{"id":217779,"date":"2025-06-24T10:53:54","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T20:53:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=217779"},"modified":"2025-06-24T15:46:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T01:46:20","slug":"imi-hoola-class-of-2029","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/24\/imi-hoola-class-of-2029\/","title":{"rendered":"\u02bbImi Ho\u02bb\u014dla grads earn entry to JABSOM<\/abbr>\u2019s Class of 2029"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"nine
JABSOM<\/abbr>‘s ʻImi<\/span> Hoʻōla<\/span> Class of 2029<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the highly competitive world of pre-medicine, nine students in the ʻImi<\/span> Hoʻōla<\/span> Post-Baccalaureate Program chose collaboration over rivalry during a demanding year preparing to enter the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at M\u0101noa\u2019s John A. Burns School of Medicine <\/a> (JABSOM<\/abbr>). Their efforts were recently celebrated by mentors, loved ones and the JABSOM<\/abbr> ʻohana<\/span><\/p>\n

For Regan Stradtmann-Carvalho, one of just two in the ʻImi<\/span> Hoʻōla<\/span> cohort living on Oʻahu<\/span> without immediate family support, the journey was especially challenging. But bonds with classmates sustained her.<\/p>\n

\"Gobman
ʻImi<\/span> grad Taylor Gobman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“You know, my peers have become like my sisters, they really helped me through,” said the Kamehameha Schools alumna, who grew up in rural Volcano Village on Hawaiʻi<\/span> Island. There, she witnessed the challenges of accessing consistent medical care and drew inspiration from her father, a psychiatric nurse.<\/p>\n

“He always said it\u2019s because he\u2019s a Hilo boy. So, he\u2019s a Hilo boy taking care of his own community,” she said. “I\u2019m a Hilo girl that wants to return to the Big Island someday.”<\/p>\n

Mililani High School graduate Taylor Gomban also found her calling early. “I\u2019ve always wanted to make people smile and improve their quality of life,” she said. <\/p>\n

Volunteering at Queen\u2019s Medical Center confirmed Gomban\u2019s desire to become a doctor. As a first-generation student during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she navigated the pre-med path on her own.<\/p>\n

“I had to do a lot of putting myself out of my comfort zone,” said Gomban, who now feels supported by mentors and peers. “They say ‘Once an ʻImi<\/span> , always an ʻImi<\/span>.’”<\/p>\n

‘Those who seek to heal’<\/h2>\n

They say ‘Once an ʻImi<\/span>, always an ʻImi<\/span>.’
—Taylor Gomban<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The program\u2019s name means “those who seek to heal,” and it prepares students from underserved communities to become physicians serving Hawaiʻi<\/span> and the Pacific. Successful completion guarantees admission to JABSOM<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

“It really is a challenging program, and I think it sets us up very well to succeed in the future,” said Stradtmann-Carvalho.<\/p>\n

For Gomban, the cohort\u2019s bond extended beyond the classroom. “We never missed a birthday celebration,” she said. “We always got cake and we always sang.”<\/p>\n

Now, they celebrate their biggest milestone yet: entering the JABSOM<\/abbr> MD<\/abbr> Class of 2029.<\/p>\n

Read more at JABSOM<\/abbr>.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a rigorous year of growth, nine students in the program earned their place in the JABSOM<\/abbr> MD<\/abbr> Class of 2029.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[1004,31,660,9],"class_list":["post-217779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-imi-hoola","tag-john-a-burns-school-of-medicine","tag-student-recognition","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t