Student and Trainee Executive Board

Madeline Wong is a first year osteopathic medical student at Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine. As the Secretary for the Trainee Executive Board, she is looking forward to making contributions to further the mission of the group. Maddy’s lifestyle medicine journey began witnessing firsthand the impact that lifestyle had on the health of her family. Maddy is passionate about spreading the message of lifestyle medicine to promote the health and well-being of marginalized and vulnerable communities.

My name is Laila Abujuma, and I am currently a second-year medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. I am thrilled to serve on the ACLM Students & Trainee E-Board again this year as one of the VPs of Development!  

I’m originally from Southern Maryland and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, where I earned a dual degree in Nutrition and Biology. While there, I worked as a fitness instructor, which sparked my initial interest in health and wellness. This interest led me to become certified as a Personal Trainer and after graduating, I continued to work as a personal trainer but later transitioned to working as a virtual health coach during the height of the pandemic.  

Through my roles, I had the opportunity to work one-on-one with individuals to help them reach their health goals, which solidified my desire to become a physician. I wanted to nurture similar meaningful relationships while being equipped with many more tools to improve patients’ health outcomes. The year before I started medical school, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Aruna Nathan who showed me Lifestyle Medicine in practice and inspired me to want to implement it into my future career. Going into medical school, I made it my goal to promote Lifestyle Medicine, and I became the founder and president of the Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group at our institution. Although I am not sure what area of medicine I want to eventually practice (PM&R is at the top of my list!), I want to be able to utilize effective coaching to help my patients prevent, treat, and reverse their conditions while improving their overall quality of life and well-being. 

Outside of academics, you can find me at the gym squatting, benching, or deadlifting in preparation for a future powerlifting meet or outside on a restorative walk. I love staying active, cooking healthy meals, and practicing balance by trying new restaurants and bubble tea spots with friends and family. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Students & Trainee E-Board for a second time and look forward to working with my colleagues to promote Lifestyle Medicine within the Students and Trainee community! 

Emily Ubbens is a second year medical student at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she is the founder and outgoing president of the Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group. She has always been obsessed with all things Lifestyle Medicine, including plant-based cooking, yoga, meditation, and community service, and as soon as she found out it was a career path in 2019, she knew it would be a big part of her future. She hopes to be able to complete the lifestyle medicine residency curriculum upon graduation from MSUCOM. Emily is currently serving as a VP of Trainee Development on the ACLM Trainee E-Board. 

Amanda Orme is a second-year medical student at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine in New Jersey and will be serving on the VP of Communications team this year. Her experience with lifestyle medicine started in March of 2023 when she first learned of the ACLM, and her involvement in the organization has rapidly accelerated ever since. That same month, she founded an LMIG at her medical school and is serving as the president for the 2023-2024 academic year. Before starting an LMIG, Amanda had been involved in the wellness space for many years as a fitness instructor, intern with the Food and Wellness Network of Philadelphia, and volunteer at a local health clinic, Bienestar Pharmacy and Wellness Center.  

As a result of her leadership in these programs and establishment of an LMIG, she was awarded the 2023 Donald A. Pegg Student Leadership Award. This gave her the incredible opportunity to attend the 2023 Lifestyle Medicine conference in Denver, Colorado which inspired her to apply for the 2024 Trainee Executive Board.  

While she is still exploring residency options and future directions, Amanda cares most about providing specific, whole-person care to patients with an emphasis on meeting patients where they are at and helping them incorporate lifestyle medicine into their lives at their own pace.  

Amanda lives in South Jersey with her husband Christopher, who is an organic chemist, and their dog Otis. She enjoys playing with her pup, going on daily runs (currently on a streak of over 1 year running every day!), and crocheting stuffed animals. She is also currently pursuing a RYT-200 certification. 

Nathan (Nate) Gottfredson was born in 1996 in the state of Washington, but moved to Saint George, UT when he was just 12 days old. There, in southern Utah, he developed interests in the outdoors including hiking, boating, fishing, and camping. He has also enjoyed playing all kinds of sports throughout his life and enjoys staying active and healthy. After graduating from high school with a 4.0 GPA, he put his education on hold while he served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Atlanta, Georgia. During his two years of service, Nate developed a deep passion for serving those in need and sought a career where he believed he could make the biggest difference in the world. Realizing the importance of health, he pursued a career in medicine and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Dixie State University in southern Utah. Nate was accepted into medical school at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and is currently in his second year. He plans to pursue a career in Sports Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine as a physician. Along the way, Nate married his high school sweetheart, Skylar. They now how have two children, a girl and a boy, and plan to have several more kids during Nate’s medical training.