Amineta Sy, OMS IV, Named PNWU’s Internal Medicine Student of the Year
The American College of Physician’s has named Amineta Sy, OMS IV, PNWU’s Internal Medicine Student of the Year. Student Doctor Sy began her PNWU studies as a Master of Arts in Medical Sciences (MAMS) student before matriculating to the College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM).
“I was honored and excited about the nomination,” said Sy, admitting that the news of her hard work paying off helped to momentarily dull the stresses of interview season and sub-internships. “The journey has been, and still is, very challenging,” she added.
“I have been quite impressed with Student Dr. Sy since her time as a MAMS student,” said Mark Baldwin, DO, professor and chair of PNWU’s internal medicine department. “She is not only an outstanding student but has an equally impressive journey to PNWU. Her dedication to our mission and compassion for all is truly inspiring.”
Adding to the unfathomable challenge of attending medical school during a global pandemic, Student Dr. Sy has spent her time at PNWU learning English.
“There have been many moments when I have felt very conscious of my accent,” explained Sy, “and fearful of not being well understood by patients and colleagues. Fortunately, since starting my clinical years, my hard work, compassion, and dedication to medicine have overcome all those fears.”
Sy credits those challenges for strengthening her passion for internal medicine, which she has wanted to specialize in since her first day of rotations.
“Amineta Sy is an outstanding young physician in training,” said Dr. Mark Taylor, director of the MAMS program and chief/professor of cellular sciences. “She also has a very interesting backstory and an empathetic heart.”
“I am very passionate about the versatility of internal medicine with pathophysiology and pharmacology, and I thrive on advocating for patients,” Sy explained. “I find value in making sure they feel heard and seen while hospitalized. Also, making sure they are discharged in better health and connected to available outpatient resources. This is particularly important for patients with chronic conditions who are from underserved communities.”
As a French-speaking aspiring physician from West Africa, Student Dr. Sy hopes her experiences will prepare her to not only serve a diverse community and advocate for her patients – both inpatient and outpatient – but also be a mentor to minority students.
Earlier this year, Student Dr. Sy was rewarded three scholarships: The Ohio State University Department of Internal Medicine’s URiM Visiting Student Scholarship; admission to the University of Washington’s Internal Medicine Visiting Scholar program; and the David Satcher Clerkship Program at University Hospital in Cleveland, OH.
“I have been fortunate to rotate in hospitals around the country and get exposure to different patient populations,” explained Sy. “It has been an exciting journey and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.”