Annual Pub 2023 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 27
he did for patients had a huge effect on me …
I remember this woman who had rheumatoid
arthritis, who was in a wheelchair and had a
di٠恩cult time even doing the simplest tasks
– whether it was getting from place to place,
combing her own hair, or even going to the
bathroom without help. Within a year of
treatment and care, she was able to cook for
her husband and walk around her apartment.
She told me that the doctor gave her her life
back … I thought this is the kind of thing I want to
do for people. It made me 昀nd my own passion
for medicine … It’s a life that has meaning.”
P H O T O : J O S H H A W K I N S / U N LV
SUMMER 2023 MAGAZINE
Because of her academic performance,
however, medical schools weren’t opening
their doors to her. To show that she was now
on the right path, she pursued, and received,
a master’s degree in anatomical sciences at
Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee,
which was also the home of DeBusk College
of Osteopathic Medicine, where she would be
admitted in 2016. There, she developed a strong
sense of self-con昀dence, excelling academically
and in extracurricular activities. She became
vice president of her class and graduated
with honors. “I worked so hard, fueled with the
resilience that I had gained by every failure I had
as an undergrad.”
“I know it sounds unusual, but I do not feel work
stress or burned out. I almost didn’t become a
doctor, and that is a driving force to help me keep
a positive attitude and maintain motivation.
Being in the position I am is a blessing that I
don’t take for granted.”
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S A D A F FA K H R A , D O
Returning to Las Vegas in 2020 for a residency
in internal medicine through the Kirk Kerkorian
School of Medicine, Dr. Fakhra, who plans on
pursuing a fellowship in cardiology following
her stint as chief resident, 昀nds true purpose in
the 80-hour work weeks she has as a resident.
