Liliana Ramos
As she prepares for a career in healthcare, Liliana Ramos is taking advantage of every opportunity she can to challenge herself and reach her goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon. From taking on leadership roles in student organizations to networking with physicians and others in the field, she’s making all the right moves.
Interview by Jordan Ferguson
Tell me about yourself and how you got to Georgia State?
I had thought about attending Georgia State for quite a while. One of my middle school teachers who attended the university recommended it to me, so it has been on the top of my mind for a while. I’m a pre-med student majoring in biology, and plan to pursue medical school afterward.
What type of activities are you involved in on campus?
I am the programming director for College Girls Rock, an organization where girls get together and help each other out. We have various events such as game nights and things like that. I’m also the vice president of UNICEF at Georgia State University. I aspire to be a pediatrician — working with kids is my goal — and the organization has enabled me to help other kids and learn more about their situations.
And I’m also the outreach coordinator for Medical Students Making a Difference. We just took a trip to Washington, D.C., back in May to talk to governors about different healthcare disparities — things that not only patients face but physicians as well. Recently, I’ve been working to establish a Latino Medical Students Association (LMSA) chapter at Georgia State. I didn’t know LMSA existed until last year, when I attended a conference and saw that it had several chapters throughout Georgia.
I also collaborated with my classmates to establish the Pre-Medical Mentorship & Clinical Program (PMC P), a mentorship program that helps students find shadowing opportunities around the community, which has turned out to be highly successful. Last semester, many students in our program had the chance to shadow in various departments in hospitals across Georgia, including Grady, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Piedmont.
How are you balancing all of this?
I’ve always had such a great support system, including my friends and family. My parents always make sure to ask if I need any help with anything. With my friends, I take some time off and hang out with them, even if it’s just getting dinner or dessert downtown. However, I always make sure to prioritize school. If I know I’m getting too busy, I make sure to let my team know. I always prioritize my classes, because maintaining a high GPA for medical school is really important to me.
What drew you to want to become a pediatric surgeon?
I love to answer this question! I am actually a cancer survivor. As an infant, I had fibrosarcoma and had a tumorous mass on my left wrist. Luckily, with chemotherapy and different surgeries, I survived. My case was really rare because that type of cancer isn’t seen in infants. Several surgeons across different states came together to come up with a plan for me and helped me survive it. So, that is why I want to do pediatric surgery. I’ve always had this little fire inside me to help others as I have been helped.
What advice would you give those entering their first year of college, specifically at Georgia State?
My advice would be to take advantage of every opportunity you get, whether it’s something big or small, because you never know who will be there or what other opportunities will be waiting for you. Join different organizations, and attend meetings and different events that Georgia State hosts. Make sure you talk to people. Make friends, talk to your professors, attend office hours and make those connections. They can help you whether you know it or not. Join The 1913 Society. I just started, and it’s amazing. I’ve already made so many connections and met so many people. It’s been such a nice journey so far.
I feel like some people don’t step out of their comfort zone and they may be shy, but I think college is the perfect place to do that. Everyone is learning. No one is going to judge you for wanting to do more. So, just take advantage of those opportunities. I feel like there’s no place like college to do that.
