Karease Quashie ’25: I Got This

When I chose Hofstra’s Zucker School of Medicine, it wasn’t just because of its national reputation. It was the only school that believed in me enough to offer a full tuition scholarship. That offer opened a door I wasn’t sure would ever be possible.

At Hofstra, learning is personal and collaborative. We work in small groups, diving into real medical cases and teaching each other along the way. There’s no pressure to compete, just support to grow. I still remember studying with friends during our last big exams - laughing, exhausted, and somehow still dancing to hit songs.

The mentorship here changed my life. Faculty and staff believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. That confidence carried me all the way to a residency opportunity at Yale this summer.

If you’re looking for a place that sees your potential and gives you the space and support to grow into the physician you want to be, Hofstra is that place.

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MORE ABOUT KAREASE

Karease Quashie is preparing to begin a psychiatry residency at Yale. She connected with its welcoming culture and its strong commitment to training culturally competent physicians. Originally from Brooklyn, Karease’s path to medicine has been guided by determination, mentorship, and a passion for helping others.

When she started her college search, Hofstra offered something no other school did: a full tuition scholarship. For Karease, whose family couldn’t support the cost of medical school, it made all the difference. The scholarship gave her the chance to focus fully on her dream without financial stress.

Karease was also drawn to the Zucker School of Medicine’s collaborative, small-group learning model and its Pass/Fail preclinical grading system, which created a supportive academic environment. “We were all focused on learning and helping each other succeed,” she said.

Mentorship was a constant source of strength. Karease credits the DEI Office, her mother and grandmother, and faculty for believing in her and helping her grow.

Karease also made an impact outside the classroom. She worked on research that focused on how racialized students navigate medical school, helped develop a trauma education module, led a book club in Guyana for psychiatric patients, and mentored local high school students.

One of her favorite memories was studying with friends during a busy exam week while bonding over the Kendrick and Drake rap battle. “We were exhausted, but those songs gave us energy to push through,” Karease recalled.

What she’ll really miss are the people she met at Hofstra. “They were some of the most genuine and supportive classmates I’ve ever known.”

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