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Name: Abhishek Dharan, medical student
Location: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
County Medical Society: Lubbock CMS
Abhishek Dharan, the 2022-23 medical student representative on the TMA Board of Trustees, decided to participate in organized medicine early because he wants to learn how to advocate for the causes important to him: working to improve the health care system for patients and ensuring an adequate number of medical residency positions for Texas medical school graduates to continue their training in-state.
He believes involvement in organizations such as TMA is beneficial to student growth.
“Through the mentorship we receive via organizations like TMA, we can find our voice and learn how to become the physicians we want to be for our patients,” said Mr. Dharan, a medical student at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.
He says TMA membership provides diverse input to leadership, which helps ensure various perspectives are heard. “As a board member, I have been extremely impressed with the multitude of perspectives our physician leadership and staff must consider and respect when leading our profession and patients to a healthier Texas.”
One of Mr. Dharan’s goals while he serves on the board is to address the challenges students face on their path to becoming future physician leaders, especially those who joined school during the pandemic and have struggled as classes went virtual. He said he wants to “push the TMA to continue to invest in mentoring medical students across the state to help them develop into amazing future physicians.”
Mr. Dharan has been a TMA member throughout medical school. Before he joined the TMA board, he served as a co-chair of the TMA Medical Student Section. He also chaired the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates’ medical student delegation from Texas and 5 other southern region states in 2021.
Mr. Dharan was the 2020 AMA Student of the Year for the region for his work leading his student peers in advocacy efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The El Paso County Medical Society member is slated to receive his medical degree in 2023.