Taha Umar

Taha Umar

Public Service Fellow

Taha Umar is a senior majoring in Biological Sciences with minors in Psychology and Medical Ethics & Health Policy. He is a Teaching Intern for the Chemistry Department and is a Supplemental Instructor for the Rutgers Office for Diversity and Academic Success in the Sciences (ODASIS), teaching marginalized students at Rutgers. He works as a Peer Mental Health Educator for Rutgers Health Outreach, Promotion, and Education (HOPE) with the goal of alleviating stress exacerbated by the pandemic. In Fall 2021, he interned with the Waller Institute to conduct a literature review on how Covid-19 disproportionately affected people experiencing homelessness. His experiences in healthcare settings as a Medical Assistant for an Orthopedic Surgeon over Summer 2021 and a current Scribe at a local hospital have provided him with a greater understanding of issues patients face, most significant being insurance related. He loves to discuss issues across the healthcare landscape as a member of the Bioethics Society. This summer, he will be a member of the 2022 Inaugural Cohort of the Rutgers Summer Service Internship (RSSI) Initiative where he will continue his work with Interfaith-RISE, a non-profit dedicated to the integration of refugees across NJ. After graduation, Taha aspires to be a physician and hopes to combine his interests in public service, education, and medicine to increase ease of patient access to quality medical care.