Ji Woo Park and Carlos Ortega Rios took different paths on their medical education journeys. They are about to arrive at a similar destination in part because of Mount Sinai student scholarships.
From left: Evan L. Flatow, MD, Dean for Clinical Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine; Carlos Ortega Rios, MD '26; and Ji Woo Park, MD '26.
Ms. Park and Mr. Ortega Rios are fourth-year students at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. On May 5, they are scheduled to graduate with the Class of 2026. Both will stay with Mount Sinai as residents: Ms. Park matched into OB/GYN, while Mr. Ortega Rios will matriculate into anesthesiology.
At the Mount Sinai Student Scholarship Reception on April 27 at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Ms. Park and Mr. Ortega Rios addressed a group of donors, student scholarship recipients, and the Icahn School’s leadership.
Both expressed their gratitude for the impactful opportunities their scholarships created for them.
“Receiving a scholarship didn’t just help me attend medical school—it changed how I was able to navigate my journey through it,” Ms. Park said. “It meant I could spend time studying, volunteering, pursuing research, and taking on leadership roles mentoring other students—without having to make decisions based on financial constraints.”
“In the big picture, [scholarship support] eased a financial burden that can feel very heavy in medical school,” Mr. Ortega Rios said. “But in the day-to-day, its impact was even more personal. It meant I did not have to worry about juggling multiple jobs the way I did in undergrad. It gave me room to breathe. And that room let me say yes to the experiences that shaped me most.”
Ms. Park, who immigrated to the United States from South Korea at age 3, recalled how her family had to find their way in a new country, in particular her mother’s experience with the health care system. Park said she was struck at a young age by the kindness and understanding of the physicians who handled those interactions with great compassion and cultural sensitivity.
It left a lasting impression upon her.
“Even at a young age, I recognized how powerful it was when someone took the time to truly connect with you in a vulnerable moment,” Ms. Park said. “And I think that’s where it all began for me. Medicine became more than just an interest in science; it became a way to offer that same sense of presence and support to others—to be the kind of physician who helps patients feel seen, understood, and cared for in a way that stays with them long after the visit is over.”
Mr. Ortega Rios described a somewhat similar experience with encountering the health care system as part of an immigrant family. He moved to Texas from Mexico City at age five to live with his grandparents. When he was in high school, his grandmother was diagnosed with metastatic multiple myeloma.
The experience also steered him toward medicine.
“Watching my non-English–speaking immigrant family navigate the health care system made me realize very early that some families move through medicine with a very different kind of burden,” Mr. Ortega Rios said. “I wanted to become the kind of physician who could make that burden lighter.”
The Student Scholarship Reception is a special gathering for select faculty and scholarship recipients that offers a unique opportunity to socialize with the generous donors whose support enables experiences like those of Ms. Park and Mr. Ortega Rios. Additional speakers included Susan Gottlieb, MD, a scholarship donor and alumna of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Class of 1992, and a radiologist at Nassau University Medical Center; Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School, and Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System; David C. Thomas, MD, MS, MHPE, Dean for Medical Education and Chair of the Leni and Peter W. May Department of Medical Education; and Evan L. Flatow, MD, Dean for Clinical Affairs at the Icahn School and Executive Vice President for Clinical Affairs at the Health System.
“To my fellow alumni and supporters: I hope you’ll consider giving back, in whatever way feels meaningful to you,” Dr. Gottlieb said. “Mount Sinai gave me so much. And it’s a privilege to be able to give back.”
In the video below, and at the event, Ms. Park and Mr. Ortega Rios articulated how much Mount Sinai has given them.
What does scholarship truly mean to a medical student? For Carlos Ortega Rios and Ji Woo Park, it meant opportunity, support, and the ability to focus on what matters most—becoming compassionate physicians. Learn how your support helps students thrive and strengthens the future of medicine.
Ms. Park described the sense of connection and human kindness she encountered throughout her medical school journey, including her volunteer work at the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP) OB/GYN, Mount Sinai’s student-run women’s health clinic for underserved patients. She also said she was “incredibly fortunate” to have the assistance and encouragement of so many “mentors, faculty, and peers.”
These experiences, she said, would not have been possible without scholarship support.
“It gave me a sense of stability—the ability to be present not just as a student, but as a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a partner,” Ms. Park said. “Through the people and experiences here, Mount Sinai has become a second home to me. It’s where I met my partner, who I couples-matched with, met some of my closest friends, and created memories that I’ll cherish forever—all while living in the best city in the world.”
As a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, Mr. Ortega Rios noted that he was not eligible for federal student loans. It amazed him that the Icahn School had a section on its admissions webpage about DACA applicants. He, too, talked about the teamwork, trust and support he has experienced at Mount Sinai.
He, too, credited scholarship support for enabling it all.
“I hope to sit where you are sitting,” Mr. Ortega Rios told the gathered donors. “I hope to become the kind of alumnus who can give another student that same sense of possibility, stability, and belonging that you gave me. Thank you for believing in students like me. For students who did not grow up assuming that medicine was even within reach, that kind of support matters more than I can fully express.”
You can make a difference in the lives of students through scholarship support.
We have numerous ways to engage with our student and alumni communities—from mentorship programs to networking and social events. keith.cook [at] mountsinai.org (Contact Keith W. Cook to learn more.)
