Commencement Profile: Aishan Shi

Fourth-year medical student Aishan Shi was selected by her peers as the student speaker at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix Class of 2019 Commencement Ceremony on May 6.

“I am incredibly honored,” Shi said. “It is an absolute privilege to have been part of this class for the past four years and to be our voice at commencement.”

Shi’s speech will reflect on the unique character of the Class of 2019, their experiences at the College of Medicine – Phoenix and will look ahead at their careers as physicians.

Shi became interested in medicine while pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona. She had a difficult time deciding on a career path because she enjoyed learning and always looked for ways to integrate and apply knowledge from different fields.

“Ultimately, I found that medicine brought together my interest in science and humanities, as well as dedication to service and sustainability,” Shi said. “The goals of medicine extend beyond the diagnosis and treatment of individuals to educating future clinicians, promoting wellness and prevention, advocating for equity and access to health care, and working toward innovative models of thinking and delivery, all for creating sustainable population health. This is my drive for medicine.”

Shi decided to attend the College of Medicine – Phoenix because of the welcoming and friendly culture. She also heard positive things about the medical school from her best friend, Juliana Liang, who was part of the Pathway Scholars Program and about to join the Class of 2019.

“I had already seen friends at other medical schools start to burn out due to the rigors of frequent examinations and anxiety over the ranking system, so this was my biggest fear before starting medical school,” Shi said. “Insight about the academic environment and support at the college solidified my decision to come here, and I aimed to be a positive contribution to the student body during my time as a medical student.”

During medical school, Shi was involved with various groups. In her second year, she participated as a student leader for a few interest groups, including the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, LGBTQ+ in Medicine, Business in Medicine, Integrative Medical Interest Group and the Medical Student Mentorship Program. In the clerkship years, she served as a class representative, and this year, she served on the Admissions Committee and Assessment and Evaluations Subcommittee. Throughout medical school, Shi aimed to participate in the various arts and humanities programs, such as attending Phoenix Art Museum programs with Art in Medicine, volunteering with the Creativity in Elder Care Program and holding editorial roles for the Differential and ChART Journal.

Shi said there were many fantastic memories during medical school, and she is grateful for the support from her classmates. “Without them, medical school would feel insurmountable,” she said.

Shi would like to thank her mentor Meg Lota Brown, PhD, who introduced her to the people who led her to medicine. She’d also like to thank her family, friends, faculty and staff for their constant support, including her patients and her scholarly project mentor, Jennifer Hartmark-Hill, MD.

“Dr. Hartmark-Hill has been an incredible role model and taught me so much about academic medicine,” Shi said. “The patients I have had the privilege to care for as a medical student continue to motivate me in my career path, and without them, I would have no one to learn from.”

Shi said she is a Wildcat for life. Her entire higher education was completed at the University of Arizona. She completed a bachelor’s of science in molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry with a minor in mathematics, a bachelor’s of arts in English literature with a minor in Spanish and a master’s of business administration. She is excited to continue as a Wildcat with her residency in Internal Medicine at the UA College of Medicine - Tucson.

“This is the next chapter,” Shi said. “If I could do back-handsprings to demonstrate my excitement, I would, but that is not part of my skill set. It's simultaneously daunting and exhilarating to take on the responsibility of being a provider. It's like our class oath states: 'I will always remember the excitement and awe that I felt at the inception of my journey, and it will keep us thriving in this profession.'”