HSC Profiles
Baligh Yehia
More than a calling:
Passion for medical education drives Baligh Yehia
Baligh Yehia never hesitates from sharing his opinions on medical education, even when speaking to a roomful of leaders from some of the nation's largest hospitals and medical schools.
As the only student on the American Medical Association's Council on Medical Education, Yehia speaks for every medical student in the country, and it's a job the University of Florida College of Medicine senior takes seriously.
“I'm surrounded by deans of medical schools and they really value the student perspective I bring to the council,” Yehia said. “It's a valuable voice I bring.”
At 24, Yehia is one of the youngest students in the College of Medicine's 2006 class. He was accepted to the College of Medicine through the Junior Honors Medical program, which accepts just 12 promising students a year and allows them to begin their medical training while still technically undergraduates.
A native of Lebanon who grew up in Coral Springs, Fla., Yehia joined the AMA as a freshman and was excited to see the impact medical students could make.
“If we want to create a better health system, it needs to come from the people who are involved,” he said. “This is an avenue to do that.”
Aside from his POsition on the AMA Council on Medical Education, Yehia serves as chairman of the Florida Medical Association Medical Student Governing Council, is co-president of the college's chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honors society, is a class officer and yearbook editor, is a member of the Chapman Humanism Society and helps select future UF medical students on the college's selections committee.
Yehia even found time to play French horn in the UF marching band while an undergraduate and traveled to the Dominican Republic on a medical mission trip. Last year he was inducted into UF's Hall of Fame, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to UF students. And he was one of only 20 UF students recently included in “Who's Who in American Universities.”
The senior, who hopes to pursue a career in oncology and clinical education, says he owes much of his success to his mentors.
“There are a lot of good role models here who demonstrate what it is to be a good clinical educator,” he said. “By helping students become doctors you can impact the lives of thousands of patients.”
