My name is Sarmen Sarkissian. I am a practicing medical oncologist/hematologist. After completing my bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UCLA, as a transfer student from Los Angeles Valley College, I received my medical degree from the School of Medicine, UC San Diego.
From there, I would go onto Los Angeles County + University of Southern California for my categorical residency in internal medicine. After completing my board certification, I would go onto the University of California, Irvine, Chow Comprehensive Cancer Center to complete my fellowship training in hematology and medical oncology. I received dual certification in 2017 and have been practicing since then.
As an active member of the Armenian American Medical Society, as well as the chair of the membership and mentorship department, I work closely with many undergraduate students and medical students, on a variety of projects. What has stuck out to me over the years, was the heterogeneity in patient populations across various healthcare systems and geographies. I also realize how the volunteering experience at different hospitals, shapes perceptions of pre-medical students as they make their mature decisions to enter professional school for medicine. After working with Christian Dergazarian and Aren DerMarderosian, two very talented premed students, we decided to launch Hospitalvolunteering.org.
The purpose of the site, is to have a very well-organized listing of hospitals by different counties in California, and make this available to a variety of organizations, so that students can know where there are volunteering opportunities, and have quick access to their website, email and phone number to connect with them and start them on their volunteering journey quickly. This is particularly important for students from underserved and disadvantaged backgrounds, to be able to gain the experiences they need so they become competitive applicants. It’s also important for students, who are not exposed to this patient population, in particular those who are only in the university system, so they understand the challenges faced by many physicians working in rural communities.
We are looking for other volunteers, to help complete this site, for the rest of the country.
My name is Christian Dergazarian and I am an Armenian born and raised in Pasadena, California. In 2019, I decided to begin my college education at Pasadena City College. This decision allowed me to pursue my academic goals while being mindful of my family’s financial situation. After completing my initial studies there, I transferred to UC Davis to major in Biological Sciences, a step that brought me closer to my dream of entering the medical field. Throughout my academic journey at UC Davis, my passion for patient care has been a constant drive. I have actively engaged in volunteer work at a local hospital and interned at a TruCare community, serving mentally disabled individuals.
Searching for volunteering opportunities was a challenging, yet eye-opening experience. Initially, I struggled with the lack of a comprehensive catalog with available opportunities. Then, I quickly realized I was unaware of the sheer number of hospitals in LA County alone. Many hospitals had volunteer coordinators that were hard to reach or unresponsive, at times transferring me to Human Resources, which only resulted in uncertainty and further transferring. I noticed there was sometimes an intense competition for spots with some applications being closed for the time being, although the majority welcomed volunteers of all ages and experience levels.
Growing up in an impoverished family profoundly shaped my perspective on healthcare. I witnessed firsthand the challenges my family and community faced in accessing medical services, which fueled my determination to address these disparities. This personal journey led me to pursue medical school where I aim to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to become a compassionate physician who advocates for underserved communities. I am committed to contributing to research that tackles healthcare inequalities and aspire to be a compassionate physician who makes a meaningful impact on those facing similar challenges. Working alongside Dr. Sarmen Sarkissian has inspired me to one day pursue a career in Oncology where I hope to contribute to advancements in patient care and treatment outcomes.
My name is Aren Dermarderosian, and I am a pre-medical student from Los Angeles, CA. In 2022, I graduated with honors from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry after transferring from Glendale Community College (GCC). I always had a passion for teaching and a fascination with a physician’s capability to heal people. When the time came for me to choose a career pathway, I was torn between pursuing a career in teaching science and medicine, and with no familial associations with either field, I had to immerse myself in each to get a taste and aid my career planning.
During my undergraduate years, I was heavily involved in teaching as I held various teaching positions. While I enjoyed teaching, I could not dedicate myself to pursuing a career in it without experiencing medicine. To this end, I started volunteering at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, CA and saw first-hand the general work environment for a healthcare provider, the inner workings of various hospital departments, physician-patient interactions, and patient care delivery. As a volunteer I could provide minimal care for patients and their families, however even with this low level of care, I realized I had become a part of a team that can heal, and this is when I knew I wanted to continue my efforts in this exact same setting. This realization has been a major source of fuel for my desire and endeavor to become a physician as I hope to gain the knowledge in order to contribute even more to the medical team’s efforts.
