Rita Miwalian
Pasadena,CA
Summary
I am a third-year medical student with a growing interest in internal medicine and dermatology. I am dedicated to contributing meaningfully to my team by maintaining a strong work ethic and fostering a collaborative environment. My commitment to learning and practicing evidence-based medicine drives me to deepen my understanding of pathophysiology and refine my clinical skills. My curiosity about disease processes has inspired me to author several case reports, including a rare case of perianal basal cell carcinoma encountered during my surgery rotation. I approach my training with humility, dedication, and compassion as I work toward becoming a well-rounded and empathetic physician.
Beyond academics, I am actively involved in community service. I was honored with the Dr. Pete Frelinger Family Award for my commitment to service, including extending WesternU’s Health Career Ladder to incorporate an educational wing dedicated to delivering dermatology lectures prepared by the American Academy of Dermatology to children aged 8-13. I also work with the Pomona Community Health Action Team, providing health screenings and care to the Pomona area. At these free clinics, I help familiarize patients with common skin conditions and educate them on the warning signs of skin cancer to minimize the burden of disease. Currently, I am collaborating with Impact Melanoma to create public sunscreen dispensers, increasing community access to sun protection and promoting sun health.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Clinical Medicine and Reasoning Teaching Assistant
Western University of Health Sciences
Pomona, CA
08.2023 - 06.2024
- Facilitated small group discussion sessions on various medical topics, examinations, and diagnostic tests.
- Guided students in utilizing patient history and physical examination to formulate a differential diagnosis.
- Supervised and provided assistance to students to improve their physical examination skills.
- Accurately graded and provided feedback on student SOAP notes and assignments, according to criteria established by the instructor.
MedSTAR Volunteer
Western University of Health Sciences
Chino Hills, CA
12.2022 - 04.2024
- Advised students about college, medical admissions processes, and career options related to biology.
- Demonstrated scientific concepts through use of charts, sketches, and other instructional aids.
Research Assistant
Huang Lab | Western University of Health Sciences
Pomona, CA
01.2023 - 08.2023
- Conducted laboratory experiments to evaluate the efficacy of R-Carvedilol in the application of preventing UV-mediated skin damage, inflammation, and tumorigenesis.
- Interpreted results from experiments and surveys to generate meaningful conclusions.
- Performed literature reviews and read primary sources to expand our knowledge and identify pitfalls in experiments.
Medical Assistant
Don Mehrabi MD - Dermatologist | BHSkin
Glendale, CA
11.2020 - 06.2022
- Interviewed patients to obtain medical history, chief complaints and vital signs.
- Documented notes during patient visits and organized charts, documents and supplies to maintain team productivity.
- Educated patients about medications, procedures and physician's instructions.
- Collected and packaging biological specimens for pathology and completed lab requisitions using ICD coding.
- Relayed messages from patients to physicians about concerns, condition updates or refill requests to facilitate treatment.
- Cleaned and maintained medical equipment following procedures and standards.
Physician Shadow
Dennis Holmes MD
Glendale, CA
03.2021 - 06.2022
- Shadowed Dr. Dennis Holmes for over 300 hours to learn about new approaches to treating breast cancer with Cryoablation.
- Learned Cryoablation can successfully destroy cancer cells through osmotic, mechanical, and vascular injury.
- Co-authoring a paper on the efficacy of cryoablation in treating larger, multifocal or multicentric breast tumors.
Metabolic Biochemistry Instructional Assistant
UC San Diego
La Jolla, CA
09.2019 - 12.2020
- Hosted weekly hour-long discussion sections for over 30 students.
- Helped students master learning concepts through one-on-one and small group tutoring during office hours.
- Evaluated individual student needs and assessed academic and social situations to address challenges and goals.
- Contributed to positive, educational setting by delivering gentle discipline and promoting student success.
- Hosted review sessions for over 400 students before the midterm and final examination.
- Graded and assessed midterm and final exams.
Palomar Pathmaker Intern
Palomar Health
San Diego, CA
04.2018 - 05.2020
- Interned in departments such as Medical-Surgical Telemetry, Cardiology and Outpatient, Surgical and Trauma ICU, Emergency Department.
- Assisted patients with daily needs such as bathing, feeding, rehabilitation, oral care, range of motion care, ambulation, and taking vital signs.
- Assisted the staff by answering call lights, setting up rooms, stocking supplies, discharging patients, and interacting with visitors and families regularly.
- Shadowed doctors and nurses and assisted with wound care/cleaning.
