October 22, 2012 -- The Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Board of Directors today welcomed its newest member, Poorav Patel, who will serve as the student representative. "I am thrilled and honored to be part of the OHSU Board of Directors. With the changing landscape of healthcare, I am eager to be part of the leadership team that guides OHSU into the future," said Mr. Patel. "I have a firm belief that OHSU will continue to innovate and remain national leaders in healthcare delivery."
Patel has deep ties to Oregon and a first-hand understanding of health care in small communities. The son of Indian-immigrant parents, he was raised in Brookings, where his father has been a physician for the past 25 years. "Having my perspectives shaped with my rural upbringing, and my public health and research backgrounds, I hope to best represent the interests of students, researchers, clinicians, and program developers at OHSU," he added.
He has impressive academic credentials as well, with undergraduate degrees in Bioengineering and The Study of Religion from the University of California San Diego and a master's degree in Genetic Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. A second-year M.D. student in the class of 2015, Patel currently serves as a Dean's Advisor in the OHSU School of Medicine, and President of the OHSU chapter of the American Medical Association-Medical Student Section.
