I am a Family Medicine Doctor. Currently in residency in Southern California. My practice of medicine is focused on women’s health and obstetrical care. I have also been volunteering my time to mentor young girls within Compton Unified School District. As well as, spending time finding more ways to incorporate music into medicine. :)
OSA gave me the space to safely be my authentic self. Within this space, I was able to truly visualize the lifestyle and career I seen myself living and doing today. I would share my dream of becoming a doctor with some of my teachers and the amount of support I received further propelled me forward into making my dream a reality.
It means I am a part of a thriving, resilient, creative, and ever evolving community. I am proud to call Oakland my hometown.
Being a part of the Wiz , which I believe was the first OSA performance that was showcased in the Fox Theatre (I think, Lol). Being amongst all of my peers from different emphasis and grade levels felt like being at a huge family reunion. I loved it!
I honestly adored all of my teachers at OSA. But, one of my favorite teachers was Mr. Oz. I was in Mr. Oz's honor's algebra class in 8th grade and also a part of his science class. I never really cared much for science, until I attended his class. I was the type of student that always questioned the knowledge that was being presented to me. I didn't do this to give my teachers a hard time, but I did it out of genuine curiosity. In Mr. Oz’s science class my curiosity was definitely heightened. One day, in the midst of me firing off my questions, Mr. Oz appeared amused and impressed with my questions and thought process. With a warm smile, he said words that I have kept with me to this day, which was, “Mia, you are going to make a great scientist one day because great scientist ask a lot of questions.” I was very flattered and stunned to think that a young black girl from a single-parent home living in Oakland could be considered a member of the STEM world one day. Despite my upbringing, I have always dreamt big, so I did not doubt that I could achieve this goal. However, to have one of my academic leaders also see me in this light made me believe in this goal even more. This moment made me become more open to the world of science. I found my niche in biology and decided to pursue a career as a medical doctor.
