Contact Alana

Summary

Senior medical student pursuing Family Medicine with a commitment to underserved care, preventive medicine, community health, and health equity. My clinical, nonprofit, research, and health-systems experiences have strengthened my interest in advancing primary care through public service, evidence-informed policy, and meaningful community engagement. These experiences align with my AAFP commission interests in Federal and State Policy, Health and Public Science, and Quality and Practice, where I hope to contribute a patient-centered perspective to improving health outcomes and the delivery of family medicine.

Education

University of Illinois College of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Expected 2027
Chicago, IL

Harvard Medical School

Continuing Medical Education: Update on Neurology and Psychiatry of Women
May 2024
Pittsburgh, PA

Illinois Institute of Technology

Master of Science, Biology for Health Professions
2019
Chicago, IL

University of Pittsburgh

Bachelor of Science, Psychology
2015
Pittsburgh, PA

Clinical & Community Medicine

  • Senior Student Clinician
    Chicago, IL
    Dec 2023 – Present

    Provide supervised primary care for underserved patients, including histories, physical examinations, preventive counseling, and care planning.

    Mentor junior medical students and support clinical skills development and patient-centered workflow.

    Lead preventive health education and contribute to service improvement in a community free-clinic setting.

  • Volunteer & Program Coordinator 
    Chicago Pilsen Food Pantry
    Dec 2021 – Present

    Coordinate food distribution and volunteer teams serving underserved Chicago communities.

    Integrate health education and community outreach with efforts addressing food access and social determinants of health.

  • Founder & Executive Director
    Chicago, IL
    Dec 2024 – Present

    Lead nonprofit initiatives focused on health equity, preventive care, public health education, and community wellness.

    Organize health education, screening, and organ and blood donation awareness programs and build partnerships with healthcare organizations and local businesses.

    Develop community initiatives connecting health education with safer housing and broader social determinants of health.

Healthcare Systems, Policy & Quality Improvement

  • Student Research Director
    University of Illinois College of Medicine
    Chicago, IL
    Aug 2020 – 2023

    Developed experience in U.S. healthcare systems, population health, health disparities, and multidisciplinary decision-making.

    Developed a primary palliative care quality-improvement project for Internal Medicine.

    Applied clinician-executive perspectives to population-based care and health-system improvement.

Research

  • Clinical Reasoning in Refractory Catatonia With Elevated Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies
    Chicago, IL
    2025 - 2026

    Case report/manuscript examining refractory catatonia, elevated thyroid peroxidase antibodies, and the differential between autoimmune encephalopathy and incidental antibody findings.

  • Volunteer Research Assistant - MARIGOLD & LARKSPUR Studies
    Chicago, IL
    Sep 2017 - Oct 2018

    Supported positive-emotion intervention research in chronic illness and chronic pain, including participant retention, feedback, and study-platform development.

  • Community-Based Participatory Research - Graduate Research Intern
    Chicago, IL
    Aug 2017 - Oct 2018

    Developed supported-education research for students with disabilities and helped create a mentorship program and handbook.

  • Undergraduate Research Assistant/Fellow
    Pittsburgh, PA
    2013 - 2015

    Contributed to research in social experiences and adolescent substance-use screening, including participant procedures, data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation.

Additional Clinical & Service Experience

  • Atlantis Premedical Surgical Fellowship
    Zagreb, Croatia
    Dec 2021

    Completed 60+ hours of surgical exposure in OB/GYN and ENT, including observation/assistance with deliveries, cesarean sections, newborn care, and operative procedures.

  • Solid Organ Transplant Camp Counselor
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Summers 2011, 2012, 2016, 2019

    Supervised children with liver, small bowel, and kidney transplants and supported age-appropriate independence with health routines and social engagement

  • Student Nursing Assistant
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Jan 2013 - Jul 2014

    Observed and documented patient behavior, supported activities of daily living, and contributed to therapeutic milieu and crisis prevention.

  • Youth Enrichment Instructor & Summer Camp Counselor/Supervisor
    Chicago, IL
    Apr 2016 - Aug 2017

    Directed K-7 enrichment programming and developed behavior plans for youth with specialized intellectual and behavioral needs.

Selected Presentations

"Patient Perspective of Quality of Life during Home Parenteral Nutrition and Post-Transplant in Children and Adults,"

18th Congress of the International Intestinal Rehabilitation Transplant Association (CIIRTA), Chicago, 2023.

"Comparison of Integrated Outpatient Palliative Care with Standard Care in Patients with Parkinson Disease and Related Disorders,"

University of Illinois College of Medicine, 2023.

"A Case Study Highlighting the Importance of Clinical Judgment in the Approach to Treatment of Convulsive Status Epilepticus,"

University of Illinois College of Medicine, 2023.

"Improvements of Care for Heart Failure - Focused on Reduced Length of Stay and Readmissions,"

University of Illinois College of Medicine, 2022.

Professional Organizations

American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)

2024 – Present

Medical Student Forum of Female Sexual Medicine

2023 – Present

American Medical Association (AMA)

2023 – Present

Student National Medical Association (SNMA)

2021 – Present