Student Spotlight: Ryan Zhang

Ryan Zhang (’22) was introduced to medicine at a young age — both of his parents are physicians, and he always felt that it would be a great career choice. After graduating from Duke University in 2016 and taking a gap year to teach in New York City, Ryan made a well-informed decision to attend CCLCM, guided by his father, who completed his residency at Cleveland Clinic 10 years prior.

Ryan’s family immigrated to the U.S. from China in the 1990s, and after moving around as his parents completed medical training, they settled in Great Neck, N.Y. While his parents were his first role models, Ryan says his favorite aspect of CCLCM has been the culture of mentorship provided by faculty.

“What I’ve enjoyed the most is getting to work with a lot of really great educators,” he says. “I’ve even been inspired to think about exploring academic medicine.”

Ryan successfully defended his thesis in 2021, which examined underlying neuropathic etiology of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Ryan describes POTS as “mysterious and enigmatic.” His project aimed to provide context by assessing testing methods to determine latent small fiber neuropathy in patients.

As Ryan applies for neurology residency, he would like to thank Rob Wilson, DO, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Jennifer Kriegler, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, for their support and guidance.

Since undergrad, Ryan has made volunteering a priority outside of medicine. He frequently helps with health screenings at local men’s shelters and worked with a Cleveland-based community health center to coordinate a series of COVID-19 vaccine drives in local schools and churches.

“For me, it’s really important not to get too immersed in the bubble that we’re in as medical students. It’s extremely easy to forget what’s going on outside the walls of the hospital,” he says.

Before matriculating to CCLCM, taking a gap year to teach in the Bronx was a fulfilling experience for Ryan and reinforced his esteem for education. “The impact that teachers can have on students is profound, and it’s something I’ve tried to emulate during medical school,” he says.

To supplement that interest, Ryan teaches Step One review courses for second-year medical students and has participated in mentorship programs for highschoolers. He also is a member of the Student Interest Group for Neurology.

In his free time, Ryan enjoys playing pickup basketball with his classmates, watching new shows and playing the guitar. He also fosters vulnerable cats and dogs from local animal shelters from time to time. Another one of his favorite pastimes is pyrography, a free-hand art of carving illustrations into wood using a heated metal pen.

With graduation and residency around the corner, Ryan looks forward to training in neurology and exploring opportunities to educate others along the way.