Hi, I'm Hazel Ticas

I’m a future physician in progress, a first-generation student from El Salvador, and someone who believes deeply in using education and empathy to change lives.

My journey toward medicine began long before I opened an MCAT book or sat in a college classroom. Growing up in El Salvador, I witnessed firsthand how instability and gang violence can shape the health of entire communities. I saw families carry trauma without access to support, and I learned early how deeply people suffer when medical care is out of reach. Those experiences planted the first seeds of why I wanted to become a doctor: to serve people whose needs often go unseen.

When I attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, that commitment became real and practical. I began volunteering as a medical interpreter, helping uninsured and under-insured patients at a free clinic. Although the environment was far safer than the city I grew up in, the disparities in medical accessibility were still unmistakable. I watched families delay care, ration medication, and carry the emotional weight of uncertainty simply because they couldn’t afford the help they needed.

Throughout college, I worked in chemical formulation research and later served as a research coordinator at Huntsman Cancer Institute, where I saw how scientific discovery, patient stories, and compassionate care intersect. Each experience pushed me further toward becoming the kind of physician who understands the science and the human beings behind it.

Today, I’m a medical school applicant, sharing my journey in real time and helping other pre-med students feel less overwhelmed and more supported. Everything I create, from study strategies to interview prep tips to personal finance tools, comes from lived experience and the belief that you shouldn’t have to navigate this path blindly.

My goal is simple: Lift as I climb. I want to make this journey clearer, kinder, and more accessible for every future physician who comes after me.

If you’re walking this path too, I’m glad you’re here. Let’s do it together.