Daniel Azzam is a medical student, scientific researcher and writer, and professional freestyle soccer athlete. With nearly a decade writing scientific articles for journals on the mind, brain, and eyes, and possessing a creative style from several freestyle soccer and sports articles in the Daily Bruin, Daniel has a refreshingly energetic voice that shines through in his book Diary of a Med Student. Daniel completed his undergraduate studies in Neuroscience, Spanish Language, and Biomedical Research at UCLA. Currently, he is finishing the final stages of his MD and MBA degrees at UC Irvine before pursuing his dreams of becoming an eye surgeon. He has over a dozen peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals on topics ranging from eye surgery to treatments for brain cancer. Daniel lives as a passionate explorer, ultramarathon runner, and scientist who dreams of discovering novel methods for improving medical services to patients across the globe. Ajay Nair Sharma is currently a senior medical student and business student at the University of California, Irvine. Ajay serves as the Class President and President of the Associated Medical Student Government, as well as a member of the Admissions Committee at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. Through these roles, he has gained superb experience in understanding the challenges faced by the medical student body in all four years of medical school and has become a leader in addressing these challenges. He is the recipient of several awards and an elected member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. As a scientific researcher, Ajay has focused on skin cancer treatment, heart disease, and quality improvement in medicine, with over 20 peer-reviewed publications and counting. In his free time, Ajay enjoys working as a talented medical artist, playing soccer, and traveling the world. He dreams of becoming a dermatologist focusing on the treatment of skin cancer and a leader in healthcare, whereby he will strive to make changes that positively impact the well-being of his patients and the wellness of his peers.
"""This volume had me smiling, recalling my own passage through med school. The entries are haiku-like in their economy, yet speak so eloquently about the experience. The variety astonishes me, as does the ability to capture the challenges and indignities that are inevitable in pursuing this calling, as well as our shock and despair on witnessing human suffering. The wisdom and insight in this collection will surprise you. It bodes well for the future of our profession.""Abraham Verghese, MDProfessor of Medicine, StanfordAuthor, Cutting for Stone ""Diary of a Med Student gives us all an opportunity to read the stories of our colleagues in training and experience their feelings with them. It helps us understand that we are not in this alone, and we are all more connected than we may think.""Saud Siddiqui, MDCo-Founder, SketchyMedical ""Important and relatable. An encouraging reminder for med students and doctors that their experiences matter and that they are not alone.""Dustyn Williams, MDFounder and Lead Educator, Online Med Ed ""This is a beautiful collection of stories about medicine. The heartfelt voices of these medical learners are touching and inspiring.""Jason Ryan, MDCreator and CEO, Boards and Beyond"