Sat Apr 11, 2026: From Pre-Med to Stanford Med School: Student Panel on the Application and the Reality

Margarita M. Ramirez Silva, MS IV
Margarita is a fourth-year MD student born in Colombia and raised in Miami, FL. While formerly undocumented and homeless, she personally experienced the downstream effects of a broken healthcare system, motivating her to pursue an MPH at Northwestern and to work on diversity initiatives at Stanford. Nowadays, Margarita is interested in reproductive psychiatry and aspires to address the health inequities which most deeply affect Latinos in the United States.

Vanessa Nava, MSIII 
Vanessa Nava is Mexican-American, born and raised in Sonoma County. As the eldest of three, she became the first in her family to attend Uni. 
She graduated from UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition—Physiology and Metabolism. After completing her degree, Vanessa worked as a public health researcher, focusing on skin cancer prevention and management. She also served as a District Representative on the Sonoma County Mental Health Board. Outside of her studies, you’ll likely find her on a trail run, immersed in a book, or enjoying live music.

Katya Vera, MS II
Raised in a single-parent household, Katya Vera was born in Mexico and grew up in the Central Valley of California. As a first-generation college student, Katya attended Princeton University where she studied anthropology and minored in Global Health & Health Policy and Latin American Studies. Weed-out pre-med classes impacted Katya’s pre-med journey but she continued onward due to her desire to confront the Latinx/Speaking-speaking physician shortage and make medicine more equitable. During her four gap years, she completed a pre-med post-bac at Loyola Marymount University and conducted dermatology research through Stanford’s REACH post-bac. She is now a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine and is completing a scholarly concentration in Health Equity and Social Justice. She is passionate about eliminating Latinx health disparities and is a proud member of the Latino Medical Student Association. She enjoys spending time with family, traveling, mentoring students, and blogging on her blog, VerilyKatya.

Lexi Straube, MS II  
A second-year medical student at Stanford School of Medicine, Lexi Straube began her journey toward a career in medicine at Santa Rosa Junior College, where she explored a diverse range of subjects, from zoology to the humanities. These formative years instilled the confidence necessary for her to pursue the dream of becoming the physician she wished had been represented in her community. In 2020, Lexi transferred to Stanford University, where she earned her B.S. in Human Biology: Neurobiology, Behavior, and Health, graduating with honors and a Notation in Science Communication in 2023. During her time at Stanford, she served as President of the Stanford Premedical Association, held leadership roles at Arbor Free Clinic, and conducted a nationwide randomized clinical trial at Stanford’s Mind & Body Lab. As the daughter of parents who did not complete high school and a member of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Lexi is keenly aware of the challenges faced by first-generation, low-income, non-traditional, and underrepresented-in-medicine students. She actively participates in numerous initiatives to support students with these identities. Lexi’s diverse experiences shape her aspiration to become a physician dedicated to empowering patients and advocating for underserved communities.