S t u de n t P r of i l e
Georgetown Medicine
Outstanding NHS Undergrad Pursues Medical Degree A version of this article appeared on gumc.georgetown.edu in January 2013.
Armond Esmaili (NHS’11, M’15) first became inspired to pursue a career in medicine in high school after his mother was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder. “It was during the hours I spent with my mother at her hospital ... [that I observed] the compassionate care provided by her physicians and became inspired to gain expertise in the biological science that underlies human health and illness,” he said. Before becoming a student at the School of Medicine, Esmaili graduated at the top of his class from Georgetown’s School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS) as a human science major in 2011. He earned the NHS’ Dean’s Award for highest cumulative grade point average that year and distinction as a Rhodes scholar finalist in 2012. Armond Esmaili (NHS’11, M’15)
“It was during the hours I spent with my mother at her hospital ... [that I observed] the compassionate care provided by her physicians and discussing the medical complexities of her illness with doctors and became inspired to gain expertise in the biological science that underlies human health and illness.” —Armond Esmaili
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During his undergraduate years, Esmaili was also one of 11 Georgetown students selected for an internship in Buenos Aires that involved completing coursework, conducting lab research and participating in hospital visits related to pediatric respiratory syncytial virus infections. Pablo Irusta, Ph.D., associate professor of human science, oversaw Esmaili’s research in the lab at Georgetown and during the trip to South America. “While in Argentina, his questions and work ethic impressed physicians and researchers alike,” Irusta wrote in his recommendation letter for the