ElevateMeD Scholar: Samantha Rosa
Meet Samantha Rosa
ElevateMeD Scholar 2023-2024
Samantha Rosa shares what inspired her to pursue medicine, the cost to do so, and what pushes her to keep going.
Interview conducted by: Keiona Eady, @TheAuthenticMessenger
Video editing by: Deanna Reid, @TheSocialPhotog
Hometown: West Deptford, New Jersey
Medical Education: Cooper Medical School at Rowan University
Undergraduate Education: Montclair State University in Biological Sciences
Current Career Plan: I am currently enrolled in a 3-year Primary Care program, where I will complete a residency in Internal Medicine at Cooper University Hospital. Following completion of my residency training, I plan on practicing primary care in Camden, NJ serving the community I love so much. More recently, I have gained interest in Women’s health and the healthcare disparities that disproportionately affect minority female-identifying populations (ex. Vaccination rates, STI rates, maternal mortality, poor fetal outcomes). Additionally, I hope to participate in DEI initiatives to recruit and guide underrepresented students, advocate for underserved populations and participate in research dedicated to accurately reflecting the health needs of underrepresented communities.
Specialty Interest: Primary Care
I am most proud of being a first generation college graduate Latina mother in medical school, and paving the way for younger generations.
You might be surprised to know that I love learning about different cultures, religions and languages. During my undergraduate career, I was offered a scholarship to major in religious studies. However, I denied the offer because I was more interested in the sciences and pursuing medicine. Additionally, I minored in Arabic language and culture during my undergraduate education. Many of the Arabic students in that program didn’t believe I wasn’t a native Arabic speaker, because my accent was so good.
ElevateMeD is… the change I want to see in the world. ElevateMeD’s mission, vision and values are all causes I stand for and have worked so hard towards during my medical education. ElevateMeD will allow me to network with like-minded individuals and work with them towards the goals we hope to achieve in the future of medicine.
