York College Grad Goes to Med School

A recent York College alumna has been accepted into medical school and will join her sister as they pursue their MDs in a Barbadian medical School.

Nirvani Ramnauth, a Biology major, chemistry minor and member of the York College Class of 2022 was accepted into a different Caribbean medical school last year, but decided to decline after her sister Ashmini, York ’22, was accepted into Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) on the island of Barbados.

The sisters and their mother, who is also a York College student, had transferred from the University of Guyana to York College, CUNY. The Ramnauth sisters are close and wanted to be together, so Nirvani turned down her acceptance in Antigua and applied to Ross in Barbados, knowing that it would delay the start of her training by a year. But part of the attraction is that Ross provides residences in the United States for its students.

A former member of the York College Pre-Med Club, Nirvani is thankful for her former classmates and Pre-Med mentor Dr. Andrew Criss. She also thanks Professors Ivica Arsov, Professor Tricia Ketwarro, Professor Garrett Neergaard, Professor Trica Ketwaroo “and all the other professor who taught me.”

She also extends thanks to her sister “Ashmini and my mother Lachmi Anderson, and sincerely express thanks to God, Jesus Christ, my mentor Lawyer Richard Wright, my boyfriend Navi Singh, father Dharmendranauth Ramnauth, Uncle Ramesh Persaud, late Grandmother Shelia, Aunty Nanda, Aunty Mennu, and all other family members of the Budhram, Karan and Ramnauth family. Thanks to York College.”

“I am very humbled to have graduated from York College and to have the opportunity to use the degree to further my studies in Medicine,” she said. “[It’s] a dream I have aspired to since I was a kid.”

Asked why she chose a Caribbean medical school, Ramnauth explained that familiarity played a role in the decision.

 “I like to travel, she explained. “I thought ‘why not do both?’ Travel to a tourist destination island where there are beaches, beautiful white sand beaches and study medicine.”

Ramnauth said she also has “a great appreciation and admiration for the smaller class sizes. “Additionally,” she said, “I also chose this University because I am from the same culture and from a country (Guyana) that is considered a part of the Caribbean not geographically but culturally. We share the same cultures, weather and that is an important aspect to me.”

Ramnauth and her sister were raised by their single mom, who also happens to be a current student at York College. She too started her higher education journey at the She is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Political Science. She too “has always been on the dean’s honor roll” just as her daughters have also made the list.

Despite her busy schedule, Nirvani makes time for hobbies and selfcare, which include yoga and meditation. She’s a member of the Body and Brain Yoga thai chai, and enjoys singing, dancing to classical Indian music.