Brandon Goenawan

• A few basic facts about me:

  Pronouns: he/him

  I am currently a first year medical student at UCSF who is interested in finding a specialty where I can develop longitudinal, personal relationships with my future patients and being able to manage patients’ chronic pain seems very fascinating and rewarding to me.

• What kind of identities do you inhabit?

  First gen college student, Chinese Indonesian, and first in my family to become a doctor.

• The path to medicine is not easy. Can you tell us why you decided to pursue it?

  As the son of immigrants, I became an early advocate for my parents’ healthcare as their translator. Moreover, I grew up in an urban underserved area which exposed me to many of healthcare’s inequities. As I grew older, I found that I had a passion for science and helping others. However, it wasn’t until college that my initial interest in medicine became solidified when I found my love for mentorship, teaching, and the continual pursuit of knowledge.

• Can you tell us a moment where you doubted that you could pursue medicine?

  For me, one of my earliest moments of imposter syndrome occurred when I moved away from home to attend UCLA. As a first gen student and the first in my family to pursue medicine, I didn’t exactly feel adept at navigating and succeeding pre-med. At times, I felt just like a number, especially with the competitiveness that college ingrained (ie having to apply and interview for every college organization and campus) at a school that produces the most amount of medical school applicants. On top of the external stress, I felt at times I might not be smart enough. However, I was lucky to have found a solid group of mentors and friends early on, whom supported me and my dreams. I think one of the biggest realizations for me to continue down this challenging and arduous path is the fact that there have been others before me who have shared similar sentiments and have made it, so why can’t it be me. Moreover, I feel I have a calling to eventually return and serve similar underserved communities.

• How do you see a career in PM&R as advancing equity?

  I see PM&R and medicine advancing equity by recruiting more physicians from underrepresented backgrounds and providing more mentorship.

• What would you like to get out of this organization?

  I think it would be super beneficial to increase awareness around PM&R as specialty through providing mentorship, research, and networking opportunities for interested medical students and premeds.

• Can you tell us a little bit of your aspirations - either for your career or for the field of medicine/PM&R?

  In my free time, I love to weight lift which has shaped a large part of my identity as I believe our physical health is one of our most important assets in life. My goal is to be able to promote a healthy active lifestyle for my patients not just through my medical knowledge but also through my actions as an exercise enthusiast. I feel like medicine and PM&R will allow me to do just that as I help patients return to their quality of life.

Last updated 12/31/21

Brandon as a medical student

Brandon as a baby