Omer S. Ashruf was recently appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine as a student trustee on NEOMED’s Board of Trustees. The third-year student in the College of Medicine was appointed to a two-year term that runs June 30, 2023 through June 29, 2025.
Ashruf sat down with The Pulse to discuss his role with the Board of Trustees and some of his upcoming plans and priorities.
How did your appointment to the Board of Trustees come about?
My first year of medical school, I was selected as the alternate delegate to the NEOMED American Medical Association (AMA) chapter. I worked closely with student trustee Sanjay Jinka (’23), the AMA delegate at the time, coordinating resolution-writing workshops and hosting meetings for medical students interested in the policy sphere. I distinctly recall him outlining what the Board of Trustees stood for at NEOMED and the community at-large, making note of the fact that his role and leadership within AMA primed him for success to serve in the capacity of a student trustee. Since then, I kept a keen eye out for the application process and am thrilled to be appointed to the Board.
What are you looking forward to most in this role?
I am looking forward to serving as a conduit for the students of NEOMED and playing any part necessary in the advancement of the public services to the greater community. The Board of Trustees presides on more than just the microcosm of NEOMED student and faculty, but also impacts community health partners across Northeast Ohio. Whether it be overseeing fiscal policy and fiduciary obligations, encouraging institutional advancement or supervising existing academic programs within the Colleges, the NEOMED Board of Trustees does it all.
Being able to work alongside the trustee members, heavyweights of their respective industries, while also representing the student body, is a real privilege.
What is your biggest goal as a member of the Board?
As of last month, the Board of Trustees approved the funding and inception of a novel pilot study here at NEOMED for a Certified Mental Health Assistance (CMHA) degree program. In conjunction with the Ohio legislature and spearheaded by President Langell, the CMHA program entails a six-year curriculum that resembles the training of a medical student with a concentration in integrated behavioral health and primary care. As initiatives for the program are being finalized, there is still much work to be done regarding accreditation and fund allocation. I would be ecstatic to take part in the evolution of this pathway program and contributing to an innovative project that will serve as a blueprint for institutions across Ohio.
It is these forward-thinking policy formulations and strategic initiatives which lend legitimacy to the Board and the outstanding work they do.
What inspired you to go into medicine?
Medicine is an incredibly unique and diverse field, and I was fortunate to realize that at an early stage. I appreciated a physician’s ability to follow the health of a patient fully and completely. I also found value in organized medicine and being an advocate not just for yourself but your patient and the community that surrounds you. In sum, there’s no shortage of good that you can do as a physician.
I was born shortly after my dad had immigrated to the U.S. and started his medical residency, so I grew up with a very realistic understanding of what the commitment to the medical field looked like and a role model to emulate.
What do you enjoy most about being part of the NEOMED community?
Call it cliché, but it’s certainly the people. The students, faculty and administration provide a zeitgeist of comfort that makes me proud to call NEOMED home. We have a student populace that is diverse in its makeup, background, experiences and interests. We have a faculty and administrative body which hones this diversity by giving us, the students, different mediums to express it in. Being appointed to the NEOMED Board of Trustees gives me another opportunity to cement myself further within our community for which I am grateful.
Are you originally from Northeast Ohio? What is something you enjoy about your hometown?
I’m from Solon, Ohio, born and raised. It’s a homely suburb of Cleveland, approximately 45 minutes from the NEOMED campus. My family knows well that I’m a glutton for dessert shops, and Solon is home to both Mitchell’s Ice Cream and Malley’s Chocolates, the hands-down best desserts in Ohio – although I may be biased.
What’s a fun fact that most people may not already know about you?
I’m a self-proclaimed culinary genius when it comes to breakfast foods. French toast, omelets, breakfast quiche, you name it. I love to cook for family and friends!