Mayra Braido

I was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil and for the past 16 years I have lived and called Los Angeles, California as my home. During my early years in the USA, I experienced a life changing event that almost claimed my life. It was at that pivotal moment that I decided to change paths and dedicate my life to the service of humanity. I became a state certified counselor and advocate for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and trained as a suicide interventionist. Around that same time, I became a member of the Los Angeles Fire Department Disaster Team known as CERT which made me fall in love with emergency medicine and fire service.  

As a paramedic, I work in one of the largest EMS systems in the world, the Los Angeles 911 system and have over 10,000 hours of emergency response and experience. Furthering my medical education, I have trained as a flight paramedic, critical care and advanced stroke provider. In 2021, I worked the NFL season as field paramedic at SoFi Stadium and was chosen as paramedic #1 for the Super Bowl in Los Angeles. I have recently obtained my advanced procedures and trauma certifications and I am currently pursuing my international certification for wilderness and austere medicine and technical rescue. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have served as one of the lead paramedics for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and provided vaccinations, medical outreach and advocacy for people experiencing homelessness. I was very fortunate to lead the “COVID Strike Team” and heavily worked on the Skid Row area, one of the densest areas of homeless population in Los Angeles.

My goal is to become a firefighter and the first advanced medical provider in 911 setting for city of Los Angeles and work on the advancement of medical education opportunities for firefighters and paramedics, the expansion of treatment protocols for EMS, expansion of EMS research, patient advocacy and integration of services for those experiencing emergencies. 

The University of Edinburgh Critical Care program opens doors for professionals like myself that want to expand on their education and knowledge while working positions like paramedic that often lack advancement paths for higher education and licensure at higher levels. 

I am very grateful for the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh for supporting such visionary program that allows professionals like myself to explore these paths. I am honoured to have been chosen and very thankful for the scholarship. I hope to make the Royal College proud and carry the teachings with me as a first responder to serve those in need.