Sherif Ibrahim
“In the hospital I would see these individuals running around in long white coats, what I thought to be capes at the time for the super hero endeavors. As I grew older, I found that they weren’t real super heroes but their accomplishments still sounded like they were to me.”
Why did you want to become a doctor?
So my initial exposure was with my father, a biomedical engineer. We couldn’t always find a baby sitter/day care so I would tag along with him. In the hospital I would see these individuals running around in long white coats, what I thought to be capes at the time for the super hero endeavors. As I grew older, I found that they weren’t real super heroes but their accomplishments still sounded like they were to me.
Why did you choose WVU?
WVU was very enticing for me. I knew I wanted to be close to my family and it was an added bonus on interview day when I saw how welcoming the School of Medicine family was. It was a perfect fit.
What residency program are you hoping to match into?
Pediatrics.
What do you plan to specialize in?
I hope to pursue a Gastroenterology fellowship after residency:
- To help children who are afflicted by GI diseases that are life changing
- It’s always fun pulling up the Bristol stool chart and asking kids “so what’s your poop look like?”
What was your most memorable moment from medical school?
It is difficult to pick one but I’d say the memories of a group I was president of called CATALYST. We would visit elementary schools and bring cadaver specimen, ultrasounds, doctor tools, and teach them about health. Seeing children find a new found love for something is beautiful.
What advice would to give to anyone considering medical school?
First, congratulations on realizing that medicine is the best field to go into. Completely unbiased, obviously. Seriously, at one moment medicine can be the most beautiful thing when you see one your extended stayers leave but moments later see another patient take their journey from this world. Emotionally it can be a rollercoaster, so I would suggest shadowing physicians and asking tough questions. Seeing different fields will help answer the question if you are willing to put in the hard work for it to pay off. Life long learner. Know what you are signing up for.