About
My Medical Journey
Athena Reich is a second-year medical student at the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she brings together advocacy, research, storytelling, and medical humanities in her path toward becoming a physician. As a solo mother of two, a queer woman, an artist, and a longtime advocate for reproductive and LGBTQIA+ health equity, Athena brings lived experience and public scholarship into her evolving clinical identity.
Athena leads IRB-approved research on LGBTQIA+ healthcare professional experiences, with a focus on workplace climate, representation, discrimination, mentorship, and institutional policy. This work has informed presentations at the Women in Medicine Conference, the GLMA Annual Conference, AMWA Region 4, and the OCOM Research Symposium. She also received the AMWA / Studio AMWA Ko Iki Alpha Centurion Prize to develop this research into an arts-based medical humanities project amplifying the voices of women and LGBTQIA+ professionals in healthcare.
As founder of OCOM’s first LGBTQIA+ student organization, the Medical Student Pride Alliance, Athena helped launch Safe Place partnerships, build a volunteer pipeline supporting HRT and HIV care through Crew Health, and advocate for inclusive education and campus-wide Safe Zone training.
Athena’s work is rooted in more than a decade of experience as a writer, performer, educator, and public storyteller. Her advocacy began through narrative work, including publishing in HuffPost about IVF and solo motherhood by choice, and being featured in the Emmy-nominated documentary Vegas Baby. She continues to use creativity, research, and public scholarship to make healthcare more human, inclusive, and just.
This page chronicles Athena’s evolving journey into medicine — blending her artistic past with her clinical future.
Medical Milestones
August 2024
Began medical studies at the Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine as part of the inaugural class.
January 2025
Founded the Medical Student Pride Alliance chapter at OCOM and served as Treasurer of the OB/GYN Student Chapter.
March–April 2025
Presented LGBTQIA+ healthcare equity research at AMWA Region 4 and the OCOM Research Symposium; related poster publication appeared in Cureus.
April 2025
Presented “Beyond the Heart: Osteopathic Diagnosis of Postpartum Chest Pain — First Rib Somatic Dysfunction Following Breastfeeding-Related Strain” at the Florida Academy of Osteopathy Annual Conference in Orlando.
June 2025
Received the AMWA / Studio AMWA Ko Iki Alpha Centurion Prize to develop equity-focused research into an arts-based medical humanities project.
June 2025
Published “Pride, Pulse and the Power of Being Seen: A Queer Medical Student’s Reflection” through AACOM, reflecting on LGBTQIA+ visibility, belonging, and medical student identity.
July 2025
Published “Alan L. Hart: An Innovative Pioneer in Radiology and Transgender Rights” in Cureus, indexed in PubMed
August 2025
Began second year of medical school, presented at the Women in Medicine Conference, and received the Women in Medicine Leadership Scholarship.
October 2025
Presented a CME-accredited workshop at the GLMA Annual Conference in Minneapolis and an osteopathic case-based poster at the ACOI Student Poster Contest in Marco Island.
March 2026
Presented the accepted video/song deliverable from the Ko Iki Alpha Centurion Prize project at the American Medical Women’s Association National Conference in San Francisco.
August 2026
IRB-approved LGBTQIA+ healthcare professional experiences research scheduled to move forward with expanded data collection and analysis.
RECENT PRESS
Watermark Out News
Featured in “One Person’s Journey Through IVF and Into the Health Care Industry,” a health profile on solo motherhood, IVF, medical school, and LGBTQIA+ healthcare research.
Orange Observer
Featured in “Lady Gaga Impersonator Studying Medicine at OCOM.”
Heritage Florida Jewish News
Featured in Jews in the Land of Disney: “Athena Reich: From Lady Gaga to Dr. Gaga.”
J Life Magazine
Featured in CHAIM Society profile.
Selected Writing
AACOM
“Pride, Pulse and the Power of Being Seen: A Queer Medical Student’s Reflection”
Watermark Out News
“Beyond the Line: How Do We Cross the Great Divide?” — Viewpoint column, February 2026.
For a complete list of presentations, publications, and academic credentials, please download my CV below.