More than 280 SCU students have been through the Health Care Ethics Internship Program. The Internship gives students the chance to explore firsthand important ethical issues in health care. In addition, Interns meet to reflect on their experiences, discuss classic and emerging issues in bioethics, and offer commentary and reflection about current health care issues and events. Many interns go on to careers in public health, biotechnology, or as health care providers.
Meet the 2023-24 Health Care Ethics Interns
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Bilal Arshadullah '24 Bilal Arshadullah is a senior from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with a biology major and biotechnology minor. Bilal is working towards becoming a physician with possible specializations in anesthesiology or neurology. Primarily, he hopes to become an empathetic healthcare provider who prioritizes patient advocacy and respect. Bilal is excited to participate in the Healthcare Ethics Internship and pursue his goal of becoming a well-rounded physician with a strong understanding of the ethical dilemmas currently facing the healthcare field. Specifically, he wants to explore end-of-life decisions and the implementation of AI in healthcare. On campus, Bilal is a member of the pre-health fraternity Delta Epsilon Mu, an EMT on the SCU EMS squad, and conducts molecular biology research in Dr. Michelle McCully’s lab. Outside of SCU, Bilal also works as a hyperbaric oxygen technician at Bay Area Hyperbarics. |
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Caroline Barbar Askar '25 Caroline Barbar Askar is a Junior from San Jose, California, majoring in Bioengineering with interests in the medical device and pre-med routes. On campus, Caroline is involved in Santa Clara's pre-health fraternity Delta Epsilon Mu and is a student researcher in the Bioengineering Department. Through past shadowing experience, Caroline developed an interest in the application of medical devices in a clinical setting. The development of a successful medical device requires both engineering and clinical expertise, introducing unique communication structures and ethical considerations. Further, Caroline is interested in learning about the various fields in healthcare via seminars, meeting industry leaders and shadowing. |
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Sophia Bouzid '24 Sophia Bouzid is a senior Biology and Public Health double major from the Bay Area. Sophia is an aspiring Doctor of Podiatric Medicine and hopes to specialize in foot and ankle reconstructive surgery. Sophia is interested in the ethics of pain management prescriptions and associated risks of addiction, egg donation in vulnerable populations, and the consequences of gender and racial biases in health outcomes. She hopes to gain insight into the common and exceptional types of ethical dilemmas faced by healthcare professionals as part of the 2024 HCEI! On campus, Sophia conducts research in Dr. Brunauer's biochemistry lab, works with athletes in the sports medicine department of the Athletic Excellence Center, is often a teaching assistant for biochemistry and general chemistry classes, and is a member of the Honors College. In her free time, Sophia enjoys visiting farmer's markets, hiking, and inventing new recipes in the kitchen. |
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Allen Dao '24
Allen Dao is a senior biology major from Sunnyvale, California. At SCU, Allen works as an EMT responding to emergency calls on campus and as a biochemistry tutor with the Drahman Center. He also does hepatology and gastroenterology research at Stanford University, with publications on metabolism and liver disease. Outside of SCU, Allen works with physicians in the emergency room at Regional Medical Center as a scribe. Allen's aspirations gravitate towards a career in medicine that centers on the delivery of ethically sound healthcare. He is motivated to learn as much as he can, collaborate with his peers, and to hone his critical thinking during his tenure as a healthcare ethics intern.
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Neeve Esfahani '25
Neeve Esfahani is a junior from San Diego, California. Neeve is a biology major with a minor in philosophy. He hopes to become a physician someday and is interested in emergency medicine and orthopedic surgery. Neeve intends to be a compassionate and ethically considerate healthcare provider and hopes the Healthcare Ethics Internship will help him achieve this goal. He is excited to discuss ethical dilemmas over the course of the internship, of these ethical dilemmas, Neeve is most interested in end-of-life decisions and autonomy. He is also excited to visit hospitals and see how ethical dilemmas are handled by practicing healthcare providers. Neeve enters the internship program with a limited background in medicine as an EMT with SCU EMS.
