Naveria Ammad

Internal Medicine UPMC Mercy Hospital & Published RLRA Paper

“I completed my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University in Canada, and then applied to MUA to pursue a Medical Degree. I chose MUA because of the positive feedback I received from fellow Canadians who were also on the same career path.”

Naveria entered in MUA’s Pre-Med program, which she felt gave her a solid foundation before entering Med 1. “The Gateway Program was a great opportunity for me to establish efficient study habits and acquire basic medical knowledge. This gave me a lot of confidence before starting Med 1. I was also able to build relations early on with upper med students and professors who helped me tremendously throughout my time on the island.”

“My favorite was the anatomy class. All students were given ample time to explore and learn in the lab which was truly a great hands-on experience.” Naveria was particularly struck by the friendliness of the professors, and the fact that they really were involved with the students. “ There were so many external resources available for the students outside the classroom which I really appreciated. I was actually a part of a new one-on-one student tutoring program initiated by my fellow classmate. I got the opportunity to tutor students in Biochemistry who reached out to me for help. It was a humbling and rewarding experience.”

Once she completed her Basic Sciences work, Naveria started to work on her “Research: Literature Review and Analysis” (RLRA) paper, which was ultimately selected for publication. A unique and integral part of the MUA curriculum, the purpose of the RLRA is to further develop a student’s ability to evaluate and assimilate scientific evidence. Her research paper, entitled “Comparative Efficacy of Pharmacological and Nonpharmacological Interventions in Managing Primary and Secondary Outcomes of Fibromyalgia Syndrome” was published in the Michigan State University Medical Student Research Journal. Says Naveria… “The topic was intriguing to me, and I was drawn to research something that I did not have much knowledge about. It isn’t particularly considered a high-yield topic, but it is very important to know about because you see it numerous times as a clinician”.

Matching into her top choice, Naveria will begin her Residency in Internal Medicine at UPMC Mercy Hospital, in Pittsburgh this June. No doubt her research work will bear fruit in her residency!