2022-2023 SOC Fellowship Students
Tiaranesha Jackson
Bio
Tiaranesha Jackson is currently a fourth year medical student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. Originally from the west side of Chicago, Tiara is the first of her immediate family to graduate from high school. Even more, she obtained her B.S. in nanomedicine engineering from the University of Virginia and MPH in epidemiology from the University of Texas School of Public Health. Tiara values education and the access it provides. She notes that her commitment to serving others stems from the great service that others have provided her, and one of her favorite mantras is “lift as we rise”. In her free time, she volunteers at a local free specialty clinic and food pantry for the underserved. Her passion is to advance diversity in medicine through mentorship and advocacy. Tiara is interested in pursuing a career in dermatology with a special interest in autoimmune skin disease, hair disorders, and healthcare disparities. Her ultimate dream is to create or revive a youth center for college preparedness on the west side of Chicago as she knows that the only difference between herself and many others from the disadvantaged neighborhood where she grew up is opportunity.
Tatiana Barrera
Bio
A native of Los Angeles, Tatiana Barrera grew up in a Salvadoran immigrant household where she learned Spanish and developed an appreciation of diverse backgrounds. She attended Pepperdine University as a pre-medical student, graduating Cum Laude with a BA in Religion. Desiring to integrate service and medicine, she then went on to work as a translator and writer for a nonprofit that serves people affected by disability. Tatiana grew in her knowledge of disabilities and chronic health, bringing awareness and resources to communities in need by translating and voicing a Spanish radio program. She is currently pursuing her MD at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine, with designated emphases in Medical Spanish, and Health Equity, Social Justice, and Anti-Racism. Tatiana’s passion to increase diversity is evident in her leadership and scholarly activities. She has served as Co-Chair of the Latino Medical Student Association, a mentor for students underrepresented in medicine through MiMentor, and has assisted in the development of medical school curriculum that addresses health disparities. Her desire is to become a dermatologist that serves patients of color and diverse racial, ethnic, and immigrant backgrounds, through cultural competence and humility, leadership, advocacy, diversity efforts, and clinical research. As such, she will be completing a research year with Penn Medicine’s Dermatology Department as a Skin of Color Pre-Residency Research Fellow. On her free time, you can find Tatiana training her rescue dog, running at sunset, or cooking a family recipe while singing along to Latinx music.
Yacine Sow
Bio
Yacine Sow is a third-year medical student at Morehouse School of Medicine. She attended Brown University where she obtained a Bachelor’s in Public Health and Health and Human Biology. Her research has focused on developing and evaluating interventions to improve access to care and reduce health disparities among the most marginalized communities. As the oldest of three, she is passionate about mentorship and leadership and serves as a peer mentor, leads several community service initiatives, and directs a free health clinic. She hopes to find a confluence of her interests as an academic dermatologist focusing on health disparities, Skin of Color, and Hidradenitis Suppurativa.
Christopher Wachuku
Bio
“Christopher holds both a Bachelor of the Arts in Biology from Rutgers University and a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences from Drexel University. He is currently a rising 4th year medical student at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. His areas of interest within dermatology include but are not limited to skin of color, cutaneous oncology, and complex medical dermatology. Outside of dermatology his interests include health communication and leadership. When he isn’t studying, he enjoys keeping physically fit, spontaneous adventures, and traveling to far-off, new places (pandemic permitting).”