/prod01/channel_2/media/mccms/content-assets/about/news/2025-jan-june/1024X512_MCASOM-FL-speaker-Mayo-brothers-statue-Kiyan-Heybati.jpg)
May 7, 2025
- Share:
-
-
-
-
Kiyan Heybati, soon-to-be graduate of Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, is the student speaker at Mayo Clinic Commencement in Jacksonville, Florida. He reflects on his journey and medical education at Mayo Clinic.
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Undergraduate: McMaster University
Specialty you plan to pursue: Internal Medicine (Cardiology/Critical Care)
As a young child, Kiyan was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. It left his family wondering how to even pronounce the name of this condition. After seeing several physicians, he was finally diagnosed and treated, and subsequently received close primary care and cardiology follow-up throughout his childhood.
"Given this experience, I was drawn to a career in medicine. I am passionate about better understanding disease epidemiology and implementing novel evidence-based interventions at the bedside for those who are critically ill with underlying cardiac diseases. I am excited to partner with and learn from patients while also applying my interest in statistics to aid them in making informed management decisions."
Feeling at home at Mayo Clinic
Over the past nearly four years, Mayo became the place that Kiyan was proud to call his second home.
"Whether learning in the hospital or through research initiatives, my experiences here have allowed me to not only see, but also play an active role, in always placing the needs of the patient first through the integration of the three shields."
As I look toward residency, I will carry forward the lessons I have learned in always prioritizing the needs of the patient through interdisciplinary and team-based care. Additionally, I am excited to build on my research training while also serving as a mentor for other students and trainees as I progress through my career.
Kiyan Heybati
2025 graduate, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
/0x0:512x512/prod01/channel_2/media/mccms/content-assets/academics/school-of-medicine/choosing-mayo-clinic/512X512_Heybati,-Kiyan_30077310_20240813.jpg)
Patients come first
"I believe that the Mayo Clinic not only provided me with the necessary medical knowledge and training, but also offered the opportunity to build on my skills in teamwork, research, and mentorship. Above all, it instilled a value of always placing the needs of the patient first which I am confident will serve me well in the future."
"Given my lived experience with Kawasaki disease, I was always drawn to cardiology. During my undergraduate degree at McMaster, I was able to work on research studies with the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. This helped me better appreciate the complexity of and knowledge gaps in caring for adults who are critically ill. In medical school, I loved the comprehensive care offered by internal medicine and the prioritization of building partnerships with patients and their families."
Kiyan is excited to pursue his passion for cardiology and critical care through residency training in internal medicine. In the future, he looks toward serving as a clinician-scientist with a focus on health outcomes research among individuals with cardiac disease and critical illness.