Hafsah Sarfraz is a senior at Old Dominion University majoring in Biomedical Sciences with a pre-health concentration and minoring in Chemistry. She is determined to be a doctor one day because of the compassionate care she received after a serious car crash that she and her family were in. This tragedy put her on a path towards discovering her passion in life. As an undergraduate student, she is going above and beyond core classes to ensure she gets into medical school and one day becomes a compassionate doctor.
Originally from Pakistan, Hafsah and her family moved to the United States in 2018 to help care for her elderly grandparents. She already had a multicultural perspective on life, being fluent in Urdu and English but conversational in Punjabi and Hindi. As a high achieving student at Freedom High School in Loudoun County, located in Northern Virginia, she excelled academically. However, during her sophomore year in high school, the unthinkable happened during winter break after visiting relatives in Chesapeake.
While sitting at a red light, a driver “rear ended” the Hafsah family vehicle. Hafsah and her mother recovered over time from their injuries, and they persevered. “After the accident, I realized how powerful compassionate medical care can be,” said Hafsah. “The doctors who helped me and my mom recover inspired me, and that’s when I knew I wanted to become a doctor.” The tragedy forever changed her and her family’s lives and set her on a path of discovering her calling for caring for others. Hafsah knew that when it was time to go to college that she had to pick a place that would help her make her dream a reality, and she chose to come to .
“I chose because it's financially affordable,” said Hafsah. “Part of me knew that I wanted to go to medical school, so I wanted to save some money during my undergraduate studies for the journey ahead.” Even more importantly, Hafsah discovered had the major that would get her closer to being a doctor- biomedical sciences with a concentration in pre-health. During her first semester at , Hafsah joined the Pre-Health Club, learning from peers about preparing for medical school interviews and the demands of the healthcare field. Also, she took part in the Emerging Monarchs program where she built connections, gained familiarity with campus resources, and strengthened her sense of belonging.
Her drive only grew from there. In her second semester, Hafsah was accepted into the Perry Honors College (PHC), which opened the path to taking part in her first online research opportunity at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS). Hafsah worked alongside Dr. Michael Martyak and a medical student studying anti-factor Xa levels and clinical outcomes of obese patients taking low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for venous thrombosis (VTE) prophylaxis. That same semester, Hafsah stepped into leadership roles as vice president of the Phi Eta Sigma (PES) Honor Society and secretary of the Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) Honor Society.
In Fall 2023, Hafsah added another dimension to her medical training by enrolling in Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) classes. “At first it was hard to balance with school, but I learned time management, prioritizing, and organizational skills that helped me succeed,” said Hafsah. “There were times when I doubted if I could finish the program; however, now I get a sense of satisfaction because of how fulfilling the clinical experience has been.”
There were two calls she has taken as an EMT that especially stand out to her. The first memorable call was a patient that Hafsah found in an awkward position. “When I found the patient sitting near the edge of the chair, I could see it being a possible fracture, so I immediately stabilized the pelvic and transported her to the hospital,” said Hafsah. “The family members were so thankful we were there,” Hafsah recalled. For the other memorable call, she and her team responded to a patient experiencing chest pain. “She was showing signs of heart related problems, and after quickly assessing her symptoms, I assisted with the medical treatment before taking her to the hospital,” said Hafsah. She and her team got the patient the help she needed in time. “It was these moments that reminded me why I want to go into medicine to help people in their most vulnerable moments,” said Hafsah.
Her academic work at is matched by a compassionate, curious spirit and a creative eye for detail. The news she had worked so hard for came early. “In spring 2024, I got accepted into the Bachelor of Science/Medical Doctor (B.S./M.D.) Early Assurance Program through Eastern Virginia Medical School,” said Hafsah.
Also, in the fall of 2024, she started working in the Lambert Research Group in the Department of Chemistry to gain some more hands-on research experience. “My project is focused on the First Partial Total Synthesis of Triterpenes for potential lung cancer treatment application,” said Hafsah. To gain some shadowing experience, she shadowed a doctor during summer of 2024 at Chesapeake Regional Hospital to learn more about and better understand patient care.
As she nears the end of completing her studies at , Hafsah is thankful to each and every person along her journey who has helped her reach the milestone of completing her undergraduate degree. “ offered me opportunities I couldn’t imagine, a community that believed in me, mentors who guided me, and research that prepared me for my future in medicine,” said Hafsah. Each of these opportunities has shaped me into the person I am today, and I cannot wait to see where this journey will lead me.