Joint Admission Medical Program

Alec Stover

Alec Stover is a junior majoring in Biology and calls home The Colony, TX. Stover is involved with the Molding Doctors organization on campus and a part of their fundraising committee. Stover is also a member of TeleHealth Access for Seniors, a national organization, to help collect and donate devices to provide telemedicine access to local clinics. Stover has completed the EMT course at UTD and received his EMT license. Outside of school Stover enjoys going to the gym, playing video games, playing volleyball, playing spikeball with friends, and eating good food. Stover’s favorite part about JAMP has been the internships because he was able to learn about many interesting topics, speak with many physicians, and meet a number of great people. Everybody in JAMP is so supportive and he loves being a part of the community. An interesting fact about Stover is that he played baseball since he was five and all the way through high school.

Favorite Dessert: cheesecake with strawberry sauce
Favorite Candy: Reese’s cups
Favorite Color: darker blue
Passions: I would like to be able to get to know the JAMPer’s more. I think getting together often to do things like eating out, bowling, etc. would be fun to do.

Alejandro Coronado

Alejandro Coronado is a junior majoring in Neuroscience from San Antonio, Texas. Currently, Coronado is involved in the Neuroscience Student Association and an active member of Delta Tau Delta. Coronado’s favorite part of being in JAMP is being able to talk to physicians during the summer internships and gain insight into what life as a doctor is. One thing that Coronado took away from the meetings with physicians is that they open up about the difficulties that they also went through during undergraduate and medical school. He values the reassurance and motivation this provides for students. This is one of the many reasons Coronado is grateful for JAMP. An interesting fact about him is that he can play the guitar.

Favorite Dessert: chocolate cake
Favorite Candy: Reese’s cups
Favorite Color: blue
Passions: music

Mark Salazar

My name is Mark Salazar and I was born and raised in Houston, TX and am currently majoring in Neuroscience. I have completed an EMT and Advanced EMT course at UTD. I have also served as an EMT with Acadian Ambulance Services and provided 911 and Inter-facility transports in my hometown, and the general Dallas areas. Currently, I volunteer as a first responder on campus with University Emergency Medical Response. I am also involved with the UTD Terry Scholars Student Organization, and Phi Kappa Phi. In my free time, I enjoy socializing with friends, watching documentaries, and trying new restaurants. My favorite part of being a JAMP scholar is making new friendships and being part of a community that supports each other. An interesting fact about me is that I enjoy riding dirt bikes, skateboards and mountain bikes.

Taseer Khalid

Hello! My name is Taseer, and I am a junior majoring in biology with a minor in psychology. I was born in Louisiana and raised in Dallas, Texas where I have lived for most of my life. I work part-time as a high school AVID tutor, and I help my students navigate the college admissions process as well. I am currently involved in the Last Writers program on campus where I wrote a personal memoir for a patient in hospice care. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends and creative writing. I also enjoy competing in non-fiction essay and poetry competitions, both local and national. The specialty I am most interested in is pediatrics because I love working with kids. As a physician, I look forward to giving back to the community I grew up in and serving underrepresented minorities. I am very thankful to be a part of JAMP and the wonderful community that it provides. An interesting fact about me is that I recently bought a drone! I am currently learning how to fly it to capture cool, cinematic drone shots.

Asaal Al Dawaima

My name is Asaal and I am a senior majoring in psychology. I am from Palestine and grew up in Dallas. I have my EMT license and volunteer at Baylor Scott and White’s Emergency department. I am currently doing research with UTSW in a cognitive lab. Through my clinical experience, my interest resonated most with family medicine because it allows practitioners to connect with their patients and play a key role in their everyday lives. My hobbies include martial arts, weight lifting, hiking, and horse riding.

Arlin Khan

My name is Arlin Khan and I am a junior double majoring in neuroscience and history from Dallas, TX. I am a part of the Neuronal Networks and Interfaces Lab as well as the UT Larynx Lab as an ENSURE fellow. Outside of academics, I love public speaking through UTD’s Speech Team, reading mysteries, and exploring new coffee shops.

Dena Salem

My name is Dena Salem and I am a second year JAMP student and a Psychology major. I was born and raised in the Dallas area. I have 2 older brothers that attended UTD, one of whom still attends as a masters student. I am currently volunteering at a homeless shelter in Dallas and am an SI leader for organic chemistry. I decided to teach SI because I enjoyed taking the class and all of the professors teaching it were amazing. Although the course was challenging, I really enjoyed taking it and am happy to be able to support others through it. Some of my hobbies include cooking and cross stitching. These hobbies help me maintain a positive and healthy relationship with food and taking breaks and simultaneously connect me to my Middle Eastern culture.

Alex Vo

Hey guys! I’m Alex Vo and I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. I’m currently a junior who’s planning to graduate Spring 2024 with my Biology B.S. I’m also part of the Diversity Scholars Program, where we discuss and volunteer at events that raise awareness and support all the different cultures at UTD! I’ve been described as quiet and introverted, but the JAMP summer 1 internship helped me get out of my shell and I’ve become more outgoing compared to before. I currently work as an AVID tutor for Garland Independent School District, where I tutor high school students on how to solve problems on their own by showing them new ways to approach a difficult question. When I’m not studying for school exams or the MCAT, I like to play video games with my friends (mostly Valorant), play table tennis, binge watch Korean dramas, and read Webtoons.

Crystal Pereza

Hi! I’m Crystal Peraza and was born and raised in Allen, Texas. I am a current junior majoring in Neuroscience and expect to graduate in Spring 2024. For a year and a half, I’ve been President of the Association of Latin American Students, and have aimed to bring together people of all cultures. I also am a part of University Emergency Medical Response (UEMR, UT Dallas’s 24/7 EMS service) and love providing care to the UT Dallas Community. I’m currently in training to become the next Research lieutenant for UEMR, and it is rewarding to play a more significant role within the agency. Recently, I began a research position at the Thorn Lab and have enjoyed learning more about the research process. In my spare time, I crochet, read, and binge-watch shows I’ve already seen a thousand times. As a neuro major, I do like neurology as a specialty, but I am pretty indecisive so I’m not sure what will pique my interest. As a JAMP student, I’ve really appreciated and leaned on the community that JAMP has fostered, and am so grateful that I have such motivated people by my side.

Dyuthi Polavaram

My name is Dyuthi Polavaram and I am a junior majoring in Healthcare Management from Dallas, Texas. I currently spend a few days a week working as an optometric technician. I love to go on long drives and watch sunsets. My favorite part of JAMP is the group of caring and supportive friends that she got through the program. I am also thankful for the internships and assurance that the program provides. An interesting fact about me is that I do henna art in my free time.

Dipti Punjabi

My name is Dipti Punjabi and I am a junior majoring in Healthcare Studies and I am originally from Houston, TX. I am the President of MannMukti at UTD, a South Asian mental health organization at UTD and I am also a PLTL leader for Calculus 1. I am an active member of MannMukti’s podcast, Mental Health Monday: MannMukti UTD, which discusses different mental health topics with other members of the UTD community. I am passionate about improving the discourse centered around mental health in my community. I am also a part of the UTEACH program and am planning on getting certified to teach life sciences in high school. I really enjoy teaching and educating others through my UTEACH experiences and PLTL, and I would like to continue educating others through her future medical career as well. I work for Dr. Hajeri’s zebrafish lab on campus, which aims to use zebrafish to help K-12 teachers immerse their students in real-world scientific investigations. I enjoy reading in my free time, exploring cafes in the DFW area, and spending time with friends and family.