All About PAHC and its Impact at Berkeley and Beyond
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month—a time to celebrate the heritage and culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, as well as acknowledge the important contributions they have made. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Isabel “Izzy” Banayad, General Executive Director of the Pilipino Association for Health Careers (PAHC) student organization at UC Berkeley. Izzy is a third-year (Class of 2026) majoring in integrative biology and microbial biology and has been part of PAHC since her freshman year. The club has helped Izzy gain a better understanding of why she wants to go into medicine, and how her Pilipino identity connects her to this goal and others who share it on campus.
How did you first get involved with PAHC?
“During my freshman year, I stumbled upon PAHC’s table during Calapalooza, and I stopped to ask them some questions. I also got to know them through Pilipino American Student Orientation (PASO) which is hosted by Pilipino Academic Student Services (PASS). It was something that aligned with what I wanted to do, and I knew I wanted to get involved. I joined as a general member and then interned under different components of the organization, including academics, outreach, and media until I became General Executive Director. In this role, I oversee programming that the finance and media departments put together, book rooms for meetings, and organize the semesterly board retreat.”
Members of PAHC after their new member orientation meeting.
What does being part of the Pilipino community mean to you, and how does PAHC help shape that?
“I have been involved in the Pilipino community since high school. Coming from San Francisco, I have been fortunate enough to come from a diverse community, and being able to grow up alongside people with different backgrounds meant so much to me. I’ve met people who did not grow up around a lot of Pilipino people and did not have that strong sense of community. Being in PAHC has made finding my community easier, and has connected me with people who have the same cultural background as me and who are interested in going into medicine. PAHC focuses on topics like the importance of diversity in medicine and why it’s important for us as Pilipino students to continue pursuing medicine because we’ll have important impacts on future patients.”
PAHC’S Fall 2024 Development Day
How have PAHC’s resources and support impacted your journey at Berkeley?
“PAHC groups students together based on their interests and is part of the Blue Heart Initiative (meaning we accept anyone). We have a lot of social events meant to lessen the stress of being a college student. Being exposed to different components of the club and medicine, especially since freshman year, has been integral to my professional development. I’ve learned how to write a CV and resume, how to write a cold email, and how to gain access to a lot of resources I didn’t know how to find before. I know all about LinkedIn, how to find local internships and connect with people, and the importance of networking, even within our own club. It’s how I’ve gotten some of the opportunities I’m pursuing right now.
Last summer I participated in an undergraduate research internship at UCSF that I found out about through PAHC’s Slack. I was paired with a lab at UCSF based on my interest, shadowed different doctors, and engaged in didactic sessions that discussed med-school application processes. It was an experience geared toward underrepresented students in health who have little to no research experience. Being in that environment and being around others who had similar experiences as me was really special and I would not have known about this experience if it hadn’t been for someone from PAHC sharing it.
PAHC partners with the Life Matters initiative for our annual medical mission trip to the Philippines. A group of interns is sent for one or two weeks during winter break to experience the medical healthcare system in the Philippines and partner with doctors as volunteers.”
Members of PAHC at PAHCtillion, their end-of-year banquet.
An Organization For Everyone
“PAHC is a space open for students whether they are Pilipino identifying or not—if you are interested in health issues that the Pilipino community faces or you want a supportive space to explore medicine and other health-related fields in general, this is a great space to do so. We are not a pre-med club—we’re open to other pre-health fields like dentistry, research, and graduate school, and want to create a space for students to explore their interests and feel supported.
Every year around December we host a PAHC Benefit Concert that is open to everyone. We have a few artists perform and all of our proceeds go to a couple of organizations of our choice. We also regularly host events that are open to the entire Pilipino community and are advertised on our Instagram, @ucbpahc.”
It’s never too late to get involved in organizations on campus or check out a new resource! To discover more AA&PI organizations on campus, check out our blogs highlighting student organizations, including Cal’s AA&PI Community and Get to Know Cal’s Pilipinx Community.
Melissa Mora-Gonzalez, Class of 2025, is majoring in English and minoring in conservation and resource studies.
Want More?
- Try Calapalooza for clubs to build your community.
- Learn why so many Berkeley students join clubs.
- Find the right clubs and organizations for you, and learn how to get started in your club journey.