Graduating from Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine (EnMed) with both an M.D. and a master’s in engineering, Dr. Tarek Dawamne leaves behind a record of achievement and advocacy for first-generation doctors. As the first in his family to pursue higher education in the United States, he understands the challenges of navigating unfamiliar systems and the persistence required to succeed.
After realizing that students from similar backgrounds needed support, Dawamne helped launch the First-Generation Mentorship Program at EnMed. He recognized the importance of having support systems in place to help these students feel seen, understood, and empowered to succeed.
“Being a first-generation student means growing up with a unique set of experiences and perspectives,” he said. “This viewpoint is rich in experiences that can be refined and distilled to provide unmatched strength, perseverance, and empathy in everything I do.”
Working closely with Drs. Erica Chance, Roderic Pettigrew, and Leslie Singleton, Dawamne transformed a simple conversation into a formal proposal.
The effort led to a university-wide task force focused on first-generation student support, a collaborative effort that engaged leadership from both EnMed and Texas A&M College of Medicine.
The program gained national attention, with Dawamne presenting the mentorship model at the Association of American Medical Colleges conference in San Francisco.
The session drew students and administrators from medical schools nationwide, all sharing strategies for supporting first-generation students.
“We had a whole hall filled with students and administration personnel, all sharing what they have observed at their schools and how we, as a community in medical education, can surround this group with the resources they need,” Dawamne expressed.
Rather than public recognition, for Dawamne, the real impact lies in creating lasting support for first-generation students. During his time at EnMed, he pursued community service and research projects aimed at expanding access to medicine for underrepresented groups, all inspired by his own journey.
“Feeling the lack of sense of belonging, my aim is to help others belong, from patients to other health care professionals.”
Dawamne will begin his internal medicine residency at Mayo Clinic in Florida. There, he plans to apply his experiences as a first-generation student to address healthcare gaps, focusing on delivering personalized care and developing practical solutions to improve patient access and treatment outcomes.
