A journey marked by first-year medical school milestones
On Aug. 15, 2025, Baylor College of Medicine student Kylan Naidoo donned his white coat, marking the first major milestone of his medical school career. He marked another milestone when he completed his first year this spring. It was the culmination of a long journey to Baylor that started back in sixth grade when he enrolled at Baylor College of Medicine Academy at James D. Ryan Middle School.
The STEM magnet school in Houston’s Third Ward, an affiliation between Baylor and Houston ISD, offers students an in-depth education in neuroscience, biotechnology, bioengineering and scientific research.
Kylan was a member of BCMA at Ryan’s second graduating class, and his experience there influenced his future career path. As a middle school student, he took neuroscience classes and had the opportunity to participate in several animal dissection lessons.
“I think being exposed to these classes at an early age helps you determine if you want to do it or not,” Kylan said. “Being immersed in it really helped me decide I wanted to go into medicine.”
After Ryan, he went on to another Baylor-affiliated health sciences magnet school in HISD, DeBakey High School for Health Professions. At DeBakey, he had the opportunity to learn more about careers in medicine and science by shadowing people who worked in those fields. Kylan recalls his most memorable experience shadowing a pain management doctor at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
“I got to watch a procedure, and I also got to see how the doctor interacted with patients,” he said. “Empathy is such an important aspect. You have to figure out what will be best for their well-being and make sure the patient feels good about what they’re doing. It was great to see the medical side, and also the social side, of patient care.”
Click here to continue reading the full story on BCM Family.
