Ramon Caleon is a rising 4th year medical student who has just finished his year at Rollins as a dual degree MD/MPH student in the Department of Epidemiology. Ramon grew up in Laguna, Philippines and migrated to Orange County, California when he was 12. He decided to pursue medicine after participating in a relief mission in the Philippines during the summer before his last year as an undergraduate at Pomona College. Before entering medical school, he spent a year in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant and two years conducting malaria research at the National Institutes of Health.

Upon his arrival at Emory, Ramon began participating in many organizations within the School of Medicine, serving as the co-president of the Emory Medical Alliance and as a student coordinator for the Good Samaritan Clinic. He was also involved in the Young Physician’s Initiative (YPI), which partners with schools in the in the greater Atlanta area to provide training and mentorship to premedical students. As a YPI Leader, he organized and led monthly sessions at neighboring Druid Hills High School.

During his year pursuing an MPH degree at Rollins, Ramon continued his extracurricular roles in the School of Medicine. In addition, he also became a student coordinator for both the Clarkston Community Health Center’s Vision Clinic and the Global Health Office of Pediatrics at Emory. He remained active with YPI, serving as the High School Director, where he oversaw the addition of two new schools to the existing four partner high schools. Ramon plans to specialize in ophthalmology and incorporate global health and mentorship into his future career.