Anum Zehra
MD Student, Class of 2027
School of Medicine
Congratulations started pouring in for Anum Zehra soon after she was named the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) 2026 Founders Week Student of the Year, and it’s no wonder: In three years as a medical student, Zehra figuratively and literally has touched the lives of countless people in the UMB community and beyond.
“I received messages from so many faculty members, classmates, and administrative colleagues congratulating me and recalling our time collaborating in one way or another,” said Zehra, a fourth-year student who will graduate from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) in May. “I owe this recognition to the kindness and relentless support of my family, especially my mom, as well as friends, mentors, colleagues, and patients. I have learned so much from each of them and am extremely grateful for any positive impact I may have contributed to their lives.”
A first-generation high school and college graduate and immigrant from Pakistan, Zehra has excelled in academics, research, leadership, and public service, making an impact that a UMSOM faculty member and mentor describes as “nothing short of transformative.”
“Anum represents a rare combination of the highest tier of skill in academia, mentorship, leadership, humanism, equity, and empathy in one individual,” said Kashif Munir, MD, professor, Department of Medicine. “She embodies the very best of what UMB aspires to cultivate in its graduates. Of the dozens of students I have mentored throughout their medical careers, Anum undoubtedly is the most deserving of the Student of the Year honor.”
In addition to excelling in her courses, Zehra has co-authored more than 20 articles, analyses, and abstracts, including numerous first-author manuscripts published in leading journals and two that were selected for inclusion on the “Top Ten Articles of 2025” list by the American College of Cardiology.
She also has received UMSOM’s Certificate of Outstanding Achievement for research excellence, earned a prestigious National Institutes of Health summer research fellowship, and won first place for her oral presentation at the school’s annual Medical Student Research Day (MSRD) in November 2024. She was selected to be student chair of this year’s MSRD event, where students’ research projects are presented and judged.
She founded UMSOM’s Cardiology Interest Group, which expanded opportunities for student mentorship, research engagement, and clinical exposure, and introduced a Women in Cardiology wing to the group. She also lead blood drives as president of the Red Cross Interest Group.
Zehra even found time to create KindKin, a student-led initiative that aims to support family members and caregivers of hospitalized children by taking on tasks such as doing laundry and checking meters so they will avoid parking tickets. She volunteers as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit “cuddler” at the University of Maryland Medical Center, facilitating much-needed human interaction for premature babies and giving family members, caregivers, and nurses some relief.
“Some of our preemies are so small that we simply place our hand in the incubator to comfort them instead of holding them,” Zehra said. “For the ones I get to hold, I talk to them and pretend to teach them whatever medical topic I am struggling with. It makes them fall asleep, so it’s a win-win.”
Science, Compassion, and Advocacy
Zehra was drawn to the field of medicine and cardiology in particular after seeing rampant cardiovascular disease in the South Asian community and the lack of health literacy regarding their condition, medications, or consequences of not taking their prescribed drugs, she said.
“Given the lack of health care exposure in my family, I looked up medical concepts whenever possible to make sense of their lab reports and doctor’s notes,” Zehra said. “The more I researched, the more curious I became. For example, it was validating to connect the dots when I learned that South Asian ethnicity is a cardiovascular risk enhancer.”
Kerri A. Thom, MD, MS, professor and associate dean for student affairs, UMSOM, supported Zehra’s Student of the Year nomination with a letter of recommendation, citing her work to improve access to health care and education for underrepresented groups.
“As a first-generation immigrant, Anum brings a deeply personal understanding of the barriers to opportunity and has translated that perspective into action through her work in health equity, mentorship, and community outreach,” Thom said. “Her personal statement articulates a clear vision of medicine that integrates scientific inquiry with compassion and advocacy, demonstrating a commitment to serving diverse populations and addressing disparities in care.”
Zehra saw those disparities firsthand, saying, “My reasons for pursuing medicine stemmed from witnessing numerous gaps that affected not only the communities around me but also my own accessibility to higher education. When I made it to medical school, there were numerous areas where I wanted to make a difference, pulling me toward leadership positions and volunteer roles.
“It was challenging to manage time for these activities, but I was lucky to find people early in medical school who had an immaculate work ethic and were sincerely passionate about their interests, inspiring me to do the same.”
Pursuing Excellence
After graduating from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Zehra worked as a research coordinator in pediatric diabetes at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for two years before attending UMSOM, which she said she chose for many reasons but two in particular.
“First is the people,” she said. “I had heard a great deal about a culture of kindness, diversity, and warmth at the School of Medicine and found it to be undoubtedly true. Whether it was the ability to have raw conversations with classmates, speak my mind to faculty, or confide in upperclassmen and mentors, UMSOM truly made me feel whole and at home.”
“Second is the pursuit of excellence. There was never a lack of mentors encouraging me to reach for higher personal and professional goals,” Zehra added, noting that Joseph Martinez, MD, professor and associate dean for medical education and student experience, told her class during first-year orientation: “We will never tell you not to reach. We prepare you to be very clinically strong so that you can reach.”
Zehra’s reach has been immense, fueled by her energy and work ethic as she takes on volunteer roles such as assisting practitioners and counseling patients at a free clinic in Baltimore and offering free community health education at a temple in Finksburg, Md. These and her other engagement efforts earned her recognition among the top 15 percent of UMSOM’s Class of 2027 for community service.
“Anum is a scholar, leader, and servant whose work exemplifies excellence, integrity, and a sustained impact on both the institution and the communities it serves,” Thom said. “She embodies the highest ideals of UMB and has made a profound impact on the University and beyond.”
Regarding the Founders Week honor, Zehra said she was “immensely humbled” to be chosen from among the nearly 7,000 students at UMB.
“I am very grateful to my village for helping me get this far and continuing to do so as I prepare for residency interviews ,” she said. “Medicine is a uniquely tough yet rewarding career, so I want to encourage my peers and colleagues to lean on your support network, give yourself lots of grace, and try your best to reserve your brain and emotional space only for the controllables.”
— Lou Cortina
