Three of a Kind: Triplets Tackle Pre-Health Degrees Together

Amira, Amier, and Layla Haidar do everything together. These triplets, all new students in the College of Natural Sciences, are all majoring in biochemistry. They also all live together, cook together, have the same class schedules and flag football team, and are close with each other's friends.

"Amira goes with the flow and Layla is punctual and persistent," said Amier about his sisters. "I'm the perfect mix because I'm the middle child."

Amira and Layla are TIP Scholars—members of the Texas Interdisciplinary Plan, a program designed to give freshmen support and encouragement to succeed academically. Amier is a Health Science Scholar. All three plan to go into healthcare after they graduate – Amira wants to be an orthodontist, Layla wants to go into sports medicine and Amier also wants to be a physician. The triplets are competitive academically, but their rivalry does not create tension between them. Instead, they rely on each other to stay focused.

"If one of us is watching TV and we need to study, we will let that person know," said Layla. "We keep each other on task."

The Haidar siblings' work ethic shines through everything they do. In high school, Layla was the captain of her volleyball, basketball and track teams. Amira was choir vice president. Amier was president of the school's National Honor Society, Layla was secretary and Amira was historian. All three were involved in Mu Alpha Theta, a math honor society and they were all in the top 20 students in their 500-person class. To prepare for their pre-health degrees, the triplets did an 6-week internship at the UT Health Sciences Center in Houston, where they did research and watched doctors deliver babies and do surgery.

The siblings came to UT because they were excited to explore the vast opportunities, especially in the College of Natural Sciences. At UT, they plan to get perfect GPAs and do research, beginning with the FRI program. They haven't chosen an FRI stream yet, but the antibiotics lab is first on their list.

The triplets have done more than just study since they arrived in Austin from Tomball, Texas, a small town near Houston. They have explored Mount Bonnell, Pennybacker Bridge and Zilker Park. Layla and Amier are part of two intramural sports teams. Amira hopes to join a singing group at UT. All are enjoying the freedom of college life.

"It's nice to not have the unnecessary work we did in high school," said Amira. "Here you know they're giving you stuff that makes you learn."

Amira says she has met members from two other sets of triplets since she arrived at UT Austin, but none seem to have the same warm relationship she has with her brother and sister.

"Everyone always says we're the closest siblings they've ever met," said Layla. 

2018 Update: The Haidar siblings completed their biochemistry degrees this May. Dental school, medical school, and research await them on the other side of the graduation stage.