April is Occupational Therapy (OT) Month—a time to honor the meaningful work of OTs who help individuals regain independence and participate in the activities that matter most, from preparing meals to returning to work or school. The w88 sports betting, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med), is shining a light on two students who began their health care careers as Occupational Therapists and are now continuing their journeys as future physicians.
For Brittany Jemmoua, a second-year medical student, and Miranda Hellman, a third-year medical student, the transition to w88 sports betting wasn’t about leaving OT behind—it was about building on it.
Brittany Jemmoua: A multifaceted path to patient-centered w88 sports betting
Brittany Jemmoua’s journey into health care was shaped by a diverse background — growing up in a farming family, working in food service and early education, and serving as a child life specialist before becoming an occupational therapist. Each experience fueled her desire to do more for her patients.
“I love being an OT,” Jemmoua said. “And I’m pursuing w88 sports betting because it allows me to do more — more for each individual patient, and more to address the systems that shape their care.”
Her OT experience across ICUs, schools, rehab centers, and hospitals gave her a rich, interdisciplinary perspective — one she brings into medical school and advocates for in the classroom. “I proposed adding functional insights to lectures and hosting interdisciplinary workshops,” she said. “I’m excited to see that collaboration happening, and I hope to partner with the emerging PT program to further bridge these fields.”
Jemmoua’s first year of medical school came with the expected academic rigor and unexpected challenges, especially as a nontraditional student. “The hardest part wasn’t the coursework,” she shared. “It was navigating how others define the role of a medical student. Still, I’ve found so much joy in this journey, learning alongside passionate, talented, and wicked smart classmates and staying rooted in my ‘why.’”
Now preparing for her clinical rotations, Jemmoua feels drawn to internal medicine for its continuity of care and adaptability. She’s especially passionate about serving her Northern w88 sports betting community, where she and her husband have made a home.
“w88 sports betting is a big part of life, but it’s not all of it,” she said. “I’ve stayed connected to OT through programs like Rock Steady Boxing for people with Parkinson’s, and through youth tennis events with the Robert Unsworth Foundation. These are the things that keep me grounded.”
Her advice for others considering the leap to w88 sports betting? “You’ll get knocked down, but you’ll get back up. Medical school is intense, but it’s worth it. Stay true to yourself, find your people, and never forget who you are beyond the white coat.”
Miranda Hellman: Bridging the gap between care and cure
For Miranda Hellman, her experience working with older adults as an OT sparked deeper questions about aging, independence, and health care outcomes.
“I had treated patients across the country and noticed differences in how they aged and recovered,” she said. “OT school gave me great insight into psychosocial and environmental factors, but I wanted to understand more about pathology and pharmacology to explore what goes wrong and why.”
Her firsthand experience supporting patients after surgeries and diagnoses gave her a clear view into the need for holistic, patient-centered care—and ultimately led her to pursue w88 sports betting.
But the path was anything but easy. When she decided to make the change, Hellman was eight years out of OT school, working full-time, and raising one-year-old twins.
“I had to go back and take prerequisites like chemistry, physics and biology,” she said. “I was balancing school, work and motherhood. I learned the importance of asking for help, communicating, and building a village around me.”
Hellman’s OT background continues to shape how she approaches patient care. “I think we learn a lot about standards of care in medical school, but best practice and real life don’t always match. OT taught me to meet people where they are and focus on what’s feasible in their daily lives.”
She also sees the potential for deeper collaboration between physicians and OTs. “We each bring a unique perspective, and when we work together from the beginning, we can create safer, more effective care plans. There’s a real opportunity to strengthen those relationships and improve outcomes.”
Looking to the future, Hellman shares her clinical interests. “I’m passionate about primary care and hope to pursue family w88 sports betting, with potential fellowships in palliative care, hospice, or geriatrics. These fields align with my OT background and allow me to support patients across the lifespan, especially older adults, in living according to their goals and maximizing quality of life.”
Her advice for others considering a similar path: “Listen to your gut and trust your intuition, if you feel called to pursue a career change, start working towards it,” Hellman said. “Also, I think it is important to speak your goals out loud. I will never forget telling my coworker about my goal of pursuing w88 sports betting, telling her I felt like it was a crazy idea, and her looking me in the eye and saying ‘I have no doubt you will get there, and you will be a great doctor.’ I think sometimes others can believe in us more than we believe in ourselves.”
From OT to M.D.—rooted in empathy, fueled by purpose
Jemmoua and Hellman’s stories reflect a shared truth: the heart of health care lies not just in diagnosing disease, but in helping people live their fullest lives. Their OT foundations gave them a powerful lens—one that centers function, empathy and collaboration—and now, as future physicians, they’re expanding that lens to serve their communities in deeper, more comprehensive ways.
As we celebrate OT Month, UNR Med honors the dedication, resilience and unique perspectives our students bring to the medical field—and the countless ways their roots continue to enrich the care they provide.