Volunteering at a hospital can be a significant eye-opening experience for a pre-medical student that can aid in career planning and also self-discovery. However, finding volunteering opportunities for pre-medical students can be a burden given the great number of hospital options that can be found in urban settings and the lack of hospitals in rural places. I am very happy and excited to contribute to the development of this website in an effort to make hospital volunteering easier and more accessible for pre-medical students.
My name is Marilyn Misakyan, and I’m currently an undergraduate at UCLA studying Psychobiology. I didn’t come into college with a perfect roadmap to medicine. In a lot of ways, I’ve had to figure things out as I went, especially when it came to getting real clinical exposure.
One of the most difficult parts early on was finding volunteering opportunities. There wasn’t a single place to look, just scattered websites, outdated information, or contacts that led nowhere. At the same time, I became increasingly aware that while some areas have an abundance of hospitals and resources, others, especially rural and underserved communities, have very limited access to care.
That perspective became even more real to me through my clinical experiences both locally and abroad, including interning in Armenia, where I saw firsthand how differences in resources, infrastructure, and access can shape patient care. Across these settings, I began to notice consistent gaps in access and support, which made me more aware of how systemic these disparities are and how much they impact both patients and the people trying to pursue medicine within those communities. This was something I continued to explore through my work with Dr. Sarmen Sarkissian.
As I became more involved in clinical and research settings, these experiences started to shape how I view both medicine and mentorship. In addition to my clinical work, I have been involved in research examining mental health outcomes across diverse populations, which has further reinforced my interest in addressing disparities in healthcare access and delivery. Working with Dr. Sarmen Sarkissian introduced me to the idea of looking at healthcare from a broader, systems-level perspective. Instead of focusing on just one hospital or experience, I started thinking about patterns, where hospitals are located, who they serve, and how that impacts both patients and students trying to get involved.
That’s what made contributing to HospitalVolunteering.org feel meaningful to me. It’s a simple idea, but one I wish I had when I was starting out, a centralized, organized way to find real opportunities. Through my work with Dr. Sarmen Sarkissian on this project, my goal is to make that process easier for other students, while also bringing attention to the differences in healthcare access across communities.
My name is Rita Keushkerian, and I am a pre-medical student from Glendale, California. I transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from Glendale Community College in 2022. During my time at GCC, I discovered a strong interest in the sciences through lab dissections; as a visual and hands-on learner, I found that concepts became clearer when I could actively engage with and connect them. This interest naturally extended into teaching, where I began drawing out explanations for classmates and later became a Supplemental Instruction leader for Organic Chemistry.
After transferring to UCLA, I continued teaching as a Learning Assistant for Life Sciences 23L, an introductory biology lab. I further expanded my teaching experience through the Hidden Road Initiative, where I taught English to students in border villages of Armenia. Through these roles, I developed the ability to adapt my teaching approach to individual students, strengthening my capacity to shift perspectives and identify the root of their confusion.
At UCLA, I also pursued research, joining the Bjork Lab as a research assistant in 2023 and the Thinking, Learning, and Communications Lab as a student researcher in 2024. My interest in how culture, norms, and values shape human interaction—both in education and in healthcare—led me to earn a B.A. in Sociology from UCLA in 2024.
My commitment to community service began locally at the Glendale Health Festival and at hospitals such as Glendale Adventist and Glendale Memorial, and later expanded internationally through medical missions to Zambia, Armenia, and Chiapas. These experiences exposed me to diverse patient populations and deepened my understanding of the different perspectives through which individuals experience health and illness. They also reinforced my commitment to serving underserved communities and solidified my desire to pursue medicine.
I am honored to contribute to a resource I wish I had when I first began volunteering. Access to meaningful opportunities is essential for pre-medical students exploring their interest in healthcare and determining their fit within clinical environments. This platform provides students with the opportunity to engage in impactful service, explore their interests, and gain valuable experience. By increasing exposure to underserved communities, it fosters a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by both patients and physicians and may ultimately help students discover their path in medicine.