Rian Kabir ’16 has made the most of his four years at Randolph-Macon College. He participated in an internship, conducted scientific research, traveled to Japan, and held a part-time job at a hospital—all the while setting his sights on a career in medicine.

Kabir, a biology major and chemistry minor from Portland, Oregon, will attend The Virginia Commonwealth School of Medicine this fall in conjunction with RMC’s Preferred Applicant Track Agreement with VCU. He is considering a career in psychiatry or neurology.

Getting The Edge on a Healthcare Career
Planning for a medical career requires discipline, hard work and guidance. Kabir benefited in large part from The Edge, RMC’s four-year career program that gives students a competitive advantage in the job market or graduate-school admissions process. Workshops, internships, one-on one advising, a career and networking Boot Camp, and a host of other resources ensure that students who graduate from RMC are lifelong learners who can think critically and adapt to new situations.

During his freshman year, Kabir did an internship at Richmond’s Memorial Regional Medical Center, where he shadowed a variety of doctors from different specialties. The experience opened his eyes to how diverse the field of medicine really is. He also worked with Josh Quinn, medical careers coordinator for The Edge.

“I met with Josh several times per semester,” he says. “He provided some very useful guidance, and he was a huge help in helping me work out the details about VCU’s Preferred Applicant Agreement.”

Research + Mentorship
In 2014, Kabir participated in RMC’s Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program.

“My SURF experience showed me how valuable scientific research can be,” says Kabir, who worked under the guidance of Biology Professor Grace Lim-Fong.

“We researched the gene expression of a bacterial symbiont that lives in the marine invertebrate Bugula neritina,” explains Kabir. “I specifically examined the RNA of samples we had collected from the Eastern shore. Professor Lim-Fong was an amazing research mentor; she provided guidance but allowed me to work independently.”

Hands-on Training
For the past several years, much of Kabir’s off-campus time has been dedicated to his job as an Emergency Department scribe at St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, where he does charting for Emergency Room doctors.

“I work 20 hours a work, which is a real time commitment for a full-time student,” says Kabir. “But it’s a great way to gain experience. I have become very familiar with medical terminology, the presentations of many acute medical issues, and the workload that ER doctors face on an average day.”

Academic Excellence
Kabir is one of seven Wornom Fellows—students who are benefiting from the kindness of a generous donor. The Dr. Paul H. Wornom Pre-Medicine Endowment was established in 2011 with a $3 million gift from the estate of Dr. Paul Wornom ’37. The gift provides full tuition pre-med scholarships to RMC science students who excel academically.

“I am proud and honored to be a Wornom Fellow,” says Kabir. “The fellowship has given me many connections and opportunities that I am immensely grateful for. I met with alumni who are health professionals; received assistance with the MCAT; and built a network that I can count on for both my personal and my professional life.”