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Muhammad Osto didn’t like doctors. That’s not something he likes to share, but it’s what has driven him to work hard so he can become one.

“My mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was young. I remember going with her to doctors’ appointments and seeing some doctors treat her badly. I knew there had to be a better way,” said Osto, who graduated as the Honors Scholar of Biochemistry on Sunday. “I’ll be the change I want to see.”

Osto said he’s seen a fair share of uninvolved doctors. But he’s also appreciated the ones who did take the time out to help his family. Osto saw the effect a positive physician interaction can have in someone’s life.

“In the past 20 years due to my mom’s illnesses, I personally have only come across a few doctors that I aspire to be like out of the couple dozen we have met,” he said, sharing that one doctor took the time to listen and provide information and feedback instead of just a prescription, and another shared resources to help with financial burdens. “From these experiences, I learned that I want to treat my future patients not as mere clients or customers, but as human beings who deserve a good quality of life and where the role of the doctor has a positive image.“

To advance his relationship-building skills and genuinely learn more about others, Osto has spent his time at UM-Dearborn looking for opportunities to get involved and meet people from different backgrounds.

Osto volunteers at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and Hospice, where he’s seen everyday life joys—like singing while on a walk—from people who are facing death. He’s served as a campus supplemental instruction (SI) leader for both chemistry and business courses to learn how to best help students—people of various ages who are from all around the world—understand a problem. He’s worked in Professor Krishna Bandyopadhyay’s lab for the past three years, where he researched neurotransmitter properties in an effort to develop a dopamine biosensor. And he’s gotten involved with Circle K as a way to meet people in the southeast Michigan community by volunteering.

In addition, Osto served as a mentor for UM-Dearborn Pre-Health program. He was elected the Pre-Professional Health Society president. And he presented his research Two Dimensional Assemblies of Palladium Nanoparticles at the American Chemical Society national conference’s poster presentation.

Osto plans to attend medical school at Wayne State University in the fall. He said UM-Dearborn readied him for his next step—one that gets him closer to his goals of advancing medical research and providing care to Michigan residents.

“I am a life-long learner and through that learning process, I want to leave a positive impact on my future patients, students and colleagues. I want to be an excellent physician so that people like me will say ‘I like doctors’ instead of saying and feeling the opposite like I did.”