Since entering the halls of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) as a medical student in the early summer of 2021, Syed Rizvi has worked for the betterment of others, taking his passion for politics and advocacy to improve healthcare for all people. Because of his work and advocacy, he’s earned recognition from numerous people and organizations, so it wasn’t surprising when he was recognized with the OPAC James M. Lally, D.O., Scholarship by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Board of Trustees at the House of Delegates meeting this summer, and presented by the Osteopathic Political Action Committee.
The award recognizes "dedication and support in advancing the political priorities of the osteopathic profession and aims to continue Dr. Lally's legacy of political engagement by inspiring young future physicians to follow in his footsteps."
While it may not be the first recognition Rizvi has received, he said it is “like the cherry on top of my four years (in medical school) with all the work I’ve done for political advocacy throughout all my years.”
He is quick to point out the award is the result, not only of his work, but of the support he’s received while at the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine that allowed him to follow his passion.
“If I hadn’t met my Big (student mentor), I would not have known about how I could do this advocacy work,” Rizvi added. “After meeting him and seeing opportunities, and learning how everything is connected, I got involved in SOMA (Student Osteopathic Medical Association) and MOA (Michigan Osteopathic Association).
The SOMA Big Sib/Little Sib program connects incoming first-year medical school students who have similar goals with second-year medical students to help them navigate all that is medical school. Rizvi said the program is incredibly valuable to new medical students since many, like him, believe when they come into medical school every minute will need to be dedicated to medical education. What he found is that there is more to medical school than class and studying, “this is time to be exposed to everything and anything,” and the college prepares students well for all of it.
In fact, because of his experiences during medical school, Rizvi will also do a rotation in Malawi in January as part of the Clinical Global Medicine Clerkship program. “I see myself working on the global front, whether it’s administrative or political and I want to see how my experiences play out on a completely different continent,” Rizvi said.
Reflecting on his time in medical school, Rizvi said what he didn’t realize when he first arrived in East Lansing is “how powerful my voice was.” Through his work with MOA and AOA, he was able to work on legislation by “talking with his legislator’s team who co-signed the bills that were discussed during this year’s D.O. Day because they had already been talking about these efforts.”
He states matter-of-factly that this journey began on his first day of medical school and offers this advice for other medical students, “Medical school is not the pinnacle of your existence, it is the new foundation, and you can go anywhere from there.”
Rizvi wants to continue to have an impact. He credits that with, in part, with the mentorship he’s received and mentorship he hopes to offer others. It started with the numerous people who have mentored him at the college, including but not limited to Emily Hurst, D.O., president of the MOA, Kris Nicholoff, CEO/executive director of the MOA, Bruce Wolf, D.O., associate dean for the MSUCOM’s Macomb University Center site, Courtney Merlo, D.O., who mentored Rizvi when she was a student at the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Cole Showers, D.O., his Big sib and member of the Class of 2024. Rizvi is paying it forward for all the support he’s received.
“The biggest thing is mentorship. These (new medical) students are now in a position we were in not too long ago, so we need to think about what we may have missed and how we can help them,” Rizvi said. “It’s about showing the way and ensuring students speak and let them represent and be the voice.”
Rizvi, who is in his final year of medical school, hopes he will find his way back to his home city of Detroit to serve the area, state and people, but is open to wherever his work takes him. He credits his future to the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. “MSUCOM is a great name, and it comes with a great message that Spartans Will,” he said. “The MSU name is shown to be that we are doers. Even while in school we are doers, and we continue to grow and continue to give back.”
By Terri Hughes-Lazzell