Research Intern
Makarenkova Lab | The Scripps Research Institute
San Diego, CA
03.2018 - 03.2020
- Contributed to research involving tissue regeneration in the context of Sjögren's syndrome and lacrimal gland inflammation
- Used skills in RNA isolation, immunostaining, RT-PCR, and organ preparation to assist in projects such as characterizing the myoepithelial cells of the lacrimal gland to shed light on understanding the intricacies in the inflammatory cascade.
Peer Advisor (Academic Internship Program)
UC San Diego
La Jolla, CA
09.2018 - 06.2019
- Mentored students to find and succeed in Biology research internships.
- Involved in outreach programs and hosted several presentations and informational sessions to encourage students to apply to internships to solidify their career plans.
- Worked closely with students with diverse backgrounds and goals while honing my team working and inter-professional skills.
- Earned core competencies on my UC San Diego transcript such as Oral, Written, & Digital Communication, Teamwork/Cross-Cultural Collaboration, Professionalism/Integrity, Critical Thinking/Problem-Solving.
Hospital Volunteer
Huntington Hospital
Pasadena, CA
06.2017 - 09.2017
- Improved quality of patient care by engaging with patients and families.
- Reported patient requests, concerns, and other observations to the staff.
- Spent time with patients in need of companionship and emotional support.
- Performed general cleaning duties, keeping work areas clean and organized.
- Helped transport patients and assisted with discharges.
Private Tutor
Unlimited Learning Resources LLC
San Diego, CA
10.2017 - 05.2018
- Tutored high school and college students struggling in various STEM subjects.
- Discovered different ways to teach concepts through demonstrations and visual maps to allow students to understand general concepts
- Created personalized study plans to tackle the student's specific weaknesses.
- Delivered personalized educational, behavioral and emotional support to individual students to enable positive learning outcomes.
Education
D.O. candidate -
Western University of Health Sciences
Pomona, CA06.2026
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry And Cellular Biology
University of California San Diego
La Jolla, CASkills
- Charting experience
- Oral, written, and digital communication
- Teamwork and cross-cultural collaboration
- Analytical thinking
- Teaching
- Time management
Accomplishments
- Dean's List Recognition
- Dr. Pete Frelinger Family Scholarship
- Student Research Fellowship Grant Award (2023-2024)
Affiliations
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association Medical Student membership
- Sigma Sigma Phi Mu Chapter member, a National Honor Society for Osteopathic medical students
- Biomedical and Clinical Research Track member at Western University of Health Sciences
- President of Dermatology Interest Group (2023-2024)
- Vice President of Pomona Homeless Outreach Project (2023-2024)
Languages
English
Native/ Bilingual
Armenian
Native/ Bilingual
Research and Publications
- Shahid, A., Yeung, S., Miwalian, R., Mercado, A., Andresen, BT., Huang, Y. Mitigation of nitrogen mustard-induced skin injury by the β-blocker carvedilol and its enantiomers. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 2023:JPET-PI-2023-001663.
- Ayaz Shahid*, R. Miwalian, B.T. Andresen, Y. Huang, UV-induced sunburn and cutaneous inflammation are attenuated in mice lacking β2-Adrenergic Receptor, Southern California Chapter of the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, October 11, 2023, Carlsbad, California.
- Navasardyan I, Miwalian R, Petrosyan A, Yeganyan S, Venketaraman V. HIV-TB Coinfection: Current Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Interactions. Viruses. 2024 Feb
Certification
- ACLS
- BLS
Hobbies
- Cycling
- Pilates/Lagree
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Clinical Medicine and Reasoning Teaching Assistant
Western University of Health Sciences
08.2023 - 06.2024
Research Assistant
Huang Lab | Western University of Health Sciences
01.2023 - 08.2023
MedSTAR Volunteer
Western University of Health Sciences
12.2022 - 04.2024
Physician Shadow
Dennis Holmes MD
03.2021 - 06.2022
Medical Assistant
Don Mehrabi MD - Dermatologist | BHSkin
11.2020 - 06.2022
Metabolic Biochemistry Instructional Assistant
UC San Diego
09.2019 - 12.2020
Peer Advisor (Academic Internship Program)
UC San Diego
09.2018 - 06.2019
Palomar Pathmaker Intern
Palomar Health
04.2018 - 05.2020
Research Intern
Makarenkova Lab | The Scripps Research Institute
03.2018 - 03.2020
Private Tutor
Unlimited Learning Resources LLC
10.2017 - 05.2018
Hospital Volunteer
Huntington Hospital
06.2017 - 09.2017
D.O. candidate -
Western University of Health Sciences
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry And Cellular Biology
University of California San Diego
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