Dr. Jazmin Fernandez is an exceptional leader and innovator whose commitment to health equity and pipeline development is clearly demonstrated through her co-creation of the F(h)ERN-M Program-Fostering Healthcare’s Emerging Research Network- Middle School.
Launched in August 2023 alongside her colleague and classmate, Dr. Marcus Lowe, this groundbreaking initiative aims to expose middle school students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to careers in healthcare and research.
The program was piloted at Landmark Middle School in collaboration with Ms. Carly Blask, an Anatomy and Physiology teacher whose classes served as the inaugural cohort. Ors. Fernandez and Lowe designed and implemented a monthly, organ system-based curriculum that aligned with the school’s science content. From September through April, pediatric residents and faculty from Riverside University Health System led dynamic, hands-on educational sessions on topics such as cardiology, pulmonology, epidemiology, musculoskeletal health, nutrition/gastroenterology, and the nervous system.
In April, the program culminated in an immersive half-day field trip to Riverside University Health System Medical Center. Students engaged in a panel discussion with healthcare professionals, toured the hospital, and shared lunch with pediatric residents-an inspiring experience that brought healthcare careers to life. As a special milestone, all graduating 8th-grade participants were gifted personalized white coats embroidered with their names and future career titles, which they proudly wore during their promotion ceremony.
Thanks to the overwhelming success of the pilot year, F(h)ERN-M expanded significantly in its second year. With increased resident and faculty engagement, the program added a second immersive experience-a half-day at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Students rotated through suture workshops, simulation labs, cadaver-based anatomy teaching, and Narcan/Stop the Bleed trainings. This experience brought together over 130 middle school students from Landmark and Caesar Chavez Middle Schools.
In addition to leading the design and implementation of the curriculum, Dr. Fernandez helped create a dedicated website housing all materials, pre- and post-tests, program history, and photos to support future dissemination and sustainability. The program was awarded a grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Early Career Physicians in 2023, which has helped fund educational materials and graduation supplies.
Dr. Fernandez’s work has garnered significant local recognition, including commendations from the mayor’s office and Loma Linda University leadership, underscoring the program’s impact on the broader community. She has not only been integral to every aspect of F(h)ERN-M’s success, but she has done so while serving as a third-year chief resident for the Primary Care Track of the Loma Linda Pediatric Residency Program.
Dr. Fernandez exemplifies the kind of visionary leadership and community-centered innovation that will shape the future of medicine and medical education. Her work in F(h)ERN-M represents a model for how early exposure, mentorship, and culturally responsive curriculum can cultivate the next generation of diverse healthcare professionals.
What impact has the nominee’s service had on the community?
Through the F(h)ERN-M program and our invaluable community partnership with Ms. Carly Blask, students have been given the rare opportunity to experience the healthcare system in a deeply personal and inspiring way. Each year, students conclude the program by openly committing to future careers in healthcare, expressing interest in fields ranging from nursing and medicine to public health and research. The impact of this exposure has been profound-parents and students alike have reached out through heartfelt emails, conversations, and messages to share how the program has reshaped their life goals and instilled a sense of purpose.
Landmark Middle School feeds into three local high schools with established health career pathways, and beginning this fall, we will begin tracking how many of our inaugural F(h)ERN-M participants continue their journey into these programs. Regardless of the numbers, the influence is already evident: students from historically underserved backgrounds in Moreno Valley are stepping into leadership roles both within their school and in the broader community-empowered, motivated, and confident in their potential to make a difference.
In fact, due to the program’s overwhelming success, F(h)ERN has already expanded to include elementary students. In February, we launched our first Mini Medical School event, which was met with enthusiastic reviews from students, teachers, and parents. Plans are now underway to incorporate F(h)ERN-E (Elementary) into our ongoing curriculum, with an innovative peer-mentorship model where middle school students will lead sessions for younger learners continuing the pathway ladder and reinforcing their own knowledge and leadership skills in the process.
In recognition of her outstanding clinical performance, leadership, and service, Dr. Fernandez was also inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) in 2025-an honor reserved for physicians who embody the highest ideals of the medical profession. This prestigious recognition adds further credence to her capacity to thrive as a physician, scholar, and deeply engaged community member.