Samantha Rogers is a Los Medaños College graduate who has participated in several programs offered by Diversity by Doing HealthTech. In this post, she shares her inspiration for pursuing medical research and health technology, and the experiences that have shaped her journey so far.
My interest in health technology and medicine was piqued when my mother unexpectedly passed away at the age of 40 from a massive heart attack. I was 8 years old, and was left utterly shocked and heartbroken, as was the rest of my family. We had so many questions, and no answers. From that moment, I promised myself that I would do everything in my power to provide answers to those questions for other families like mine.
Right out of high school, I was accepted to Oregon State University where I assisted in research on blood lipids and prognosis of patients with lung cancer. While this was an amazing experience, I ended up moving back home to Antioch, California after my freshman year due to personal hardships. I was still determined to continue my education, so I continued my studies at Los Medaños College in the neighboring town of Pittsburg while I finished my general education.
It was at community college that I was recommended to a biomedical research internship at Stanford University. At Stanford, I researched the effect of renal denervation on blood lipid levels in hypertensive patients with Recor Medical. My mentors at Recor were the ones who connected me to Diversity by Doing HealthTech (DxD). This connection ultimately changed the course of my career for the better.
The first DxD program that I participated in was the 2023 HealthTech Exploration Workshop. Despite the program only being two days long, these were some of the most transformative, educational, and inspirational days of my career thus far. This program opened my eyes to the unlimited possibilities in the world of health technology, further persuading me that this was the field for me. My favorite activity at this workshop was the speed- mentoring. Not only did it introduce me to mentors that I still keep in touch with today, but it taught me critical communication skills, how to pitch myself, and encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone in order to grow.
After the workshop, DxD invited me to join them at the 2023 MedTech Conference. This was another event that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I don’t regret a single second of it. It was there that I got to meet the former CEO of IBM, Ginni Rometty. We bonded over our pathways from upbringings in single- parent households into the powerhouses of women that we are today, and she shared something with me that I still think about often:
“Growth and comfort do not coexist.”
While it is important to know my boundaries and respect my own limits, it’s equally important for me to challenge myself and provide myself with opportunities of growth. I can confidently say that plenty of these opportunities of growth have been supplied to me by DxD.
Sammy Rogers (right) visits Intuitive Surgical with her teammates in the Pathways in Health Technology program.
I joined DxD again in the spring of 2024 for their Pathways in Health Technology program where I was placed on a team working with Intuitive Surgical to further understand how minimally invasive robotic surgery can be used to treat endometriosis. Not only did this internship supply me with educational tools and professional resources, but the program taught me how to effectively utilize these tools and resources in order to best set myself up for success.
My journey to where I am today has been far from traditional, whether that was because of my upbringing in a single parent, low- income household, or because of the multiple schools I’ve attended. Rather than being embarrassed or discouraged of this path, DxD has encouraged me to embrace it. Their programs have taught me that diversity doesn’t just refer to skin color, but also to gender identities, backgrounds, and perspectives. The pieces of advice I often remind myself of as I apply these values to my work are:
- Say YES! As Ginni Rometty said, “Growth and comfort do not coexist.” You must put yourself out there in order to determine what you are truly capable of. It will be scary at first, but the feeling of confidence, success, and overwhelming joy afterwards is always worth it!
- Be patient with yourself. Everyone has different backgrounds, opinions, and perspectives. Just because you are different doesn’t make you any less than. If anything, it makes you more valuable! The diversity you bring to your future team, school, or company is just what they need in order to help communities like yours. You are your harshest critic, so don’t forget to take care of yourself and most importantly, believe in yourself!
- Never give up. I was ready to give up on my progress when I was in Oregon, but rather than letting my hardships define and limit me, I chose to work around them. If I had given up, I wouldn’t have affiliations with Stanford. I wouldn’t have 2 completed degrees with a third in the process. I wouldn’t have an internship doing research on one of the contributors to my mother’s death: hypertension. Take your time, trust your gut, and again, believe in yourself!
The only regrets I’ve had in my journey are of all of the times that I said, “No.” I would wonder what opportunities may have presented themselves if I had put myself out there. I’ve never regretted meeting a new friend or learning something new, and I encourage you to put yourself out there in order to maximize your opportunities for new experiences. I trust that wherever you are in your professional journey that you will continue to strive and thrive.