{"id":197508,"date":"2024-05-14T12:53:50","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T22:53:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=197508"},"modified":"2024-05-15T11:20:41","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T21:20:41","slug":"covid-era-md-graduates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/05\/14\/covid-era-md-graduates\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-era MD<\/abbr> graduate\u2019s inspiring journey"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Maveric Abella with former JABSOM Dean Jerris Hedges at the White Coat Ceremony in 2020.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maveric Abella is a spring 2024 graduate of the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa John A. Burns School of Medicine<\/a> (JABSOM<\/abbr>) who entered medical school during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Abella’s path to becoming a physician has been marked by a series of transformative experiences and a deep-rooted commitment to serving her community.<\/p>\n

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Abella with the newborn baby she helped deliver during her OB-GYN. rotation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Her passion for medicine was ignited during her high school years at Kamehameha Schools, where she interned at the UH<\/abbr> Cancer Center<\/a>. Initially drawn to clinical research, she found her interests shifted toward engineering during her undergraduate studies at Columbia University in New York City. However, it was a research expedition to the Marshall Islands, assessing the aftermath of nuclear tests, that pushed her toward a career in medicine. Witnessing the lack of healthcare access in rural communities left an impression on Abella, inspiring her to pursue a path focused on patient care.<\/p>\n

“I wanted to know what patient care was like, getting to know patients on a one on one level, treating people. I think that was lost in engineering for me. It was very much a lot of research and development and you never really got to see the end result of that,” said Abella.<\/p>\n

Entering JABSOM<\/abbr> in 2020 during the pandemic, Abella’s resilience and dedication were further demonstrated as she embraced the challenges of virtual learning and adapted to the evolving healthcare landscape. Despite the obstacles, she found fulfillment in her clinical rotations, particularly during an OB-GYN rotation where she assisted in delivering a baby. <\/p>\n

Check out more stories of our UH<\/abbr> spring graduates<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

“Just establishing that rapport pretty early on and then actually being able to help deliver that baby, it just felt like it all came full circle,” she said.<\/p>\n

Inspiring parents, upbringing<\/h2>\n

As Abella prepares to embark on the next phase of her career with a residency at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles specializing in orthopedic surgery, she reflects on the influence of her upbringing and family in West Oʻahu<\/span>. From her father’s unwitting influence during their home renovation projects to her mother’s support, Abella credits her family for nurturing her passion and determination.<\/p>\n

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Abella receives her k\u012bhei at the MD K\u012bhei Ceremony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She plans to return to Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> to practice medicine to give back to the community that shaped her and is grateful for the educational opportunity at JABSOM<\/abbr>, embodying the values of compassion, resilience and community engagement that define her journey.<\/p>\n

“I think it\u2019s something so special to be able to talk and learn medicine and treat people from your community,” said Abella. “Really, the kind of doctors that I shadowed at Queen\u2019s West and the surgeons\u2014that\u2019s exactly who I wanted to be. And I knew I could do that if I went to medical school [at JABSOM<\/abbr>].”<\/p>\n

Read more at JABSOM<\/abbr><\/a>.<\/p>\n