Firo C.
Studied at University of California, San Francisco
Works at UCSF Health
Available tomorrow at 2:00 AM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
About Firo
Hello! Welcome to my page. I'm Firo— a UCSF- and Hopkins-trained physician who’s been on both sides of the admissions table. I went to Johns Hopkins School of Public Health for graduate school at medical school, and UCSF for medical school, general surgery internship, and ophthalmology residency. I've interviewed at over 25 med schools and residency programs across the country, and have served on admissions and scholarship selection committees. I know exactly how top programs evaluate applicants — because I’ve helped make those decisions myself. Over the years, I’ve coached 200+ students through strategic planning, personal statements, and interviews. Whether you're applying for the first time or trying again with a stronger story, I’ll help you craft a strategic, authentic application that grabs attention for the right reasons. I’m here to help you shine — not just meet the bar, but exceed it. What makes working with me different? I’m responsive, down-to-earth, and genuinely invested in your success. My clients know they can count on quick, thoughtful feedback, customized guidance, and a calm voice when the process gets stressful. This journey can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to do it alone. With the right support, you can apply with confidence and clarity.
Why do I coach?
Because I remember how stressful, lonely, and high-stakes this journey felt—and how much I wished I had someone who could see the big picture and help me put all the pieces together. When I was applying to med school, I had mentors who changed everything for me. They didn’t just give me advice—they helped me understand how to tell my story, stay confident under pressure, and navigate the process without losing myself (or important documents). That guidance stuck with me. And once I had the chance to sit on admissions committees and see what really goes on behind the scenes, I realized I could offer that same clarity and calm to others—especially those who are first-generation to medicine.
Work Experience
Resident Physician
UCSF Health
July 2025 - Present
Provide ophthalmologic medical and surgical care for patients across the region’s premier academic medical center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, public hospital and Level I Trauma Center.
Medical School Education Consultant
MedSchoolCoach
January 2024 - March 2025
Admissions Counseling, Academic Advising and +2 skills
General Surgery Resident
UCSF Health
July 2022 - December 2023
Provided clinical services across departments of cardiac surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, oral surgery, plastic surgery, neurosurgery, radiology, and trauma surgery. Managed care for patients in outpatient, inpatient, emergency room, operating-room, and intensive care unit settings across the region’s premier academic medical center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, public hospital and Level I Trauma Center. Practiced cross-functional communication to coordinate services with case managers, nurses, therapist, and other physicians. Advised medical students applying to competitive residencies about strategic applications, personal statements, and interview success.
Researcher
University of California, San Francisco
July 2018 - July 2022
Project: 3M Surgical Clinic Improvement Project- Equity in Virtual Remote Care Access ▪ Interviewed 25 patients to research disparities in access to virtual remote surgical care Project: Ophthalmology Microsurgery Lab for Medical Students ▪ Led the design of an ophthalmic microsurgical skills wet lab for medical students to evaluate the impact of wet labs on students' intrinsic motivation, interest in ophthalmology, and comfort with microsurgery ▪ Created data collection tools and analyzed findings for publication Project: Fellow Eye Status in Monocular Patients ▪ Performed a retrospective chart review, collecting demographic and ophthalmology exam data to examine the rate of and risk factors for developing fellow eye blindness among monocular patients in an academic optometry and ophthalmology practice ▪ Led statistical data analysis using ANOVA testing, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and a Cox proportional hazards model Project: Improving Residents’ Clinical Observational Skills Through Facilitated Visual Arts Training: A Pilot Study ▪ Designed and conducted the pilot study in collaboration with a UC Berkeley Art Historian to investigate the effect of facilitated art observation on clinical observational and descriptive skills among PGY-1 and PGY-2 ophthalmology residents who are fairly naïve to ophthalmologic pattern recognition. ▪ Collected survey data and analyzed findings for publication Project: Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy with non-neovascular secondary angle closure ▪ Conducted a literature review and served as lead author of a case report describing a patient with FEVR who developed non-neovascular secondary angle closure that resolved after lensectomy Qualitative Research, Health Research and +7 skills
Visiting Student Scholar
Stanford Medicine
October 2021 - October 2021
Stanford Clinical Opportunity for Residency Experience (SCORE) Program at the Department of Ophthalmology
Education
University of California, San Francisco
Doctor of Medicine - MD, Medicine
2018 - 2022
Admissions Committee Experience
Activities and societies: UCSF Admissions Committee, UCSF Scholarship Selection Committee, Ophthalmology Shelter Clinic Coordinator, Researcher, Student Medical Education Council, Tutor Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved Health Professions Education Pathway Clinical Informatics and Data Science Pathway Health Research, Medical Technology and +10 skills
Johns Hopkins University
Master of Science in Public Health, Public Health
2015 - 2017
Activities and societies: Student Assembly member, Community and Public Health Promotion Committee, Baltimore Community Consultants Cross-functional Team Leadership, Health Research and +8 skills
Boston University
Bachelor of Arts , Biochemistry and molecular biology
2010 - 2014
Admissions Committee Experience
Magna Cum Laude Activities and societies: Admissions Student Diversity Board (ASDB), International Student Event Coordinator, Grenoble Science Program at the Université Grenoble Alps, Leadership Alliance National Symposium, Paris Internship Program, The Posse Foundation Campus Program