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Haley Kerr '24 Haley Kerr is a senior Neuroscience major and Biology minor from San Jose, California. She has been a member of the pre-health sorority Rho Psi Eta since 2022, and is currently serving on their executive board. Off-campus, she is working with Stanford Children’s Health in the Center for Professional Excellence and Inquiry, helping them achieve their mission of supporting the healthcare workforce in order to ensure that patients are receiving the highest-quality care possible. Upon graduating from SCU, she plans to apply for nursing school and continue her lifelong goal of working in healthcare. She is passionate about women’s reproductive health, with an emphasis on supporting them through the journey of childbirth. Haley is thrilled to be an intern with the Markkula Center as she believes that it will help her refine her ethical framework in a way that will improve the care she is able to provide to others in the future. She is committed to being compassionate and reliable in her career and looks forward to the opportunity to further refine her skills through this experience. |
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Anna Ketchum '25 Anna Ketchum is a junior from Tulsa, Oklahoma, double majoring in neuroscience and economics with minors in biology & public health. Over the summer, Anna completed an internship in Barcelona, Spain that was centered around the intersection of sensory activities and neurological development in underrepresented communities. At home, she volunteers at a pediatric doctor's office and works at a local preschool during breaks. On campus, she is Delta Epsilon Mu's social chair, the special events coordinator at the wellness center, a peer health educator, and Red Cross club's secretary. After interning at a local non-profit dental office in high school, Anna became interested in health care reform. Driven by a desire to bridge the socioeconomic gaps within the medical field, Anna hopes to go into Osteopathic medicine in order to encourage and aid patients in developing lifestyles that do not just fight illness, but prevent it as well. |
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Millicent Ku '25 Millicent Ku is a junior from Redwood Shores, California, and is majoring in Biology with a minor in Computer Science. She is on the pre-med track and is an aspiring rheumatologist who seeks to diagnose and provide compassionate, long-term care to patients who have rheumatic diseases. On campus, Millicent is a research assistant in Dr. Bayless's biology research lab, an organic chemistry lab TA, a lab assistant in the chemistry stockroom, and Director of PR in the professional pre-health fraternity, Delta Epsilon Mu. Off campus, she is an EMT. Regarding health care ethics, Millicent is interested in insurance coverage, palliative care, and end-of-life decisions, and hopes as a Health Care Ethics Intern to explore and isolate the idea of justice from other bioethical principles to address the issues that compromise equitable healthcare.
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Addison Lewis '26 Addison Lewis is a sophomore from Bellevue, Washington. She is double majoring in Biology and Environmental Science with a minor in Public Health. They are Pre-Med and hope to become a surgeon. Her interests in ethics surround reproductive rights, such as access to hysterectomy and abortion, and ethics applied to end-of-life care. This past summer, Addison shadowed an OB/GYN at Kaiser to learn more about the application of ethics in healthcare, as well as to explore this as a possible future endeavor. On campus, Addison is the Programming Chair for the Pre-Health Advising Program, as well as the President of Santa Clara Sunrise. In their free time, Addison sings with an acapella group on campus called Audiosync. |
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Tatyana Lum '24
Tatyana Lum is a senior neuroscience and biology major with a Japanese minor. She is from Honolulu, Hawaii and enjoys surfing and baking in her free time. On campus, Tatyana does research with Dr. Chen Lang at SCU surrounding the sex differences in individuals with Autism Spectrum disorder. Back home on Oahu, she volunteers at Kuilei Cliffs, a non-profit ecological restoration organization. She aspires to become a pediatrician that provides bilingual services in English and Japanese. Through the Healthcare Ethics internship, Tatyana hopes gain a better understanding about medical bioethics and how to address any ethical dilemmas in research and patient care that she may face during her career.
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Isa Montes '25
Felicia “Isa” is a junior from Fresno, California. She is double majoring in Ethnic Studies and Political Science. She is passionate about social justice in all of its forms – including health care practices and policies. While her path is not set for becoming a physician, she is interested in law and ethical propositions that are found in health care dilemmas and injustices that folks are facing every day. With the hopes of pursuing a career as a lawyer, Isa looks forward to exploring medical infrastructure that disproportionately harms vulnerable and marginalized groups. On campus, she is an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. James Lai and the Photo Editor of the Santa Clara Newspaper. |
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Michael Nguyen '24
Michael Nguyen is a senior from Milpitas, California double majoring in Neuroscience and Music, with a minor in Biology. On campus, Michael is a research assistant in Dr. Lindsay Halladay's behavioral neuroscience lab, a peer advisor in the Neuroscience department, and a clarinetist in the SCU wind ensemble. Outside of SCU, Michael is a volunteer at the Kaiser Santa Clara Medical Center. Michael plans to pursue a career in medicine as a neurologist specializing in neurodegenerative diseases, but is also interested in anesthesiology and cardiology. Through the Healthcare Ethics Internship, he hopes to explore the physician-patient relationship and gain a better understanding of concepts such as medical aid-in-dying and accessibility to affordable healthcare. Michael is excited to participate in this program alongside a diverse and driven group of peers.
