Rafael Gevorkyan, MSIII
Keck USC School of Medicine
Angela Minasyan, MS II
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Bobak Pourrahimi, MSI
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Saturday November 1, 2025
10am-11:30am PST
Workshop Description:
What does it really look like to go from college or a four-year campus to an 1st year Medical School seat as a first-gen student? In this candid, student-led panel, current medical students from Keck School of Medicine of USC, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, and Saint Louis University School of Medicine share exactly how they mapped prerequisites, built clinical and service experiences that mattered, approached the MCAT with limited time and resources, and turned life responsibilities into strengths on their applications. You’ll hear how they found mentors and recommenders, framed their personal statements and secondaries, chose schools intentionally, and navigated interviews, finances, housing, and imposter syndrome once accepted. We’ll also talk about thriving after the acceptance—study systems, wellness, research and leadership, and building community as first-gen learners. You can come, ask your questions and get answers tailored to your situation. Most importantly, come hear directly from the source instead of second hand or bad information or people that have no clue about the admission process. Whether you’re early in your journey or polishing a cycle-ready application, you’ll leave with practical next steps and the confidence to claim your place in medicine.
About the Speakers:
Rafael Rafik Gevorkyan is a third-year medical student at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, pursuing a career in Urological Surgery. His work focuses on artificial intelligence, surgical innovations, and cancer therapies, including bladder, prostate, and other urological cancers. He has contributed to integrating AI into medicine and advancing surgical techniques in urological oncology.
Rafael earned a Master’s degree in Biomedical and Translational Science from UC Irvine, where his thesis investigated PSA doubling time kinetics for prostate cancer management. He has authored 6 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to 2 book chapters, and presented over 30 abstracts at professional societies. His presentations include appearances at national and international conferences such as the American Urological Association (AUA) and European Association of Urology (EAU).
Rafael’s achievements have been recognized with awards such as Best Poster at the 2024 American Urological Association Annual Meeting, Best Male Surgery Abstract at the 2023 World Meeting on Sexual Medicine, and Best Poster in Adult Urology at the 2023 North American Robotic Urology Symposium.
In addition to research, Rafael is involved in education and leadership. As board member of multiple community organizations, he mentors pre-health students and has delivered more than 20 invited lectures on clinical research and medical education. He also co-hosts the MedHeadz Podcast, a platform designed to support students in their academic and career journeys.
Angela Minasyan, a native of the Burbank–Glendale area, completed her B.S. in Psychobiology at UCLA. She is pursuing her M.D. at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA as a member of the Class of 2028.
Bobak Pourrahimi completed a Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is now a first-year medical student at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, where he is beginning his clinical and scholarly training.
Register for Free:
What: First-Gen, First In: Med Student Stories from Keck, UCLA & SLU
When: Saturday, November 1, 2025, 10 AM (Pacific Standard Time)
You will receive an immediate email confirmation of your registration from Zoom. PLEASE check your SPAM or JUNK folder, as the email might be directed there. Additionally, you will receive an email reminder from Zoom ONE hour before the event, sent to the same email address you used for registration.
