‘His smile was a gift’

OUWB honored Erfan Faridmoayer, M.D., OUWB ’20, in an emotional memorial that was held at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.

From his classmates and OUWB officials to his family in Iran — and even his coffeehouse barista — the event saw those who knew Faridmoayer best recall touching memories that brought smiles and tears.

The event was held June 6, almost six months to the day after Faridmoayer died of cardiac arrest. (More details can be found at tinyurl.com/Faridmoayer.) Nearly 100 attended in person and online.

With support from OUWB, the memorial was organized by a group of eight of Faridmoayer’s classmates, including Alison Thomas, M.D.

“Erfan was such an extraordinary human being whose legacy and memory needed to be honored in any way possible,” said Thomas. “I can’t put into words how grateful I am to OUWB for helping get this memorial organized and put together so beautifully with no questions asked.”

“Erfan loved the OUWB community, his peers, and his faculty so much, and it was evident that this love was reciprocated with how many people were devastated by his passing,” she added.

‘Smile was a gift’

Faridmoayer was able to travel to the U.S. from Iran after gaining permission via the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, sometimes called the “green card lottery.”

He attended community college in California before transferring to University of California-Los Angeles. From UCLA, he would earn a bachelor’s degree with honors in molecular, cell, and developmental biology.

In 2016, he began attending OUWB.

Among other things, Faridmoayer was involved in tutoring, mentoring, surgical research studies, and presenting at local and national conferences. He started a student interest group for neurosurgery.

Classmates said he took inspiration from his father, Alireza Faridmoayer, M.D., who is a neurosurgeon. He appeared in a video that played at the memorial.

“When words cannot fully express the depth of our sorrow, we take solace in the cherished memories we hold of him,” said the elder Faridmoayer. “His smile was a gift illuminating the lives of all who knew him...even in times when he was exhausted, his joy for life shone through a beacon of light in our darkest moments.”

To those who knew him through OUWB, Alireza said “Your camaraderie and friendship brought (Erfan) immense joy and strength.”

‘We’ll never forget Erfan’

Berkley Browne, Ph.D., associate dean, Student Affairs, provided opening and closing remarks.

“(Erfan’s) compassion, empathy, and commitment to supporting others touched all of us at OUWB and in the communities he served, both as a student and later as a physician,” she said.

Browne invited all to reflect on the “profound impact” Faridmoayer had on all who “had the privilege of knowing and working alongside” the young physician.

Several other people who knew Faridmoayer spoke, too.

Sarah Pfund worked at the Starbucks where Faridmoayer and his classmates would meet to study for hours on end. She talked about how he described himself as “bougie and goofy,” and would joke if his tea wasn’t exactly how he liked it.

Pfund said she would hear from him on occasion even after he left for his general surgery residency at State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn.

“He made an effort every six months or so to at least see how I was doing,” she said through tears. “And then (after death), you realize you’re not going to get that phone call…(that) always made me feel seen and important.”

Christopher Kanaan, M.D., and Meelod Daneshvar, M.D., were among Faridmoayer’s closest friends in the OUWB Class of 2020.

Kanaan said that Faridmoayer was his best friend.

“Med school is no easy feat, and we did it all together,” he said. “We’ll never forget those days…the best memories came out of medical school.”

“We’ll never forget Erfan, and he would have done 10 times as much for us,” added Kanaan.

Daneshvar shared similar feelings.

“Erfan was so important to us and played a big role in our lives,” he said. “If any of us were in this situation, I know Erfan would go above and beyond for any of us as he did over the last nine years.”

Cortney McKay, M.D., OUWB ’20, talked about the special bond that forms between medical school classmates.

“(Erfan) made everything fun, everything delightful…and was always just full of light,” she said. “Even the times when you were stressed about an upcoming exam…he always had the most positive attitude.”

Several OUWB officials attended the memorial, including David Thomas, Ph.D., associate dean, Preclinical Education.

“We lost a member of our family and I wanted to express my condolences to his loved ones,” he said. “(Erfan) and his classmates mean a great deal to me.  As educators, we hope to touch our students' lives. Hopefully to do more than impart knowledge. But it goes both ways: Erfan touched my life, too.”

Jordan Nash, development associate, OUWB, worked with the students to coordinate the memorial. He said the goal was to “provide a space for remembrance and healing for everyone who knew and loved him.”

“At OUWB, we pride ourselves on being a tight-knit community that supports each other through thick and thin,” he said. “Erfan's sudden passing was a profound loss for all of us, and it was important to honor his life.”

For those who were unable to participate in the memorial, Nicholas Kondoleon, M.D., OUWB ’20, offered a unique opportunity: the Erfan Faridmoayer Memorial Fund.

The hope is to raise enough funds to establish an endowment to fund scholarships for future OUWB physicians who “embody who Erfan was” and “what his values were.”

“We have started a fund in his name…and are looking to continue to grow it in the years to come,” said Kondoleon. “Through this scholarship, our hope is that Erfan’s name lives on.”

To donate to The Erfan Faridmoayer Memorial Fund, click here.