Jimmy To

Jimmy as a medical student

Jimmy as a toddler

• A few basic facts about me:

  Pronouns: he/him

  I’m currently an OMS3 at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine.

• What kind of identities do you inhabit?

  Vietnamese-American, first-generation college graduate, male

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

  I come from a Vietnamese family. My parents were intelligent individuals growing up who aspired to acquire higher education to help advance society. The Vietnam War prevented them from doing that. My father was enlisted as a soldier for the South Vietnamese army while my mother had to sacrifice her education to earn money for my family during the war, all the while taking care of my two older brothers who were only infants at the time. It was not until 1990 when my parents were able to immigrate to the United States to start a new beginning for the family with me coming in the picture a couple of years after. Growing up, my parents instilled in me the importance of giving back to those around me. I started out by doing some local volunteering including helping at a public library as well as a senior citizen home. I found the humanistic aspect of community service rewarding and therefore decided to be more involved with medical-related activities. Throughout college, I started volunteering in patient care both here in the states as well as abroad including the country of Vietnam. These experiences exposed me to the many inequities that are present in healthcare, including the lack of accessibility to care that is experienced my millions of people around the world. I vouch to continue my pursuit for higher education to help address these inequities in medicine, just as my parents aspired to use their education to give back to their community.

• Can you describe a challenging moment in medicine that made you rethink your career path?

  Something that I have struggled with in the past is standardized examinations and the MCAT was no exception. I did not do particularly well on my first attempt on the exam and that made me really question if medicine was the right path for me. I felt discouraged, but I was very fortunate you peers and mentors around me who invested in my well-being and success. They reminded me that my ability to provide patient care should not be dictated by how well I do on a test but rather my passion for helping others. That motivated me to keep pushing and I would not have been where I am today in medical school without their advice and support.

• Why are you interested in this organization?

  Like many other areas of medicine, inequities and barriers to healthcare are widespread in the field of PM&R. This can be addressed by building a platform for underrepresented people to voice their perspectives and opinions. Representation is important and I think joining an organization such as this will be a great opportunity to share our experiences with one another to facilitate change.

• Can you tell us a little bit of your aspirations - either for your career or for the field of medicine (if you’re a medical student?)

  What attracted me to PM&R is the opportunity to help others attain goals that are meaningful to them. The field of PM&R is vast and I am excited to learn more about it as I continue with my education and training!

• Where can we find you on social media?

  Twitter

  Instagram

Last updated 02/2022