Welcome to Guiding Hands
We know the journey to medical school is tough
We’re here to help
Who are we?
Yijie Luo, MS1
Co-President of Guiding Hands
Hey guys! My name is Yijie Luo and I’m an MS1 at UC Irvine School of Medicine.
Our organization is all about giving back. Prepping and applying for medical school is an arduous process, especially with mountains of confusing, even discouraging advice out there. We were all pre-meds once, and we know how difficult the path can be. Guiding Hands offers a space for undergraduates at UCI to become medial student mentees in one-on-one pairings. Whether it’s academic advice, extracurricular guidance and time management, MCAT and interview prep, or simply an ear that you need, we medical students at Guiding Hands are here to help! Keep an eye out for monthly socials, workshops, and other events from us.
Outside of Guiding Hands you can find me writing piano sheet music, catching up on anime, cooking up a storm, and training my handstands.
Zaki Zeidan, MS1
Co-President of Guiding Hands
Hey everyone! My name is Zaki and I’m an MS1 here at UCI. I’m beyond excited to be one of your co-presidents for Guiding Hands this year. Having gone through the pre-med process with very little guidance myself, I know what it feels like to be faced with something that often feels overwhelmingly complicated. My hope and my goal is to help make Guiding Hands a space and a resource that will offer community, mentorship, and reassurance regarding pre-med or life in general. I look forward to actualizing that goal with you all and to see you gain confidence in reaching your goals. Outside of academics and mentorship, I love making time for friends and family, playing volleyball and golf, taking pictures of everything, and working out. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me to chat about anything!
Crystal Yu, MS1
Event Coordinator of Guiding Hands
Hello! My name is Crystal and I'm a MS1 at UCI School of Medicine.
Mentorship has played a pivotal role in my journey in medicine. I would not be at UCI without the guidance of the mentors who have supported me along the way, so I'm grateful for the opportunity to pay it forward and mentor aspiring medial students through Guiding Hands. In my free time, I like to journal, make matcha/coffee, and play video games.
Maria-Thereza Paulino, MS1
Mentee Coordinator of Guiding Hands
My name is Maria Thereza. It's a compound first name because Brazilians love a compound first name! I was born in Brazil and moved to the US when I was 4. My hobbies include graphic art and painting. After medical school, I hope to pursue neurology and medical education!
What do we do?
Fight Misinformation
Medicine is a challenging path, but along the way, there’s all sorts of misinformation out there (cough… r/premed…). We’re here to help you navigate.
Host Social Events
We host a number of events throughout the year to socialize with our mentors. See below for upcoming events!
Help you find your passions
Our primary focus is to prevent people from falling down the wrong paths. We aim to inspire you to find your true passions and callings and contribute to healthcare and society meaningfully.
Pair you with a mentor
Mentorship can be a key part of your development during your four years. Join us in our annual mentor-mentee pairing in the Fall.
Publish in our Journal
Our journal is an outlet for our medical students to write creative pieces on all things premed, medical school, and life.
Upcoming Events
Guiding Hands x CSOC x Flying Sams Medical School Application Workshop
4/23/25
The undergrad mentors for Crescent, CSOC, Guiding Hands, and Flying Sams will be hosting a medical school application workshop where you can come and work on your med school application with UCI med students present to answer any questions and review essays. This workshop will be focused on those applying within the next year. The date of the workshop has been changed to Wednesday April 23th from 5-7 pm. We know the application process can be stressful so we hope we can help answer questions and make it a little less stressful! We hope to see you all there!! :)
Fill out the RSVP form to attend.
(This event has passed; thank you to all that came through!)
Mentor Mentee UTC Social
2/26/25
Guiding Hands will be holding a social at the University Town Center Tables! This will be a relaxed opportunity for undergraduate students to socialize with medical students at UTC. Feel free to grab a snack or boba and come to socialize!
Fill out the RSVP form to attend.
(This event has passed; thank you to all that came through!)
