Salsabeal Alsaedy – from the Washington State University School of Medicine: A third-year medical student, Salsabeal co-founded Premeds United, volunteered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and worked as a medical assistant at a dermatology clinic. Their time as a scribe with University District Street Medicine, where they connected with homeless patients to provide essential care, reinforced their advocacy for holistic patient care and reducing healthcare disparities.

From Salsabeal: “I grew up in the Greater Seattle region and attended the University of Washington, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. I am committed to serving patients holistically, especially those in medically underserved populations. I find all areas of medicine fascinating, but I am interested in internal medicine. This grant provides me with more motivation and confidence, pushing me to strive even harder toward my goals.”

Luis Sanchez – from the University of Washington School of Medicine: Luis is proud to be a Latino immigrant from a family of migrant farmworkers. His personal experiences have fueled his dedication to increasing healthcare access for underserved communities.

From Luis: “I am deeply honored to receive the King County Medical Society Community Foundation (KCMS-CF) Grant. As a second-year medical student and the first in my family to graduate from high school and university, this achievement holds special significance for me. My journey from being a first-generation immigrant from Mexico to pursuing a career in medicine has been driven by my personal experiences with healthcare disparities, particularly those faced by migrant farmworkers and underserved communities.
Growing up, my family worked as seasonal migrant farmworkers, and I witnessed firsthand the challenges of accessing quality healthcare. These early experiences ignited my passion for medicine and my commitment to addressing these inequities. My work at Sea Mar Community Health Centers, along with my teaching and volunteer experiences, has further solidified my dedication to serving marginalized populations, including immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. Receiving this grant is not just a milestone in my education but a validation of my commitment to becoming the first doctor in my family. It empowers me to continue working toward a future where everyone, regardless of their background, has access to the healthcare they need and deserve.”

Gabriela Gomez – from Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences:Gabriela’s experience as a bilingual interpreter and her involvement with the Flying Samaritans at UCLA exemplify her commitment to cultural representation in healthcare. Her work as a clinical coordinator and scribe highlights her dedication to improving healthcare access for all.

From Gabriela: “Growing up in an inner city in Los Angeles, CA, I became accustomed to seeing the effects of inequality, poverty, violence, and discrimination that impacted most of my community. From a sense of hopelessness to help, I used my desire to bring change to communities like my own and fueled it into finding resources and opportunities to improve my professional development. Along my journey, I had the fortune to be a part of amazing organizations where I could not only expand my skillset but bring medical care to some of our most vulnerable communities. As a first-generation Latina, I carry my culture with me and use my lived experiences to connect with other like me who dream to become the first doctors in their family. My aspiration as I prepare myself to become a medical doctor is to bring representation and improve access to medical care for marginalized communities. In addition, I want to demonstrate to students, who like me, come from academic institutions with limited resources and poor academic success that entering higher education and professional careers is not just a dream but attainable… With this grant, I now feel less of a burden on budgeting and planning for unexpected emergency and can channel those fears into training to become a well-rounded physician and volunteer with organizations to continue to advocate for increased representation.”