Welcome to the portfolio of
Rayyan
Ali
Building care, community, and belonging — one person at a time.
Premed · EMT-B · Health Coach · Educator · Researcher
Behind every person
is a story worth
hearing.
Every patient and student's story matters. By walking alongside the community we care for, we navigate this journey together. I strive to create spaces where patients and students feel supported, understood, and never alone as they move forward.
Featured Chapter
UCR School of Medicine
Health Coach Program
RUHS Family Care & Orthopedic Clinics · 2024–Present
Every week, I sit across from patients navigating not just illness, but the uncertainty that comes with it. Language barriers, competing life demands, and a system that does not always meet them where they are can make that journey even harder. My role is not just to share information, but to listen, to understand, and to walk alongside each person as they move toward something better.
At RUHS, within both the Family Care and Orthopedic clinics, this work has grown beyond individual interactions. I have helped develop educational materials and structure programming that support care teams across the clinic, ensuring patients receive clear, accessible guidance throughout their care. By preparing resources across multiple quarters, I aim to strengthen continuity, support implementation, and create an environment where patients feel more confident, informed, and supported in their journey.
Patients First,
Always
Direct care shaped by empathy, continuity, and the willingness to meet people exactly where they are.
UCR SOM · RUHS
Family Care Clinic
Health Coach
Jul 2024 – Jun 2025
Motivational interviewing, multilingual care, weekly follow-up, EPIC documentation.
UCR SOM · RUHS
Orthopedic Specialty Clinic
Health Coach
Jul 2025 – Present
Joint Commission programs, quarterly education systems, clinic flow optimization.
UCSF · Regional Medical Center SJ
Neurosurgery Dept.
Shadowing Intern
January 2023
Patient rounds, noncommunicative patient care, underserved populations.
Lahore General Hospital
Radiology Department
Shadowing Intern
Jun – Jul 2022
MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound. Bilingual care in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi.
Riverside Free Clinic
Clinic Monitor
NeedyMeds Committee Officer
Jun 2023 – Present
Biweekly underserved care, FoodRX Feeding America, 200+ families annually.
Building What
Needs to Exist
Leadership that means more than a title — it means building systems, trust, and access for the people around you.
UCR School of Medicine
DEI Intern
Clinical & Administrative Program
Jul 2024 – Present
400+ attendees at National Latino Physician Day. Supported Healthcare Leadership Program development.
PPAC · UCR
Pre-Health Ambassador
Student Mentor & Advisor
Sep 2024 – Present
Weekly mentoring, Highlander Day, UC Davis Pre-Health Conference.
Muslim Student Association · UCR
Humanitarian Committee
Co-Lead
Sep 2023 – Jun 2024
$5,000+ raised for Doctors Without Borders. Community relief, water access advocacy.
BPSHI · Riverside
Health Education Co-Director
& General Clinic Volunteer
Nov 2023 – Present
IEHP/Medicare enrollment, Feeding America, bilingual care in Urdu.
Knowledge That
Belongs to Everyone
Research that asks the questions no one is asking. Education designed so every learner can walk through the door.
UCR · HHMI & Mini-Grant Funded
Neurodiversity Research
Project Lead & Researcher
Jan 2023 – Jun 2024
750+ STEM students surveyed. UCR Symposium presenter. HHMI & Mini-Grant recipient.
Stanford University School of Medicine
Neurodiversity Project
Intern & Co-Founder
Apr 2021 – Mar 2022
Advocacy across 7 high schools. Presented at Stanford Neurodiversity Summit.
UCR · Hartman Lab, Chemistry
Research Assistant
NSF Mastery Grading Project
Oct 2024 – Jun 2025
LLM-assisted exam development, accessible STEM pedagogy, module-based learning.
UCR R'Courses
Fitness 101
Course Instructor & Co-Founder
Apr 2024 – Present
20+ students per cohort. Most-attended R'Course at UCR. DEI-integrated, neurodiverse design.
Traveling Through Time
Every chapter led somewhere. Every moment of service built the next one. This is the path — from first exposure to what comes next.
First Steps into Healthcare
Early hospital & clinical volunteering
Before medical school was a plan, it was a feeling — spending time in healthcare settings, learning what it actually meant to be present for people in vulnerable moments. These early experiences planted everything that followed.
Clinic Coordinator & Web Manager
Administrative & operational leadership
Took on coordination and digital management roles that taught a crucial lesson: good care requires good systems. The people-facing work is only as strong as the infrastructure behind it.
Atria Senior Living
Patient interaction & elder care
Working in a senior living environment deepened my understanding of what continuity of care truly means — the value of a familiar face, a warm presence, and taking time to genuinely connect with each resident's story.
Stanford Neurodiversity Project
Intern & Co-Founder
Co-founded an advocacy platform across seven high schools. Collaborated with Stanford and Cornell faculty. Presented at the Stanford Neurodiversity Summit. The project taught me that systemic change begins with someone willing to build what doesn't yet exist.
