About
Stefanie Gopaul grew up in the small city of Mount Vernon, New York. Although she has many wonderful memories of her hometown, she recalls how the socioeconomic factors in her neighborhood dramatically influenced the health and quality of life of those in her community. Through her volunteer work in high school, Stefanie became more aware of the health disparities within underserved communities, leading her to a career path of practicing medicine in those communities. After high school, Stefanie received a scholarship to attend the University of Southern California (USC). Although nervous about leaving her family and friends, she ventured to the West Coast to follow her dreams of becoming a physician. At USC, Stefanie completed her pre-medical coursework, while mentoring inner-city elementary school students, volunteering at the Norris Cancer Hospital, and conducting molecular biology cancer research. She graduated from USC in 2010 with a B.S. in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and a B.A. in Biological Sciences. After college, Stefanie completed the UC Davis School of Medicine Postbaccalaureate Program in 2011, and in 2013, she was accepted into the Charles Drew University/David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, PRIME program. Through the PRIME program, Stefanie helped to implement a mentorship program working with underserved youth in Highland Park. She currently serves as the Mentorship Chair on the UCLA PRIME Council and will serve as the LMSA Lennox Health Fair Co-Chair for the 2013-2014 academic year. Her goal is to become a primary care physician working to enhance the quality of care provided to patients in medically underserved communities.
Undergrad Institution: University of Southern California
Hometown: Mount Vernon, NY