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Kamara Hyatt, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica but grew up in South Florida, is looking forward to the next step in her medical career. The Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2024 graduate earned her undergraduate degree in psychology at Florida State University and also received a medical assistant certification in her senior year. While attending the Heritage College, she was a Rural and Urban Pathways Scholar and a member of the Student National Medical Association. She matched in family medicine at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati.  

What are you most excited about as you take the next step in your career?

I'm most excited to be finally achieving my goal of giving back to the community and being a source of aid for my future patients. I'm excited to apply what I've learned in medical school and integrate my residency training to work with the people of Cincy. I'm also excited to be joining the 5 to 7 percent of Black physicians in America!

If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be?

Don't be afraid of frustration with the process. There are so many difficult moments but working through them,  I felt a sense of accomplishment and ended up propelling myself further each time. I had to push through obstacles but the time was well spent and I wouldn't go back to change it. 

What led you to a career in medicine?

Funny enough being a child of a Caribbean immigrant, there is a stereotype that we can only be lawyers, doctors or engineers. This way your mom can brag to her family and friends back home. I loved learning and school, so naturally, I chose biology. It turns out I was very good at this and continued all through undergrad and decided to do pre-med. I almost gave up after battling with the MCAT, but working in a family medicine office showed me every day how much I wanted to be a doctor and how much I loved the medical field and interacting with patients.  

How would you describe your time at the Heritage College?

There were challenging moments as I mentioned earlier but those times are outweighed by the wonderful experiences I had with friends and faculty I encountered. Getting to experience the old medical school Grosvenor Hall and then transitioning to the new medical school was a great experience. My time at HCOM was memorable, exciting, full of learning and new experiences and overall worthwhile!

Looking back on medical school, what were your most important experiences?

Well, obviously earning my degree should be my answer, but it's getting to find the family along the way. During these past four years, I have made lifelong friends that I can proudly say will be my fellow peers. What other experience lets you say that most of your friends are physicians? The bonds that I created are the only reason I made it through this time, and I would not give them up for anything. 

Tell us about your inspirations in life.

My mother, she has worked her butt off providing a comfortable life for me here in America and has always cheered me on no matter what I decided to pursue in life. She always knows what to say and knowing I'll be making her proud is what keeps me going in and out of school. 

Who has helped you along the way? Is there anyone you want to recognize?

This list could go on for days because different people aid me through different conflicts inn my life, but I really couldn't make it with the following:  Hashani Hettiarachchi, Vanessa Boateng, Eileen Chen, Rachel McNulty, Kiran Phuloria, Lauren Donavan, my mother again, and my very best friends, Helen Gedeon, Aurelie Gedeon and Dom DuBon.  

What hobbies do you have?

Reading, spending hours on the beach baking in the sun like a true island girl, cooking , laying down and doing nothing but scrolling on TikTok. 

What didn鈥檛 I ask that you鈥檇 like to share?

Medical school was one of the toughest things I've done in life, but I am so happy I decided to invest in myself and achieve my dream! I'm excited for the future and wish the upcoming HCOM classes the best of luck on what's left of their journey.