Angel Cleare

Hi, I’m Angel,

Though I currently live in Massachusetts, I spent a large portion of my life in Nassau, Bahamas. I attended Stanford University where I received a minor in Spanish and a B.S. in Human Biology with a concentration of the Behavioral and Physiological Elements of Well-being. I am currently working as an Anatomy Scholar at Stanford Medical School where I am able to learn from and teach using the cadaver donors from Stanford’s Anatomical Gift Program. Aside from medicine, my interests include power lifting, singing, and crocheting! 

During my time as an undergraduate, I was interested in preventative care, particularly the use of food and exercise as an integral part of medicine. I thoroughly enjoyed the Nutrition, Kinesiology, Food Behavior and Community Health courses I got to take throughout my time in school. I also had the opportunity to help with research comparing dietary self-monitoring methods in a digital weight-loss intervention among racial and ethnic minority adults. I later incorporated this research into an honors thesis I wrote during my senior year. Just this summer, I was able to spend my last quarter as a college student in Mexico where I got to shadow physicians in various health clinics and broaden my understanding of healthcare systems in different countries. 

Once I eventually become an established physician, I hope to return to my childhood home in the Bahamas and work on improving the healthcare there. I aspire to aid in transforming the Bahamian medical system from a reactive approach to a proactive one, focusing on both preventive care and community health initiatives. 

I am looking forward to being a part of COMET this year and many learning opportunities to come.

Emily Merlin

Hello everyone! My name is Emily Merlin and I was born and raised in Monterey, California however my family and I are originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. I am a first-generation graduate from San Jose State University with a B.S. in Recreation Therapy. Recreation Therapy aids in treating and maintaining the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of patients by recovering basic motor functions, reasoning abilities, building confidence and social skills through activity-based interventions.

As a recreation therapy student for the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Rehabilitation Unit, I worked closely with patients with traumatic brain injuries, stroke, and spinal cord injuries. My primary role was focused on facilitating recreation therapy activities and community outings for these patients. I also worked as an independence and life skills instructor for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. It was an immensely rewarding experience seeing first-hand how these patients overcome their adversity.

This time around I would like to expand my learning in Family Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology. It is very important for me to see my community represented in these fields of healthcare. The COMET Fellowship is an important bridge on that path. It will help me gain access to resources like clinical experience, mentors, research opportunities, and valuable personal growth. Once accepted into medical school, I can aid like-minded medical professionals in addressing systemic issues and health disparities in marginalized communities.

I am delighted and honored to join the highly respected Stanford Health Care Team as a COMET Fellow. I look forward to the guidance and knowledge COMET has to offer

Klaire Revillo

Hi! I’m Klaire and I’m from San Diego, California! I graduated from UC San Diego this past June with my double major in Human Biology and Global Health and minor in Psychology. I’ve lived close to the coast my whole life so I love going to the beach and enjoying sunsets! I also love playing volleyball, playing golf and going snowboarding!

Throughout college I worked at the Expedited COVID IdenTification Environment (EXCITE) lab at UCSD which developed a test to detect the virus in less than 24 hours to provide large-scale COVID testing to frontline responders and educational institutions. I also worked for OASIS @ UCSD where I was able to help students from underserved communities while they navigated higher education. These experiences altogether helped me develop a deep appreciation for healthcare and a strong desire to build genuine connections with the people I encounter.

After graduating college, I got certified as a medical assistant where I continually realized my passion to have a career in Medicine. I am extremely excited to start this fellowship with COMET where I know I will meet an amazing and dedicated group of fellows and mentors. San Diego is definitely a tough place to beat but I know the bay area puts up a fight!

Shirley Djie

Hi everyone, my name is Shirley. I grew up in California and stayed in the East Bay while doing my pre-medical post-baccalaureate program.

During my time in the East Bay, I interned with Dr. Lisa Ochoa-Frongia and assisted other health care professionals at the San Francisco General hospital on a project to improve the depression screening rate. I also worked at a rehabilitation center providing care for residents with neurobehavioral disorders. My past clinical experiences allowed me to learn that communication is crucial to delivering effective health care and that the optimal health care delivery depends on the teamwork and partnership between health care professionals.

Being able to work as a scribe for the COMET fellowship will allow me to strengthen my communication skills, be more aware of different types of obstacles patients face to obtain optimal health, and learn from health care professionals about how to deliver medical knowledge in an effective and empowering manner. I am confident that this fellowship will allow me to gain valuable experiences and skills to help me become a compassionate and trustworthy physician.

I am excited to join the COMET this year, and I look forward to work alongside Stanford health care professionals and other COMET fellows.