On October 21st, 2022, our most dear friend and colleague Dr. Amber Martinez unexpectedly passed away. On this day, it is almost impossible to commemorate into words all those amazing attributes that shaped our precious Amber. Dr. Martinez was the most benevolent of souls in all her actions and beliefs. She treated every person she met with kindness, and she could always bring solace to those who came to her in their hard times. A champion of the students, she tirelessly worked to take on the problems of others and work through them as if they were her own. Alongside her perpetual passion, Amber was graced with an internal compass to continuously aim to do the right thing. Motivated by numerous goals, Amber exemplified her greatest attribute, her unwavering ambition.
In her time at the University of Pécs, she accomplished so much. She was an International Student Ambassador for the University of Pécs for four years. In tandem, she was a member of the English-German Student Council as Vice-President for 2 years and as Treasurer in her final year. She was also the Vice-President of the Erasmus Student Network at the University of Pécs in the 2020/2021 academic year. She was the proud owner of a blog, Amber’s M.D. Journey, which detailed her experiences working and learning in the hospitals during her rotational year, as well as her final exam experiences and her plans for the future.
During her time at EGSC, she pioneered a now cherished event at the University for World Mental Health Day called Tea & Talk. An event that encourages students to explore options to improve and maintain their mental health while going through the vicissitudes of student life. She also heavily pitched a Silent Room for the Medical School – a community space where students can practice their religion in the privacy and tranquil of a quiet area.
Amber was an all-arounder when it comes to her student life. On top of her successes in medical school, she was a student researcher in the Public Health Department of the University and her stellar work landed her 2nd place in the Health Sciences category of the TDK 2021 Conference and 3rd place in the Epidemiology, Diagnostics and Prevention category of the Dean’s Competition for Student Researcher Essays in 2021.
All these achievements she did while keeping up with her studies and lending herself to the betterment of her friends, her community, and the student body at large. She graduated in July of 2022 with a commendable cum laude degree and new goals and aspirations.
At the time of her unfortunate demise, she had completed her registration with the General Medical Council of the UK and was licensed to practice.
Amber was a daughter, a sister, and a friend. She was a true-born leader and a tenacious advocate for change. One thing Amber was never afraid to do was to give her opinion - a quality so few possess and can execute with the finesse she was able to. The opinions, always constructive, were one of the many ways Amber showed love to those around her. Even so, she unconditionally offered her open arms to her friends when they needed her. Whether it was to just talk, cry or yell in frustration, she was always there. Often, she did so with a nice warm home-cooked meal to nurture those who she loved.
Amber’s absence will be heavily felt in the University and by those who she encountered. She dedicated her life to the service of other people, as seen both in her words and in her actions. She made the most of her time with us and her legacy will live on, for death may come but the one who remains in the hearts of the living never truly dies.
EGSC
Remembering Dr. Amber Martinez