UC Riverside — A New Chapter
B.S. Biology · 2022
Arrived at UCR with clinical curiosity already formed. Almost immediately, the lab, the free clinic, and the community were waiting. The degree would track the academic journey — the work would define everything else.
Lahore General Hospital
Radiology — International Shadowing
Medicine in Pakistan looked different. Fewer resources, longer waiting rooms — and physicians moving with extraordinary care and economy. Being able to communicate in Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi gave me a role I hadn't anticipated, and taught me what culturally grounded care actually requires.
UCSF Neurosurgery
Shadowing Intern — Regional Medical Center, San Jose
Neurosurgery confronted me with medicine's most demanding conditions and most impossible communication barriers. Learning to read what cannot be said — to advocate for a noncommunicative patient — changed how I think about clinical presence entirely.
Research, Service & Growth at UCR
Multiple concurrent roles
A convergence of threads: neurodiversity research funded by HHMI, free clinic operations, community health fairs, humanitarian organizing. Every commitment reinforced the same conviction — that showing up consistently is its own form of medicine.
Neurodiversity Research Project
Project Lead — HHMI & Mini-Grant Funded
Surveyed 750+ STEM students on classroom inclusivity and support needs for neurodiverse learners. Secured two competitive grants. Presented findings at the UCR Undergraduate Symposium. Built recommendations that I hope outlasted the project itself.
CUREL Student Ambassador
Center for Undergraduate Research & Engaged Learning
Increased student participation in research workshops from 10 to 50 by connecting undergraduates to the practical value of engaged learning — especially for those pursuing health professions. Mentored incoming students through the transition to university life.
Pre-Health Ambassador
PPAC (formerly HPAC) · UCR
Weekly office hours with pre-health students navigating the same uncertainty I once felt. Helped them build confidence, clarify their paths, and see themselves in the future they were working toward. Represented UCR at the UC Davis Pre-Health/Medical Conference.
Fitness 101 — R'Courses Instructor
Co-Founded & Taught
Built a wellness curriculum that started from a different question: what does health actually mean for you? Three cohorts of 20+ students. One of UCR's most-attended R'Courses. Designed with universal access and neurodiverse accommodations from the ground up.
DEI Intern — UCR School of Medicine
Clinical & Administrative Program
Worked directly with Associate Dean Dr. Denise Martinez to embed equity into medical education and recruitment. Supported the development of the Healthcare Leadership Program. Created the website for the UCCHC community health conference and designed promotional materials including flyers for National Latino Physician Day — 400+ attendees, the largest NLPD event hosted nationwide.
RUHS Health Coach
Family Care & Orthopedic Clinics
Two clinic sites. Two distinct challenges. At Family Care: weekly patient partnership through chronic illness and life obstacles. At Orthopedic: building the educational infrastructure that supports entire care teams — quarterly programming preplanned through 2027.
Riverside Free Clinic Leadership
Clinic Monitor · NeedyMeds Officer
Grew from volunteer to leading biweekly clinic operations for hundreds of underserved Inland Empire patients. Introduced FoodRX. Built financial tracking systems for grants. Learned that the most meaningful leadership is the kind no one asked you to take on.
Graduation — B.S. Biology
UC Riverside · Magna Cum Laude · High Honors
Chancellor's Honors. Dean's Honors. A degree that documents the academic chapter of a journey that was always about more than grades. The credential matters. The work behind it matters more.
Medicine — What Comes Next
Future Physician
Entering medicine not just to treat illness — but to improve the systems and relationships that determine whether care ever reaches the people who need it most. The journey continues.
Rayyan
Ali
Future Physician · UCR Biology '25
I want to become a physician who listens first, builds trust over time, and prioritizes care that is shaped around the patient.
I graduated from UC Riverside with a degree in Biology, but the education that has shaped me most has come from time spent in clinics, community spaces, and conversations with students who were unsure of their path and needed someone to remind them they belonged.
Early on, I came to understand that access to healthcare is not just about treatment. It is about trust, communication, and feeling comfortable enough to ask questions and be heard. I have spent my time working to support all of these at once — coaching patients through chronic conditions, building programs that continue to serve communities over time, and mentoring students as they find their place in healthcare.
I speak Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi, and I value being able to connect with patients in a language they call their own. That sense of familiarity and comfort can make it easier for patients to share their concerns, ask questions, and feel more at ease in their care.
The physician I am becoming is someone who listens first, builds trust over time, and prioritizes care that is shaped around the patient. I believe every person deserves to feel supported, understood, and confident in their journey toward better health.
