One medical student is using social media to show others that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to.

Zora Szabo, a Dallas native and daughter of Hungarian immigrants, is a first-year medical student at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She decided to pursue a career as a physician because she witnessed the differences in healthcare globally through her parents’ and grandparents’ experiences. Szabo’s grandmother has heart-related issues and struggles with a lack of dedication from the providers caring for her. Her grandfather experienced medical malpractice, which resulted in him becoming partially blind.

“The trauma my family experienced made me want to make them more comfortable around physicians. I want to change it for them, as well as those who come from a similar background as me,” she said.

Szabo’s journey to OSU-COM began as an undergraduate student at the University of Tulsa when she attended a Day in the Life of a Medical Student event on the OSU Center for Health Sciences campus, where both students and professors made her feel at home.

Although she wasn’t close to becoming a medical student at the time, Szabo found she kept being drawn back to OSU through her work with various community-led projects and organizations that partner with OSU Medicine.

“I was constantly being tied back to the school. I already felt like this is where I am supposed to be and where I belong because of the community-focused work,” she said.

Her passion for connectivity and community is what led her to begin sharing her journey on social media.

At the University of Tulsa, Szabo founded the STRETCHED Unscripted podcast for 918 STRETCHED, a program that introduces high school students to medical careers, and ran the organization’s Instagram account.

After graduating with both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, she began working as an exercise specialist at Saint Francis Health System and decided to document her journey online.

It was a way to stay in contact with her extended family, who still live in Hungary, and her younger sister studying in China.

“With the time differences, it’s harder to communicate with them and keep them updated on what’s going on in my life. I decided to use social media as a daily digital log to keep them up to date,” Szabo said.

So naturally, when she began applying to OSU-COM, she continued.

She’s documented everything from interview day and receiving her acceptance letter to now showcasing her day-to-day life as a first-year medical student alongside her best friend, Tre Damon, another first-year OSU-COM student.

“This is a path we are flying together that began when we both attended the Day in the Life event. It was amazing to see that other students were in my same shoes, which wasn’t a conversation I had with students at different schools,” Szabo said.

Social media also allows her to stay in touch with the students she’s mentored through her volunteer work, so they can learn and grow alongside her on the journey.

“I want to prove to others in a similar situation that they can trust me. I have gone through every little thought that they might have when it comes to doubting their abilities or capabilities, and I’ve figured it out, so they can too,” she said.

As a first-generation healthcare worker and doctor, being at OSU-COM means more than Szabo can put into words. That’s why she’s excited to share her journey online. She knows she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.

“All the work I’ve done has led me to this moment. I want to prove it to myself, my younger sister and the rest of my family that everything they went through happened for a reason. I’m that reason, and that’s why I’m here now,” she said.