{"id":29751,"date":"2023-09-22T12:22:52","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T19:22:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/?p=29751"},"modified":"2025-06-15T11:40:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-15T18:40:21","slug":"on-the-path-to-pre-med","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2023\/09\/22\/on-the-path-to-pre-med","title":{"rendered":"On the path to pre-med\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Growing up, Amina Hilfi (Health Studies, \u201923) was always fascinated by those who had chosen to dedicate their careers to helping others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI would see a firefighter and think \u2018That\u2019s so cool, they get to help others and save lives.\u2019 Or I would go to a doctor and think, \u2018I want to do that, I want to have an impact on a patient\u2019s life,\u2019\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a young age, she also set her sights on a career in health care. She pursued various avenues \u2014 such as a nursing assistant course in high school and volunteering at a dental clinic in downtown Seattle \u2014 but she didn\u2019t quite find an inspirational spark to motivate her one way or another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t until she found herself in the patient\u2019s seat at Seattle Children\u2019s Hospital that she decided pediatrics was her true calling. Little did she know she would someday return to the same hospital as a summer scholar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A running start<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hilfi\u2019s parents emigrated from Iraq after facing tough times due to war. Seeking stability and a better future, they moved to Jordan, where Hilfi was born. The family then moved to Seattle in 2012, again seeking a better future and more educational opportunities for their children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy parents both graduated from high school, and they didn\u2019t have the opportunity to go to college and achieve their dreams,\u201d Hilfi said. \u201cThey\u2019ve always pushed us to reach for the stars, and their support means everything. I wouldn\u2019t be here without them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hilfi is the oldest of five children and the first in her family to graduate from college. In high school, she participated in a number of student organizations and as many college prep opportunities as she could. She also worked as a peer navigator, helping other students enroll in college and supporting them in their academic journeys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through this work, she visited several schools before she discovered her own dream school \u2014 the University of Washington Bothell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also while attending Chief Sealth International High School, she participated in Running Start at South Seattle College for a year and then completed her associate degree in 2020. After graduating, she applied for UW Bothell\u2019s Health Studies program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Surgery and siblings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At age 15, Hilfi was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Initially, the condition was managed with medication, and she received ongoing treatment at Seattle Children\u2019s Hospital. After she started college, Hilfi\u2019s health began to decline, and it was clear the medication was no longer effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThree years ago, I had life-changing surgery,\u201d she said. \u201cIt opened up a whole new world of possibilities, and I was going after every opportunity I could to solidify this passion [for health care] and follow my heart.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a patient, Hilfi had a front row seat to the world of medicine and patient care. She also had access to medical professionals who could answer her questions about how to pursue a career in medicine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eager to find her niche, she began reaching out to doctors she could \u2018job shadow\u2019 \u2014 exploring specialties such as family medicine, endocrinology and pediatrics. She also started volunteering in the emergency room at Seattle Children\u2019s Hospital and at Harborview Medical Center, where she continues to volunteer today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the main factors that ultimately narrowed her career search to pediatrics was her role as a sibling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeing a big sister, I\u2019ve seen my younger siblings grow up and helped to take care of them and encourage them,\u201d she said. \u201cI like how I can be an advocate for children because they\u2019re so little. They\u2019re not always able to express themselves. It just seems like a fun world to be in pediatrics.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strong community fit<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As a UW Bothell student, Hilfi continued to seek opportunities and resources to help her along her journey. She connected with fellow students pursuing careers in medicine and was a member of the Pre-Med Club. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really a community. We all have aligned interests \u2014 and the mentors, the professors, the students, they\u2019re all here to support one another. They\u2019re sweet, kind-hearted people, and they want to help you succeed,\u201d she said. \u201cI felt really supported. It was also a welcoming environment in that there were other females who looked like me and who were on the same path.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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