From Legazpi City to ATSU-SOMA: Reijiani Relova’s path to becoming a physician for her community
Posted: October 8, 2026
Reijiani Relova immigrated to the United States from Legazpi City, Philippines, and now calls Lakewood, California, home, a journey that has shaped her path toward osteopathic medicine at A.T. Still University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA), class of 2029.
Relova earned her bachelor’s of science in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2019 and completed a post-baccalaureate program at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in 2023. At ATSU-SOMA, she serves as co-president of the Harm Reduction Club and the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), and a member of Taylored Excellence.
Why did you choose ATSU-SOMA?
“I chose ATSU because of its commitment to community. Our school is built around serving communities that have historically lacked access to healthcare, and that immediately resonated with me. Coming into medicine as an immigrant Filipina-American, my journey to becoming a physician has always been rooted in the people and communities that raised me. I wanted to attend a school that would teach me how to become the kind of physician I would trust to care for my own family and community.
“What also stood out to me was the sense of community within ATSU itself. When I spoke with Student Ambassadors before coming here, they talked about how collaborative the environment was and how supported they felt by both their classmates and faculty. There was a genuine sense that students wanted to see each other succeed rather than compete with one another. It felt like a family and, even before I started medical school, I could see myself being supported and thriving here.
“Now that I’m a student, I’ve been able to experience that for myself. ATSU has given me a community that challenges me to grow while also reminding me why I chose medicine in the first place. I came here hoping to become a physician my family and community could trust, and I feel like I’m becoming that person alongside people who genuinely want to see me succeed.”
What do you enjoy about being an ATSU student?
“My favorite part of being an ATSU student is getting to be surrounded by people who make me want to show up, even on the really hard days. My classmates are some of the smartest, funniest, and most interesting people I’ve met, and I love that everyone brings something different to our class.
“Student life for me has been studying together, grabbing lunch between medical skills and OPP, celebrating after exams, and finding the energy to do it all over again. I’ve gotten to watch my friends grow into future physicians while also getting to know who they are completely outside of medicine.
“I think that’s what I’ll value most about this experience. I’m not just leaving ATSU with a medical education, I’m leaving with friendships and memories that I know will follow me long after medical school.”
What do you hope to achieve professionally, and how is ATSU helping prepare you for your career?
“I always joke that my specialty of interest changes with every block. Right now, I’m drawn to family medicine, OB/GYN, and pediatrics, but I’m keeping an open mind because I’m still discovering what parts of medicine excite me most.
“I’m still figuring out exactly where I’ll end up, but I know I want to do work that keeps me connected to people. I love the idea of getting to know my patients and their families over time and being someone they feel comfortable coming back to. I also hope that the things I love now, mentorship, teaching, community work, and bringing people together, continue to be part of who I am as a physician.
“ATSU has given me the space to explore all of those possibilities. Between early clinical experiences, working with different patient populations, learning osteopathic medicine, and having opportunities to lead and serve while I’m still a student, I’m figuring out not only what I enjoy, but where my strengths can be most useful.
“I may change my mind about my specialty a few more times before graduation, and probably will, but I’m excited by that. I don’t feel like I need to have every detail figured out yet. Right now, I’m focused on becoming a well-rounded physician and letting each experience at ATSU bring me a little closer to figuring out where I’m meant to be.”
Why did you choose to join different student organizations?
“I think what I enjoy most about these organizations is that I actually get to turn the things I care about into something tangible.
“With Harm Reduction Club, being co-president has given me the opportunity to take something I really believe in, meeting people where they are, and put it into practice. We’ve worked on things like naloxone education and kits, connecting students with community outreach and clinic opportunities, and finding ways to reduce some of the stigma around substance use. I really enjoy that it pushes us as medical students to think about what caring for someone looks like outside of a classroom or exam question. Sometimes helping someone is providing resources, listening to them, and making sure they know they deserve care.
“APAMSA is a little different because it feels very personal to me. As co-president, I love creating the kind of community that I wanted when I came into medical school. We organize social and cultural events, service opportunities, and ways for students to get involved in leadership, but honestly, some of my favorite moments are just seeing people show up and find each other. I want our events to be places where people can celebrate their cultures, eat together, laugh, and feel like there’s a space for them here. I especially love getting newer students involved because I remember what it felt like to be the new person trying to figure out where I belonged.
“Taylored Excellence gives me another side of that through mentorship. I’ve benefited so much from people who were willing to answer my questions and help me navigate a path that was completely new to me, so I really enjoy being able to turn around and do that for someone else. There are so many parts of getting into and surviving medical school that you don’t know until someone tells you, and I like being one of those people who can say, ‘Hey, I’ve been there. Here’s what I learned.’
“I think that’s the common thread between all three. I really like creating spaces where people feel like they belong and making resources and opportunities a little easier to reach. Those are also the things that keep me grounded in medical school because they remind me that becoming a physician was never just about what I could accomplish for myself.”
Why did you become a Student Ambassador, and what do you enjoy about serving in this role?
“I became a Student Ambassador because I remember being on the other side of this process and how much it meant when someone took a moment to see me as a person, not just another applicant. The application process asks so much of you, and sometimes you become so focused on what comes next that you forget how much it took just to get there.
“One of my favorite things is getting to tell interviewees to take a second, look around, and realize that they are standing among other future physicians. Regardless of what happens after that interview, they made it to that room, and I hope they can be proud of themselves for that.
“More than anything, I tell students that I hope they find the school where they feel seen, heard, and supported, wherever that ends up being. Of course, I hope that place is ATSU, because it became that place for me.
“When I was applying, those small, genuine conversations with current students were the moments I carried with me. They made an intimidating process feel a little more human. Now I get to offer that same moment to someone else, and I think that’s what I love most about being a Student Ambassador.”
What are some of your interests, hobbies, or achievements outside of ATSU?
“Outside of ATSU, I really love anything that lets me be creative or bring people together. I love cooking, crafting, painting, and making tiny clay art, basically anything where I can make something with my hands.
“I also love planning movie nights, themed birthday parties, and little get-togethers with my med school best friends. It’s definitely a group effort, and I think half the fun is coming up with ridiculous ideas together and somehow actually making them happen. Whether we’re cooking for each other, crafting decorations, or planning a very unnecessarily elaborate theme, I love creating little moments that give us something to look forward to outside of school.
“I think that’s the common thread in most of the things I enjoy: being creative, spending time with people I love, and making ordinary moments feel a little more special.”
