Brianna Dolana, MD, MS: ‘My top program’

Native Tucsonan and first-generation college student Brianna Dolana, MS, was raised by a single mother living below the poverty line, which often led to challenges accessing health care. She recalls instances when compassionate doctors helped her family avoid high medical bills and says these acts of kindness inspired her to pursue medicine so she could give back to her community in a similar manner.

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Dolana received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Arizona. Between degrees, she became a certified EMT and worked on an ambulance for two-and-a-half years.

“That’s when I fell in love with emergency medicine,” she said. “I really enjoy that it’s something different every day.”

The experience solidified for her that medicine was the right path, and this summer she will begin an emergency medicine residency at Banner – UMC Tucson through the College of Medicine – Tucson. She says she was happy — and relieved — to match into this program.

“I have family here, I have support here,” she said. “This is just my top program.”

Before enrolling in the MD program, Dolana was accepted into the Pre-Medical Admissions Pathway (P-MAP), a 13-month intensive medical school preparation program tailored for students who have not had the same educational and economic advantages that many of their peers have enjoyed. Dolana says the experience empowered her to get through medical school with the support and confidence she needed to succeed.

“I felt really supported by P-MAP and the COM-T Office of Diversity and Inclusion,” she said. “It was the best decision I could have made. Without it, I don’t think I’d be in medical school.”

Now Dolana is giving back. She says she’s pleased to remain in Tucson because it means she’ll be able to continue her involvement in a mentorship program she launched with other medical students. The program, called THE MAZE (Teen Healthcare Education and Mentorship, an Arizona Effort), connects medical students with underrepresented students interested in pursuing higher education.

“We want to help our community get out of poverty and to increase access to education,” she said. “I didn’t know how to apply to college, and I wouldn’t be in medical school if hadn’t luckily found my way there. There were so many questions along the way, and I didn’t want that to be the case for anyone else.”

Her favorite memory at the College of Medicine – Tucson overlapped with the culmination of the Life Cycle block in fall 2019, when she gave birth to her daughter.

“I learned all about the reproductive cycle and the lifecycle of a baby, and then a week or two before the final, I had my daughter,” Dolana said. “That was one of the happiest times.”