Brandon Ocariz

Having done his undergraduate work at Florida International University in Miami, Brandon Ocariz felt right at home when he arrived at SMUSOM. “I loved the island of Grand Cayman. It is really so beautiful and it didn’t feel foreign to me at all. It actually felt like an extension of Miami, and reminded me of home”.

Now in his Internal Medicine rotation in Orlando, Brandon actively participated in all aspects of school life while in his Basic Sciences. He served as SGA President, President of the Emergency Medicine Interest Group, a member of AMSA, a TA, and a volunteer at the Cayman Heart Fund Health Fair. He excelled academically as well, earning numerous “Certificates of Merit” awards in his classes each term and was honored with the “Deans Award” at the conclusion of the program. This is given in recognition for both an outstanding GPA as well as work outside the classroom. In addition, he was chosen by his peers to receive the school “Brenden K. Roddy Humanitarian Award” for “going above and beyond to help his colleagues succeed in their studies at SMUSOM, while being a role model of student success”.

To what does he owe this success in the Basic Sciences Program? “It really helped that the professors were top notch. They were truly the greatest professors I have ever had. In undergrad I spent a lot of time teaching myself to be honest. That wasn’t the case at all at SMUSOM. The professors teach you in a way that you can understand, and then they are there in off hours to help you further if you need it.”

Brandon Ocariz, Dean’s Award recipient