University of California, Riverside
B.S. in Biology · Magna Cum Laude · High Honors
Chancellor's Honors List · Dean's Honors List · 2022–2025
Bay Area Training Academy
Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B)
National Registry Certified · 2023
Competencies Earned
in the Field
Clinical Skills
- Motivational Interviewing
- Care Coordination & Follow-up
- Chronic Disease Management
- Patient Education & Health Coaching
- Emergency First Aid (EMT-B)
- BLS / CPR / AED
- EPIC EHR Documentation
Technical Skills
- IBM SPSS Statistical Analysis
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Google Workspace
- Data Tracking & Reporting Systems
- LLM-Assisted Research Tools
- Social Media & Content Strategy
- Curriculum & Program Design
Languages & Advocacy
- English (Native)
- Urdu (Fluent)
- Hindi (Fluent)
- Punjabi (Conversational)
- DEI Program Development
- Cross-Cultural Communication
- Community Health Education
Honors & Distinction
Recognized for research, service, and the steady work that rarely announces itself.
Chancellor's Honors List
UC Riverside · 2022–2025
Academic excellence recognized across all years of undergraduate study.
HHMI Grant Recipient
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
$3,000 stipend awarded for neurodiversity classroom research under Dr. Nugent's initiative at UCR.
UCR Mini-Grant Award
UCR Undergraduate Education
Competitive grant awarded for independent neurodiversity research project leadership.
Certificate of Appreciation
Riverside Free Clinic
Positive Participator Award for sustained leadership and meaningful community impact.
Dean's Honors List
UC Riverside · 2022–2025
Consistent academic distinction across all semesters of undergraduate study.
UCR Undergraduate Symposium
University of California, Riverside
Presented independent neurodiversity research to faculty and peers, representing 750+ surveyed STEM students.
The next chapter
starts with a conversation.
If you'd like to connect, feel free to reach out through email or find me on LinkedIn — always happy to hear from you.
Professional Overview
Rayyan
Ali
Premedical · EMT-B · Health Coach · Researcher · Educator
A UC Riverside Biology graduate with hands-on experience across clinical health coaching, community outreach, DEI program development, and independent research. Committed to health equity, patient-centered care, and building systems that serve underserved communities over the long term.
At a Glance
Professional Snapshot
Core Competencies
Areas of Strength
Clinical Care
Motivational interviewing, care coordination, patient education, chronic disease support, EMT-B emergency first aid, EPIC EHR documentation.
Leadership & DEI
DEI program development, healthcare leadership curriculum support, event design, community recruitment strategy, inclusive environment building.
Research
Independent research design, survey methodology, SPSS statistical analysis, grant writing and management, symposium-level presentation.
Teaching & Mentorship
Curriculum design, evidence-based instruction, DEI-integrated pedagogy, neurodiverse accommodations, peer mentoring and advising.
Systems Building
Clinic flow optimization, quarterly educational programming, financial tracking systems, data-driven workflow documentation, infrastructure planning.
Community Health
Multilingual patient support (Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi), free clinic operations, food access programs, health fair coordination, community outreach.
Selected Experience
Where I've Shown Up
UCR School of Medicine · RUHS
RUHS Health Coach Program
Health Coach
Jul 2024 – PresentTwo clinic sites — Family Care and Orthopedic Specialty — each presenting distinct challenges. At Family Care, weekly patient partnership through chronic illness management and motivational interviewing. At Orthopedic, built educational infrastructure supporting entire care teams, with quarterly programming preplanned through 2027.
Riverside Free Clinic
Clinic Monitor
NeedyMeds Committee Officer
Jun 2023 – PresentGrew from volunteer to leading biweekly operations for a multidisciplinary free clinic serving hundreds of underserved Inland Empire patients. Built the financial and operational systems that sustain it.
UCR School of Medicine
DEI Intern
Clinical & Administrative Program
Jul 2024 – PresentCollaborated directly with Associate Dean Dr. Denise Martinez to contribute to DEI programming, recruitment strategy, and inclusive infrastructure at UCR School of Medicine.
UCR · HHMI & Mini-Grant Funded
Neurodiversity Research Project
Project Lead & Independent Researcher
Jan 2023 – Jun 2024Led independent research on classroom inclusivity for neurodiverse STEM students, securing two competitive grants and presenting findings at the UCR Undergraduate Research Symposium.
UCR R'Courses
Fitness 101
Course Instructor & Co-Founder
Apr 2024 – PresentCo-founded and taught an evidence-based undergraduate wellness course. Consistently hit maximum enrollment — one of UCR's most-attended R'Courses — built with universal design and neurodiverse accommodations from the ground up.
PPAC (formerly HPAC) · UCR
Pre-Health Student Ambassador
Advisor & Peer Mentor
Sep 2024 – PresentWeekly office hours mentoring pre-health students on course planning, application preparation, and building confidence in their path toward healthcare careers.
Education & Recognition
Academic Foundation
University
University of California, Riverside
B.S. in Biology · Magna Cum Laude · High Honors
Chancellor's Honors List · Dean's Honors List · 2022–2025
Certification
Bay Area Training Academy
Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B)
National Registry Certified · 2023
Rayyan Ali
If you'd like to get in touch, always happy to connect.
Reflection