Darrian Reyes
Student Division Region 2 Director
My name is Darrian Reyes, OMS-3 at Rowan-Virtua SOM in New Jersey. I was introduced to the intricacies of medicine, public health, and health advocacy at an early age with several family members employed in the medical field. As an undergraduate student, I was given the opportunity to serve as a volunteer on a Medical Dental Brigade to Panama. During this brigade, I volunteered in a medical clinic, assisting physicians and pharmacists in providing the community with medications. Heavily impacted by unfamiliar diseases related to living conditions, I was inspired to learn more about public health and its significance in parallel to medicine. I decided to change my major to Public Health, lead a Public Health Brigade the following year, and applied for a Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH). After receiving my MPH, I entered medical school, again, eager to learn about further serving my community; I volunteered at the RowanSOM COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic and currently serve as a committee member at the Rowan Community Health Center (RCHC) and a pre-medical student mentor. I believe that a proper medical education includes learning beyond the classroom and advocating for the community’s needs.