July Student of the Month: Akram Khiar

Hey Everyone, my name is Akram Khiar, and I am graduating this summer as a Global Disease Biology major. When I transferred to UC Davis, I wanted to do something a little different than a traditional biological sciences major. When I heard about the GDB major and the wide scope of topics it covers, I knew that it was definitely the way that I wanted to go. The One-Health approach and interdisciplinary nature of the program allowed me to see diseases from multiple perspectives such as biology, public health, and epidemiology. Especially post-COVID, I feel like the idea of disease was on a lot of our minds.  I became really interested in understanding how diseases can impact people and their communities, which made GDB stand out for me. One of the things that I have appreciated the most about my time in GDB has been all of the staff and faculty. As a transfer student, I appreciate how supportive and welcoming everyone is.

Outside of the classroom, I am heavily involved in Imani Clinic as the Medical Assistant and Pediatrics/Imani4Youth Specialty Clinic Coordinator. I am also an intern for the UC Davis Sports Medicine Internship, where I get to work closely with Athletic Trainers and Physicians to learn more about dealing with sports injuries, rehabilitation, and patient care. After graduation, I am planning to apply to medical school with the goal of becoming a sports medicine physician.