As a young child growing up in Pakistan, Amta Azeem ’25 enjoyed a life of comfort and privilege that her family’s success afforded her. She lived in a world where her needs were effortlessly met and was blissfully unaware of the world that surrounded her. The shelter of that idyllic childhood took a dramatic turn when her family immigrated to the United States when she was only ten years old. 

Upon arriving in the country, a shy Azeem was living in a vastly different reality. In addition to her family’s financial status changing drastically, she could no longer communicate in the new world she was thrust into. 

Although she excelled at school in Pakistan, she was demoted a grade due to her English skills, which only added to the challenges she would face from bullying. “They put me behind by one year because I didn't know enough English, and I faced significant bullying. As a child, I was always picked on because of my accent… English is not my first language. I just decided to remain silent for a lot of years – too frightened to express my thoughts,” she explained with a look of sadness. 

After years of struggling to be comfortable with who she was, things started to change for Azeem in fifth grade when one of her teachers recognized her potential and recommended her for honors courses. She persevered and pushed through a year of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. By middle school, she was enrolled in upper-level courses, which she attributes to paving the way for her to complete 12 AP classes and several honors courses in high school.

“For example, someone very dear to me, Dr. Hamza Masbahi, who has been a constant source of motivation for the past two years, often says, 'Regret is the manifestation of inaction.' Surrounding yourself with positive influences like him provides incredible motivation and serves as a powerful reminder to keep pushing forward — so you live a life with no regrets,” she said fondly.

The Metamorphosis

Although she had lost her voice five years earlier, she began to regain her confidence and sense of self during her sophomore year in high school when she had the opportunity to shadow local cardiologist Dr. Larry Cohen. When most kids her age slept in during their summer breaks, Azeem woke up at
5 a.m. every morning to observe Cohen at his practice. She was able to watch the way he interacted with his patients. She described his appointments with patients as “two friends catching up on life” while examining and making diagnoses. 

“He is one of the most inspiring doctors that I shadowed. He told me that you can’t be a good doctor if you cannot communicate and talk with your patients. A big part of you being a doctor is your ability to understand a patient on a human level,” she said. It was then that she knew she had to find her voice and overcome her social anxiety if she wanted to succeed in life. 

Over the next couple of years, Azeem blossomed from a quiet, timid girl who was muted through bullying to one of the vocal girls in her class. “I’m always asking questions and engaging in class… I always go to office hours and that is the reason why I feel I excel in my academics because of the fact I am asking questions when I am stuck on something,” she cheerfully explained. 

A Future in Plastic Surgery

Acid attacks have become a culturally accepted act of violence as a form of retaliation for rejection, envy, or by an abusive patriarchal male. According to an article written in September 2023 on PulitzerCenter.org, 1,485 cases of acid attacks were reported in Pakistan between 2007 and 2018. These attacks leave survivors permanently disfigured and with lifelong mental trauma.
After watching a television show about the attacks on Pakistani women, Azeem’s concentration shifted to the field of plastic surgery. 

She explained, “It really touched me… I would see the impact plastic surgeons have made on their lives by reconstructing their faces or parts of their body… Not every patient is the same; every case is different. You're going to remember those patients because each one of them has a different story.”Already on an accelerated path in high school with 12 AP classes under her belt, Azeem knew she wanted to go directly into a dual medical school program. After researching several, she applied to Stockton’s Seven-year BS/DO Dual Degree Accelerated Medical Program affiliated with Rowan’s School of Osteopathic Medicine (Rowan SOM). 

She came down to tour the campus with her mother and fell in love instantly with Stockton. She explained, “It wasn't a formal tour; I just came as a regular visitor. People started showing me around, and I felt a sense of community here. They made me feel like family, to be honest, and I didn't feel that in the other colleges that I visited, I sensed a lot of competition. I don't believe in competition, I believe in collaboration.” 

Azeem explained that her visit to Rowan School of Medicine matched her feelings with Stockton. “I visited Rowan SOM, and it was the same. Rowan is a pass/fail school, so you don't see students competing against each other. They’re all helping and engaging with each other… I already knew that medical school would be very rigorous, and I wanted competition to be the least of my worries,” she happily recounted. 

Growing at Stockton

In addition to shadowing different medical physicians over the past several years, Azeem has been busy learning from science faculty through research since starting at Stockton in 2022. Most days you can find her in Chemistry Professor Daniel Ki’s research laboratory experimenting with metal complexes that are fluorescent and can be used as an inexpensive alternative to LED light sources. One invaluable lesson she has learned during her four semesters with Ki is that mistakes in research are a critical step in the learning process. 

She explained, “It's hard for me to overcome and accept mistakes. But research has tremendously helped me to realize mistakes help you grow as a person… I'm making these crystals, and a lot of them are just trial and error. I've learned making mistakes is okay. Ki always emphasizes that a lot of great research comes from mere mistakes.” Like some of the student predecessors before her, she too made an error with the crystals she was working with which made such a significant impact. “I was able to synthesize crystals without knowing any chemical basis of it and based on a mistake in my first semester of research, I've been able to expand on it ever since.”

Outside of classwork and research, Azeem serves as President of the Pre-Medical Club at Stockton. In the spirit of collaboration and building a community, she has been sharing her experiences in shadowing, setting up guest speakers, and creating an MCAT Zoom prep group. If that wasn’t enough, through her tenacity, both in high school and here at Stockton, she has been on an accelerated track and was able to complete her prerequisites required by Rowan SOM in two years rather than three. You would suggest kicking back – not Azeem! She saw potential for a second degree that would help her excel as a physician and also declared a B.A. in Psychology. She is on track to graduate with her B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Psychology in the spring of 2025. 

Her academic journey hasn't been easy. In addition to her school work and on-campus activities, she works as a cashier and a nanny while going to school full-time student. She credits her sucess because of the support of her mother who worked several jobs to support.

References

1. Authors:, Authors M. Acid attacks: Pakistan’s Worst Social Epidemic. Pulitzer Center. September 7, 2023. Accessed September 27, 2024. https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/acid-attacks-pakistans-worst-social-epidemic.

Be open to any experience and new people

“None of the close friends that I have met are in the biology program or want to be doctors. I met my best friend, Alyson Bernaldo, through the EOF program, and she is becoming a teacher. She inspires me so much and is the type of person that will tell me, ‘You made one mistake. In the bigger scheme of things, things are going to work out.’”

Get involved!

"Engaging in activities outside of school helps me stay balanced. Nannying is a perfect example, as I truly enjoy interacting with kids and building meaningful relationships with them. Sometimes, the most profound connections come from people who are entirely different from us. My volunteer work with the Red Cross and the Veteran's Memorial Home has been far more impactful. Responding to disaster calls and forming friendships with the elderly have been some of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. There is a deep joy in giving back to the community, and I hope everyone has the opportunity to feel that sense of purpose."

It’s not all about the “A’s”

“You don’t need to get straight A’s on everything you do. Understand that you need to expose yourself to the magnitude of different things to be a good doctor, and you shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes… Everything is a learning experience, and you just need to be open to trying new things and not have tunnel vision.”  She further explains, “As a student with a 4.0 GPA, grappling with and accepting my errors presents a significant challenge. Yet, it's these very mistakes that have propelled me so far in my journey, leading me to a place of no regrets.”