Student Spotlight: Diana Lopez

For Diana Lopez (’23), the draw to the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine was not only the research year built into the program, but also the maturity she saw in the fifth year students graduating from the program. The seniors she met exhibited both immense empathy and preparation for becoming practicing physicians, solidifying her choice to attend CCLCM.

“I saw a maturity and well-roundedness that I hadn’t seen at any other place from the graduating students. These students didn’t feel like students to me; they felt like people ready to take on the next step to be a physician with some autonomy in the hospital,” says Diana.

Born and raised in Miami, Fla., Diana studied biology and Hispanic literature and culture at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her parents instilled in Diana a love and respect for her Hispanic culture that she has continued to cultivate over the years. She spent her first- and second-year longitudinal clinic sessions at the Lutheran Hospital Hispanic Clinic and is completing her final rotation there. Her experience at the clinic has helped reinforce the idea that serving the Hispanic community will become an important part of her career.

“A huge draw to medicine for me was being able to take care of the Hispanic population. I wanted to go to a medical school where I would be able to give back to the community that raised me,” Diana says.

In reflecting on her time at CCLCM, Diana appreciated the program’s focus on the holistic development of the future physician: clinical, research, career and personal development. She also appreciated being treated as a professional from day one and valued the autonomy that she and her peers were given.

Diana plans to focus on otolaryngology and have a career as an academic otolaryngologist. She’d like to be in research development or clinical trial execution, and perhaps have an educator role. Eventually, she envisions holding a leadership role in otolaryngology. Whether serving as division chief or leading a residency program, she hopes to have a platform where she can make changes for future generations.

For her research project, Diana spent a year at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where she felt she laid the groundwork for her thesis research on chordoma. She worked on characterizing the immune microenvironment of chordoma and on identifying neoadjuvant immunotherapy options to prepare for clinical trials down the road.

Along with Paul Bryson, MD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Diana earned a Cleveland Clinic Caregiver Catalyst Grant to find a noninvasive surgical intervention for voice tremors. The grant gave her the confidence to believe that she can get future studies funded. “If I’ve done it once, hopefully I can do it again!” she says.

Outside of school, Diana plays volleyball in a league with her friends and takes ballet classes, a childhood passion. When she wants to wind down, she curls up with a book.

Diana offers this advice to prospective students: Give yourself grace and flexibility when first starting the program, and be sure to choose a medical school that will provide a good foundation for your future career. “Medical school is a big transition. Give yourself some time to adjust, and take it step by step. Put one foot in front of the other and, sooner or later, you’ll get there,” she says.