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Joy Peters '25 Joy Peters is a junior from Santa Clarita, CA majoring in public health science with minors in anthropology, sociology, and sustainable food systems. She aspires to one day become a doctor of public health, with interests in health education, maternal and child health, and emergency preparedness/response. On campus, Joy serves on the Executive Board for Rho Psi Eta pre-health sorority, is a Public Health Peer Advisor, and is a member of the Women's Rugby Team. She is excited to embark on this internship to deepen her understanding of the ethical complexities within healthcare and learn how ethical frameworks can inform public health research and interventions.
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Kathryn Rickwa '24
Kate Rickwa is a senior from San Diego, CA, double majoring in public health science and biology and minoring in Spanish. On campus, she is a Community Facilitator in Unity RLC, a research assistant for the JEDI Project with Dr. Alice Villatoro, Lead Peer Advisor for the Public Health Science department, a member of the University Honors Program, and an active participant in various programs through the Ignatian Center. This summer she interned for Santa Clara County’s Office of Gender-Based Violence Prevention and collaborated on a series of guidelines for healthcare professionals to better address gender-based violence and improve patient care outcomes. After finishing her undergraduate work, Kate plans to serve in a community health setting before hopefully attending medical school, with interests in gender-affirming healthcare, gynecology, and epidemiology.
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Sydney Shelby '25
Sydney Shelby is a junior from Chino, California. She is majoring double in biology and public health with a minor in philosophy. Sydney is very passionate about the intersections of medicine and social justice. Some of her ethical interests include artificial intelligence in healthcare, autonomy, reproductive rights, disability ethics, and the allocation of resources within the medical field. Sydney is excited to participate in the Health Care Ethics Internship, as ethics combines her passion for social justice, medicine, and service. She hopes to apply what she learns from students, mentors, and healthcare professionals as she explores different careers in both the contexts of practicing medicine and health law. Outside of this internship, Sydney is also a Department Coordinator for the Health and Disabilities Department of Santa Clara Community Action Program, a research assistant in an undergraduate microbiology lab, a Health Peer Professions advisor, and the Director of Internal Affairs for Delta Epsilon Mu, a coed professional fraternity.
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Nicholas Truong '24
Nicholas Truong is a senior Biology major from Orange County and San Diego, CA. As a patient diagnosed with Russell Silver Syndrome, a rare endocrine growth disorder, Nicholas hopes to make an impact on the rare disease community as a physician. Nicholas' pediatric medical journey and experience with novel treatments has sparked his interest in diagnostics and experimental treatment as they relate to healthcare ethics and physician-patient decision making.
Previously, Nicholas was a 2022 Bioscience Research Scholar at UC Los Angeles and a summer research assistant at UC San Diego on projects seeking to image endogenous RNA with Cryo-EM and modified CAS-9 protein imaging systems. At Santa Clara, Nicholas is the founder of the Recipes for Relief Initiative at the JW House, which provides breakfast and brunch meals for families and caretakers of patients currently receiving acute and trauma Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara and San Francisco Bay Area hospitals.
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2023-24 Honzel Fellow
Shelby Jennett '24
Shelby Jennett is a senior pursuing a neuroscience major and a philosophy minor. She has been driven by a passion for bioethics since high school, where she developed an interest in the ethics of reproductive technologies. Her commitment to this field led her to participate in the Health Care Ethics internship as a junior. This year, Shelby's fellowship project will be centered around advancing the discourse on reproductive health and ethical decision-making. In the future, Shelby aspires to be a physician and use what she has learned from the internship to contribute to a more equitable healthcare system.
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