Transformation alums and 4th year Dell Medical Students Rachel Gorham, Girija Hariprasad, Imane Ridouh, and Christina Shields. They have been inducted in Dell Medical School's newly created Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) Honor Medical Society.
Alpha Omega Alpha was founded in 1902 and strives to improve health care for all.
Induction into Dell Med's AOA chapter is competitive and based on excellence in leadership, community engagement, service, contributions that advance knowledge, and performance in clinical rotations. The selection committee was impressed with these students' records of accomplishment, and the Value Institute for Health and Care is very proud of our alums.
Rachel Gorham
Rachel is originally from Coppell, TX, and received her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Health Communication from UT. During undergrad, she got her EMT certification and worked nights as a patient care technician. After graduating, Rachel took a gap year working as a medical assistant at an OBGYN clinic. Now she plans to pursue medical oncology as her specialty and has a strong interest in homeless health and narrative medicine to promote social justice and public health.
Girija Hariprasad
Girija was born and raised in Ballwin, Missouri, and received her bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University. After graduation, she joined Teach for America and taught high school Biology in Southeast Dallas for two years. She loved working with teenagers but realized the classroom wasn’t for her and applied to medical school. She is passionate about establishing equitable practices and access within the field of medicine, particularly regarding race, language, and health literacy.
Imane Ridouh
Imane graduated from Northwestern in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and then spent a gap year working as a scribe for a local neurosurgeon in Austin. She started at Dell Med in 2019 and was passionate about the school because of the unique curriculum and ability to pursue something beyond traditional medical education. She is passionate about neurology and the international health care system.
Christina Shields
Christina was born in Wisconsin and received her bachelor's in biochemistry and cell biology from Rice University. After graduating from Rice in 2016, she worked as a Strategy & Operations consultant with Deloitte. While she was excited by the ability to impact health systems, she decided to pursue a career as a doctor so she could make a more direct impact on patients. As a Dell Med student and MSHCT alum, she looks forward to gaining a deeper understanding of how to trial, assess, and improve systems-level solutions that can equitably improve patients' value of care. She’s looking forward to continuing her training as a general surgeon after graduating Dell Med.