Today we’d like to introduce you to Zehra Khoja.
Hi Zehra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do this interview. I am a third year medical student here in Miami and I run a medical school focused, lifestyle instagram page by the name of Almost Dr. Zehra. Today I’ll be talking about my journey both in medical school, and as an influencer.
I’d love to say that I expected myself to “become popular” but that would be a lie. I first started my journey on Instagram in 2018, when I was in high school at FAU High School. The program offered at this school allowed me to do three years of college and high school simultaneously and although this was great, I was also rushed to decide on a career path. Fortunately, I was already set on medicine and I loved watching youtube videos like “day in the life of a surgeon” and the lives of med students. I decided it was time for me to document my journey so that I could look back on it and hopefully inspire some people on the way. I was very on and off with posting until 2021 when I posted my white coat picture and it ended up on the explore page and it gave my page the momentum it needed to be where I am today. I’m currently working with brands like Redbubble, which is amazing and I never imagined it, but the best part for me is being able to reply to incoming med students and people looking for advice on how to apply to med school and giving them guidance. As a first-generation student whose parents didn’t attend college and are immigrants, I feel blessed to be where I am today and I hope to be a mentor and offer guidance to students who are like me. My page has allowed me to become a mentor and form relationships that I never imagined.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth roads don’t exist. I’m a strong believer in the fact that everyone faces their own challenges in life and I’m no exception. Medicine has been very glamorized but I’m here to tell you the truth: it is far from glamorous. I’ve missed family weddings, trips, countless hangouts with my friends to stay at the library and study. I was constantly put in a position where I had to decide whether to live life or make the sacrifice to study.
In terms of being an influencer, some struggles are seeing views and likes going down and that can be discouraging. One post may do really well and the other barely gets past 500 likes.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a medical student/Instagram influencer. My Instagram is focused around medical school and the lifestyle of a student in Miami. Unlike other influencers that glamorize medicine or make medicine look impossible, I’m here to show the reality, which is a balanced life. Sure I spend hours studying but I also go out and have fun.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/almostDr.Zehra
