In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month our Diversity Committee will be publishing a series of Spotlights on both clients and Garvish Immigration staff members who have so graciously offered to share their stories of heritage on our blog.

Meet Dr. Osara Malalasekara, a Family medicine physician in Morrow, Georgia. Dr. Malalasekara was born and raised in Sri Lanka, a beautiful island located in the Indian Ocean. Dr. Malalasekara migrated to Canada in her late teens and is now a Canadian citizen. After graduating from medical school in the Commonwealth of Dominica, she moved to the U.S. to complete her clinical education.

Dr. Osara Malalasekara with family in tulip fields

Dr. Osara Malalasekara with family

Dr. Malalasekara is currently working as a Family Medicine Physician at Wellstar Medical Group in J-1 status. She provides comprehensive medical services for all family members and examines and treats patients with a wide range of conditions. Dr. Malalasekara obtained her medical degree from All Saints University School of Medicine in Dominica in 2018. She completed her Family Medicine Internship at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center in 2020 and is currently completing the last year of her Family Medicine Residency program at the same facility. Dr. Malalasekara is certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates and will be board certified in Family Medicine. She is currently licensed to practice medicine in Georgia.

Our firm recently obtained the Health and Human Services (HHS) recommendation for Dr. Malalasekara’s J-1 waiver, which will allow her to provide services in the medically underserved and health professional shortage area of Griffin, Georgia through her work with Wellstar Medical Group. The community in Griffin is in dire need of Dr. Malalasekara’s services and her employment with WellStar Medical Group will increase the availability of family medicine to patients in that area. Dr. Malalasekara’s services will ensure that consistent and competent coverage for patients is available in this region so that the local health professional shortage and medically underserved community will not be forced to travel outside this area to receive family medicine treatment.

“My immigration journey, my professional work, and my life in the U.S. have led me to understand how to manage unique situations such as my immigration case with the knowledge and experience I have. My family is my ultimate motivation and keeps me going each and every day. I believe that the most beautiful thing in this world is to see my parents smiling, knowing that I am the reason behind that smile.”

While focusing on community, evidence-based, patient-centered care to improve health among the underserved population in Griffin, Dr. Malalasekara’s goal is to gain a host of experiences while being able to seek out mentors, serve as a mentor to medical students, work with like-minded colleagues, build valuable networks, and above all, gain proficiency in her chosen field – to be a successful resident and a successful family medicine physician.

“I believe that quality of life is beyond the practice of medicine as a science; it is also a form of art. It includes not only a mastery of science but also constant emotional support and careful, reflective analysis and rapier-like decision-making. This inevitably paves the way to extend the opportunities to practice preventive care, and this is why I chose to become a family medicine physician.”

“Your Trusted Guide to the American Dream”

This monthly blog series on Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is produced by our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee led by our Senior Attorney, Nadia Deans Kalata.