Miranda Hellman, a recent graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, discussed her journey from working as an occupational therapist to becoming a family medicine physician in a statement released on May 14. After nearly ten years in occupational therapy, Hellman decided to pursue medical school to deepen her understanding of health and expand her ability to help patients.
Hellman said her experience with older adults as an occupational therapist led her to ask more questions about aging and health. “The longer I was working as an occupational therapist with older adults, the more questions I realized I had. I had treated many different patients across the country, and had seen some people aging very well, and others struggling to maintain independence and health,” she said. She added that while occupational therapy provided a strong background in psychosocial and environmental factors affecting health, she wanted greater knowledge about pathology and pharmacology.
She will begin residency training at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley, California as a family medicine physician. “I knew I wanted to be the type of physician that can partner with patients and families to make proactive decisions regarding their health, form longitudinal relationships, care for multiple generations of families, and work to improve the well-being of my community,” Hellman said.
Reflecting on challenges during her education—including returning for prerequisite courses while raising young twins—Hellman emphasized perseverance: “The experience of going back to school and making a career change taught me a lot about time management, goal setting and living transparently. I could not work toward this major shift without telling other people and asking for help when needed.” She credited classmates, professors such as Lisa Kornze and Shannon Mead at UNR Med Student Affairs staff for their support.
Hellman also spoke about memorable experiences during training: “The most impactful part of this journey has been the people I have encountered throughout the way: classmates, faculty, and patients.” She described learning from faculty who created specialized clinics serving local needs.
Offering advice for future students interested in medicine she said: “My biggest piece of advice would be to just start taking steps… If you start putting one foot in front of the other and break things down into smaller achievable goals it keeps you going.” Looking ahead she expressed enthusiasm for integrating skills from both fields into patient care.