Student Spotlight: Melissa Coronado

For Melissa Coronado (’22), one of the best aspects of CCLCM is the hands-on curriculum, which prepares students to enter the medical field on both a practical and personal level.

“The courses and mentors at CCLCM guided me to be more self-reflective about my long-term goals in medicine,” she says. “I recently started keeping my own record of meaningful patient encounters as something I can look back on.”

Originally from Irvington, New York — a 10-minute drive from historic Sleepy Hollow — Melissa completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard, where she majored in neurobiology. Her minor, ethnicity, migration and race, was especially meaningful, as Melissa’s family descends from Bolivia.

Her minor provided her with deeper knowledge of history and culture in South American regions, and after graduating from Harvard, working as a project coordinator for a nonprofit organization allowed her to brush up on her Spanish-speaking skills. “Practices and customs in different countries vary, which can be seen even in the nuances of the language itself,” she notes.

At CCLCM, Melissa has mainly focused on neurology-related research, working closely with Mary Rensel, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine. Melissa is particularly interested in neuro-immunology and recently completed a project examining quality of life outcomes in pediatric onset multiple sclerosis.

Since her first-year in medical school, Melissa has also been collaborating with Baljendra Kapoor, MD, Professor of Radiology. Dr. Kapoor guided her through her first experience submitting a paper as a first author. She adds that she is particularly grateful for the faculty’s continued optimism about and faith in their students.

When in-person instruction ebbed in 2020, Melissa co-founded a book club with fellow student Metabel “Metty” Markwei, which continues today. Melissa says she finds value in discovering new works of fiction and enjoys exploring Cleveland Metropark trails with her dog, Merlin, while listening to audiobooks.

Melissa played violin in the December 2021 DocOpera variety show and enjoyed being able to perform in person. “It was great to pick up the violin after taking some time off, and even more fun to perform in a group setting,” she recalls.

With graduation, residency and a wedding on the near horizon, 2022 will be an exciting year for Melissa. She looks forward to training in neurology and being reunited with her long-distance fiancé, whom she is marrying in May!