Hannah Moriera - Medical Student

The LHS Scholarship Recipient

Class of 2016

Hannah Moreira is a third-year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her interest in medicine was sparked by her father, who completed medical school in Bolivia and worked as a vascular technician at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, nearby where she grew up.   She was fascinated by his ultrasound machine, blood pressure cuff and stethoscope and was always super excited when he brought her to work or took the time to go over his children’s anatomy book.  Hannah never lost the fascination for medicine. 

 

When Hannah was a senior in high school, her father was diagnosed with cancer.   Life became very difficult for her family as they struggled with his illness.   He died the summer after her freshman year of college.   It was very difficult to return to school but her strong sense of pride in who her father was and how he and her mother raised her kept Hannah moving forward.   She often thinks about her loss as she encounters death and illness now.  It is never easy to relive the pain but she does believe that it allows her to feel empathy for and connect with patients and families going through difficult times.        

 

Starting in college, Hannah became very interested in the social side of medicine.  Educating herself on health disparities and getting involved with health advocacy has been an important part of her medical education.  She became the president of Einstein’s Health Advocacy Club and the Community Outreach Coordinator for Einstein's LMSA (Latino Medical Student Association) Chapter.  As Community Outreach Coordinator, she helped start a pre-health club at a nearby high school and connected medical students to Einstein’s Enrichment program, a program for high school students from all over the Bronx.   Although she transitioned out of these positions as she entered 3rd year rotations, she has not left behind her role as health advocate and mentor.  She now sits on Einstein’s Community Advisory Board and Physicians for a National Health Program-NY Metro Chapter Board.  

 

Hannah is very excited to be entering a career in medicine and happy to be receiving her education at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  In addition to a great medical education, Einstein has given her the opportunity to begin addressing health disparities and to work with many surrounding communities.