Ringo Leung

Having come from an underserved community and low socioeconomic family background, Ringo did not grow up in an environment with prolific opportunities and networks. As he began his undergraduate studies at UC San Diego, he soon realized this is not the case anymore. He is surrounded by possibilities to prove his academic and personal capabilities. Though he had heard many stories about students switching majors two or three times throughout their undergraduate education, after two years at UC San Diego towards a degree in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, the Marshall College honors student has no doubts. After completing a summer research internship in 2019 and year-long follow-up program with the Continuing Umbrella of Research Experience (CURE), Ringo continued to engage in research and obtained lab experience through the UC San Diego School of Medicine, acting as a research assistant to graduate students and postdocs within the Ravits lab under the Department of Neurosciences.

Ringo’s interest in healthcare services was the foundation for many of the experiences he sought and obtained. “Wanting to get a better sense of the healthcare clinical setting, I have volunteered at Thornton Hospital through UC San Diego Health as well as shadowing a surgeon at Sharp’s Memorial Hospital. I was able to get a better understanding of how different health care professionals work and collaborate and how some healthcare systems operate.” Ringo enjoys and appreciates every patient interaction he is able to experience, which led him to work as an EMT and MA as he is wrapping up his third year at UC San Diego. Ringo plans to continue these positions throughout the remainder of his undergraduate career and his gap year.

As a volunteer case manager for the Mustard Seed Project, a student organization through UC San Diego’s Center for Student Involvement dedicated to homeless outreach, Ringo has helped identify homeless individuals’ needs. “The student volunteers in the committee I led conducted surveys and collected testimonies of individuals in a homeless situation. With the data collected, we report the demographic makeup of the population we serve and obtain a better understanding of their situation, including sources of income and living needs.” Through their efforts homeless individuals were connected to resources that will improve their living conditions and help them get back on their feet.

As he progresses upon his pre-medical journey, Ringo found comfort in health care and medicine, especially following the death of his grandfather. “Witnessing and being involved in the healing process of patients I have interacted with, in a way, helped heal me emotionally as well. I realized that achieving a bachelor’s degree in neurosciences is not only a destination I would like to reach but also a stepping stone to further my education in medicine to become a physician that specializes in neurology and conducts clinical research. I hope to contribute to the greater good of the community by becoming a medical scientist.”