Physician Randy Jackson credits ODASIS with helping him rise from hardship
Randy JacksonRandy Jackson grinned mischievously.
It was the 2010 graduation ceremony for students in Rutgers University’s Office for Diversity and Academic Success program (ODASIS).
Jackson, a senior, had a prank planned for the occasion.
Kamal Khan, ODASIS director, was on stage preparing to open a gift from students.
Suddenly Khan jumped back with a shout.
Inside the gift bag was a live lobster.
“There was this running joke that every year at the motivational workshop Dr. Khan was going to bring lobsters.” Jackson says. “But there were never any lobsters!”
So, Jackson and a couple of ODASIS friends bought the lobsters themselves and executed the prank, giving their mentor a surprise he would never forget.
“It was perfect,” Jackson recalled.
But it was as much a show of gratitude as it was a prank.
Part of the School of Arts and Sciences, ODASIS provides academic support for underrepresented students who want to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professions.
For Jackson, ODASIS and the Education Opportunity Fund (EOF) were lifechanging forces that helped him rise from hardship to become a physician and a professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), one of the top medical schools in the country.
Growing up in a struggling community In Central Jersey, Jackson was exposed to gang violence and substance abuse and became familiar with the inside of many medical offices. But that familiarity pointed him in a new direction. He became fascinated with medicine and yearned to become a doctor to help others.
When Jackson entered Rutgers with aspirations for medical school, he was introduced to ODASIS and realized it was essential. Khan sat him down during the first week and said: “’Take this class and take that class. Just do it,’” Jackson said.
ODASIS became a staple of Jackson’s undergraduate journey. He took courses, attended support programs, and honed his academic skills.
But ODASIS was more than academics.
When Jackson struggled to balance work and classes, ODASIS offered him the opportunity to tutor students for extra money.
“If I ever needed anything I would go to Dr. Khan,” Jackson said. “If I couldn’t afford courses or struggled with family stuff, he would say ‘go call this person.’”
Jackson learned many life lessons from Khan.
One summer students accompanied Khan on a trip to Trenton to ask New Jersey legislators to expand funding for ODASIS and EOF.
"The drive down he was digging into me the whole time,” Jackson said. “He told me “You got to work your butt off, this is why you have to be there for people.’’’
Jackson was just 19.
Kamal Khan
“It just spoke volumes,” he said.
Khan’s combination of empathy and academic rigor reflected the ODASIS culture. For Jackson, ODASIS was a family, a community that motivates and empowers. He formed lifelong friendships and learned about accountability, work ethic, and empathetic care—all of which he takes with him to his career every day.
He is now a professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UCSF, serving as associate program director for the Family Medicine residency.
Jackson works primarily within San Francisco’s public health system while providing care at San Francisco General Hospital, the only level one trauma center in the city. Jackson provides full spectrum primary care and works within the BRIDGE clinic, where he treats patients with substance use disorders.
Jackson also teaches in UCSF’s Addiction Medicine Fellowship and is a faculty member within the university’s Latinx Center of Excellence, where he helps support healthcare workforce development. He’s working to establish programs similar to ODASIS.
“No two days are the same in my job.” Jackson said.
Above all, Jackson is always focused on connecting with his patients.
“In the exam room I shed the white coat, and I don’t use medical jargon because it creates this disconnect,” he says.
He also notices that patients of color are visibly relieved when he walks into the room. And that shines a light on how the ODASIS mission is helping to create more diverse and inclusive medical spaces.
Accordingly, Jackson remains heavily involved in supporting the ODASIS community. He spoke at the Fall 2024 orientation and makes frequent donations. He loves speaking to new students in the same halls where he was a student years before.
“There are so many students out there waiting for an opportunity who don’t know what is available because their parents didn’t go to college, or don’t speak English, or don’t have the resources," Jackson said. "I don’t think there’s any better feeling than being able to give back to that.”