By Jill Pease
The American Medical Women’s Association, or AMWA, recognized University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions student Natalia Maya with two awards during the association’s annual conference held March 27 to 29 in San Francisco.
Maya, a Bachelor of Health Science major, received the National Premedical Branch Member of the Year. In addition, the UF undergraduate division of the American Medical Women’s Association was awarded the National Active Branch Award. Maya serves as co-president of the group along with Bryanna Broderick.
“AMWA has been more than an organization, it has given me a sisterhood, a personal lab to grow my leadership skills, and opportunities which have made my goal of becoming a physician feel much more achievable,” Maya said.
Maya has spearheaded numerous projects during her four years with UF’s AMWA. She twice led the planning of the annual Women Rising in Medicine Conference for premedical students and has organized multiple workshops, including the annual Pre-Health 101, to help undergraduates prepare for the medical school application process. Her leadership of AMWA Recruitment Week generated record-level participation and growth in the group’s mentorship program.
She also serves on the National AMWA Premedical Executive Board as the inaugural research chair, a role she helped develop. In this position, she is launching the AMWA Premedical Research Journal, a national platform designed to support premedical students in publishing research, literature reviews and projects in medicine, public health and biomedical sciences.
During last month’s national AMWA meeting, Maya presented a poster on her PHHP Honors program project that found using artificial intelligence in medical imaging analysis for Type 1 diabetes research can be more consistent, faster and easier to scale than traditional methods. A UF AI Scholar, Maya worked in the lab of Sarah Kim, Ph.D., an assistant professor pharmaceutics at the UF College of Pharmacy, and is a co-author on a forthcoming paper in the journal Diabetologia.
Following graduation this spring, Maya plans to continue volunteering with the organization she founded, the Children’s Future Association, work as a medical assistant and prepare to apply to medical school.
“During this time, I also hope to further strengthen my clinical experience and build meaningful patient interactions while gaining a better understanding of the health care environment,” she said. “Ultimately, I aim to pursue a career in medicine where I can provide high-quality, patient-centered care while continuing to grow both clinically and academically.”