May 27, 2026
Meet the members of our Board and staff, and get to know the people behind our mission! These blog and social media posts give you an inside look at the incredible individuals who guide our mission and shape the work we do.
First up we have Liesl Benda, OMS2 Medical Student at COMP NW. Liesl joined the Board this January and has been a great advocate for getting other medical students involved in OPS. We asked Liesl to share more about her passion for pediatrics, and a few things you might not know about her. Read on to get to know more about Liesl Benda.
Question: What do you love about being a part of OPS?
Answer: I love being a part of OPS because it allows me to help connect medical students with the pediatric community in Oregon, while also learning from and working with passionate physicians and leaders who are shaping the future of pediatric care in my home state!
Question: What book are you reading right now?
Answer: First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 (lol!)
Question: If you weren’t doing your current profession, what would you do?
Answer: High school calculus teacher!
Question: What are your hopes and dreams for OPS in the future?
Answer: My hope for OPS is to continue driving meaningful pediatric policy while also creating more opportunities for med students to get involved early, learn about advocacy, and become active members in the pediatric community in Oregon.
Question: What’s your favorite children’s book?
Answer: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Question: What children’s issue are you really passionate about?
Answer: Childhood immunization and combatting vaccine misinformation
Question: What’s your favorite children’s movie?
Answer: Ratatouille
Question: What was your favorite subject in school? Why?
Answer: Math — I loved the pattern recognition and challenge of problem-solving!
Question: What are your hobbies?
Answer: Skiing, playing the viola, baking
Question: What is your favorite part about your job?
Answer: Knowing that I’m going to be able to make a difference in children’s lives once I’m done with my training!
Question: What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Answer: A pediatrician!!
Question: What was your favorite afterschool snack?
Answer: Anything with cheese!
Thank you, Liesl, for sharing your story and your enthusiasm for the work ahead. We’re so glad to have you on our board— and we have a feeling this is just the beginning. Want to get involved with OPS as a medical student or early-career provider? We’d love to hear from you.
