Half a Dozen Doctors: Graduate Continues Family Alumni Legacy
Dr. Gaurika Erzsebet Mester joins five family members as graduates of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
For Gaurika Erzsebet Mester, M.D. ‘25, going to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine wasn’t just about choosing a good medical school. It was about honoring a family legacy.
As the sixth member of her family to graduate from the Miller School, it’s just what they do.
Born in Maryland, Dr. Mester is close with her family. She refers to her aunt and uncle, Monika Lee, B.S. ‘85, M.D. ‘89, a family medicine practitioner, and Harold S. Lee, B.S. ‘85, M.D. ‘89, an anesthesiologist, as “second parents.” They were the first Miller School graduates in the family. Monika’s sister, Meenakshi “Meena” G. Brewster, B.S. ‘97, M.P.H. ‘99, M.D. ‘03, a family medicine doctor who is now a Maryland public health officer, was the third.
Pooja Gupta Garg, M.D. ‘11, a vitreoretinal surgeon in Coconut Creek, Fla., who is married to Monika and Meena’s brother, became the fourth, and cousin, Gaurav Gupta, B.S. ‘20, M.D. ‘24, a surgical resident in Nebraska, the fifth. His fiancée, Meghana Chapalamadugu, B.S. ‘19, M.D. ‘25, will soon join the family.
Now Dr. Mester is part of the family tradition as the sixth Miller School graduate.
“They love the ‘U.’ They all had the best time here, with its great community and great network, and they talked about it so fondly that it made me want to come here,” Dr. Mester said.
Meena earned three degrees from UM. She even painted her house burnt orange and used orange and green as part of her wedding colors, Dr. Mester said. The draw to UM felt very natural.
A Versatile Medical Education
Dr. Mester said, clinically, UM offered a stellar choice.
“With Jackson Memorial Hospital being the county safety net hospital and having such a diverse patient population, it’s a really good place to do your medical training, because if you can navigate one of the larger hospital systems in the country, then it sets you up for success wherever you’re going,” she said.
Having the mix of private and public health systems, including the Veterans Administration hospital on one medical campus, gave her experience in a variety of settings.
The admiration for the university has been a constant in the family dynamic.
There’s a way of making connections and friendships that will last you a lifetime. The network is very strong and I think it’s really unique to UM.
Dr. Gaurika Erzsebet Mester
Dr. Meena Brewster said her older family members’ positive experience with the University of Miami motivated her in elementary school. She skipped two years of high school and began her undergraduate studies at UM at 15. A decade later, she had three degrees.
“UM is more than just a school. It’s a whole life-building experience. It’s just become a part of who I am,” she said. “I thrived in its multicultural and global environment and how it encouraged students to be active in student organizations. To see Gaurika study and graduate from UM fills me with great pride. It just feels right.”
Interest in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine
Dr. Mester will go into family medicine, like her two aunts. She will do her residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center St. Margaret and may pursue a fellowship in addiction medicine.
“I really fell in love with family medicine, taking care of the whole family in a smaller community, and being more creative with reduced resources in a rural setting. That’s something that has stuck with me,” she said. “My hope is to do a community practice—either join a practice or build my own.”
Dr. Mester’s interest in addiction medicine came from seeing patients with addication issues at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The specialty intersected with not only health issues, but also the care they received. She was involved with the Miller School’s IDEA Exhange, a syringe exchange program which also hosts auxiliary harm reduction services to reduce the spread of HIV, Hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases.
“I think that the patients who are coming for treatment for their addiction are at their most vulnerable. They’re the most authentic, and you can really provide holistic care,” Dr. Mester said. “You’re not just treating their addiction but you’re also doing all the health maintenance that they need and are not getting from other providers, because they’re either embarrassed to go or they’re not getting treated well when they go somewhere else.”
Dr. Mester said she is fortunate to have been exposed to the multicultural patient population her Miller School education afforded.
“You really get to learn how to work with people who are very different from you,” she said.
When she thinks back on her time at the Miller School, Dr. Mester said she always reverts back to its strong sense of community.
“Everyone is so supportive, and there’s a way of making connections and friendships that will last you a lifetime,” she said. “The network is very strong, and I think it’s really unique to UM.”
Alumni Legacy: Jordyn Williams, M.D./M.P.H. ‘25
Tags: alumni, IDEA Exchange