For sisters Awatef and Ayah Ayesh, medicine is both a personal calling and a reflection of the communities that raised them. One that has shaped their values, identities, and the ways they hope to practice.

Awatef and Ayah are the eldest of seven children to parents who emigrated from Palestine, and both are students at the College of Human Medicine’s Grand Rapids campus.

“I remember driving past the Secchia Center when I was growing up and thinking that one day I would be there training to become a physician,” said Awatef. “The College of Human Medicine feels like home, not only because it is close to the community where I was raised, but also because of its strong emphasis on caring for the medically underserved and community engagement, values that closely reflect how I was raised and the way I hope to practice medicine.”

Community is the pillar on which the Ayesh sisters are shaping their purpose in medicine. In between studying, clinical rounds and classroom time, they both find time to work in their family’s market, something they have done since high school. Super Green Market outside Grand Rapids has a deli and bakery and carries Palestinian and Middle Eastern groceries and specialty foods.

“What started initially as a space for immigrants and families searching for a familiar piece of home has slowly become a place where people can come to explore new cultures, cuisines, and explore one another’s stories,” said Ayah. “This has given me the opportunity to not only meet people from my own background but also people from all types of communities. Continuing to work here keeps me grounded in community while I pursue my journey in medicine.”

Sarah Badran, professor of pediatrics, discovered the market when she moved to West Michigan from Los Angeles. “In a funny way, the feeling at the store is what you want to get when you go to your physician. You want your physician to be present fully with you, hearing and seeing you completely, focused, kind, thoughtful, and to custom care for you as they would their own family members.” Badran eventually became a regular customer. Months passed before she discovered Awatef and Ayah were working toward careers in medicine. Since then, she’s become a mentor to both sisters, traveling with them to Palestine in August of 2024 on a medical mission trip.

“They are highly intelligent and hardworking, but more importantly have such big hearts, really seeing people around them and using their extraordinary empathy to help those who are in need. It’s the perfect combination for developing into a clinician who cares, a physician who wants to heal people beyond just the immediate physical complaint.”

Worth the wait

It’s those qualities so tightly aligned with the College of Human Medicine’s mission that made admission to the college worth waiting for. Awatef, the older sister, was initially not accepted when she applied to the college.

“I chose to see it as an opportunity for growth rather than a setback,” said Awatef. “During that time, I focused on strengthening different areas of my application and continued to develop both personally and professionally. I worked at my family’s store, volunteered within my community, and deepened my understanding of the populations I hope to serve.”

Awatef also used the time to complete a master’s program in Biomedical Sciences at Grand Valley State University, which she says strengthened her academic foundation and helped prepare her for the rigor of medical school. Meanwhile, Ayah began medical school at the College of Human Medicine. The sisters supported each other in the ways only siblings with a shared purpose can; by trading advice, reassurance, and motivation as they moved forward.

“Throughout my entire life, Awatef has been a source of inspiration for me,” said Ayah. “She’s the eldest, and I watched her navigate the challenges of applying to college, taking exams, and applying to medical school. I learned so much from her, and I truly believe that her guidance played a huge role in my own success. We continue to lean on each other during our medical school journeys.”

Bridging cultures, building connection

As first generation-Americans and college students, the sisters are building on their principles as they navigate their medical school journey. For three years during their childhood, they lived and attended school in Palestine. They say their time there brought them closer to their culture and instilled in them a passion to advocate for unrepresented communities.

“I've become very confident in who I am as a person, all the different backgrounds that I hold,” said Ayah. “I've come to learn that I can take up space as who I am as a person, I don't have to conform in any way. And that's inspired me to share parts of me with my patients, my peers, and colleagues.”

Pride in their roots and identity has also driven them to share their culture with classmates, faculty, and staff at the College of Human Medicine.

The sisters were instrumental in helping organize an Iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast of Ramadan, at the Secchia Center.

The event, hosted by the National Arab American Medical Association and the MSU Muslim Student Association, featured a meal provided by Super Green Market and was open to all within the college. It embodied the core values of their Muslim faith, including generosity, inclusivity, and communal connection.

“I think that's going to be very important in me being able to care for my patients. Being able to understand that we're not all conformed into one person, and we hold multiple beliefs and values. I want to make sure everyone feels heard and seen,” said Ayah.

Serving the people

The College of Human Medicine’s mission -- to promote the dignity and inclusion of all people and respond to the needs of the medically underserved -- are values that closely reflect how the Ayesh sisters were raised and hope to practice medicine.

“The College of Human Medicine places a huge emphasis on serving underprivileged and underrepresented communities and increasing representation in medicine,” said Ayah. “We are both into advocating for immigrant health.”

Their passion for both communities they consider home led them to return to Palestine on a medical mission trip in August of 2024. Awatef, not yet admitted to medical school, and Ayah, having completed her first year at the College of Human Medicine, were able to assist and translate between patients and members of visiting medical teams. The experience instilled in them the importance of representation in medicine.

“Whether it's my identity as a woman, as a Muslim, as a hijab-wearing person, as a Palestinian, I hope my patients will find something in me that makes them feel comfortable,” said Ayah. “I want to make sure my patients feel like they're being cared for regardless of their religion or gender, ethnicity, or their language. Everyone deserves to have quality care.”

As the Ayesh sisters continue their journey in medicine, they hope to bridge the gaps in care and inclusion, improving access to compassionate and culturally informed care.

“It’s everybody’s differences that makes this country so beautiful,” said Awatef. “I encourage people to go out of their comfort zone and learn about different cultures. It takes a lot for people to feel confident in their own skin, and in their own culture. We’ve been there and that’s why we want to meet people where they are in our communities and through medicine.”   

This story originally appeared the College of Medicine's website.