More information about our amazing speakers to come soon!
Driven by a life-long calling to serve, Dr. Carlton Abner has more than 25 years of health care and leadership experience. That experience includes over 20 years of military experience having recently retired from the Kansas Air National Guard where he served as a Lieutenant Colonel and Chief Nursing Executive. He earned a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of San Francisco and his clinical experience includes working as an emergency department nurse and leading interprofessional teams in a variety of health care settings. In 2021, Dr. Abner joined the team at Kansas City University where he is serving as an Assistant Professor and KCU’s first ever Associate Provost of Campus Health & Wellness.
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Dr. Amiri joined the Robert Larner COM at the University of Vermont in June 2022 as associate
dean for admissions and assistant professor in Psychiatry. As dean of admissions, she oversees admissions and recruitment for both campuses of the college of medicine. She is a passionate advocate for holistic review in admissions and a strong supporter for students in helping them achieve their academic and professional goals.
Amiri has spent her career in higher education starting as an undergraduate peer advisor in the biology department. Over this time, she has worked with a variety of students at 5 different
medical schools and 3 additional colleges and universities as an advisor, faculty member,
administrator, and mentor.
In the medical education arena, she has engaged in leadership at the national level as the liaison
for the Committee on Admissions (COA) for the Association of American Medical Colleges
(AAMC), member of the AMCAS Advisory Committee, member of the Advancing Holistic Review Initiative, and as an AAMC Holistic Review facilitator working with other medical schools’ admissions committees on how to include holistic review in their process. She just completed a two-year term as Chair of the Combined Baccalaureate-MD affiliate group and is currently National Chair of the GSA Professional Development Initiative.
Dr. Amiri’s research interests include understanding learning in medical students specifically at
the transitional times in a student’s academic journey, equitable access to medical education, holistic review in admissions, how to achieve culture change and diversity in the physician
workforce.
Jen Reinmuth-Birch is currently a third-year osteopathic medical student in the class of 2025 at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences. She holds the school's distinction of being the oldest admitted student, starting her medical studies at the tender age of 50. Prior to beginning medical school, Jen earned her bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University and later received master's degrees in education and nutrition. She spent over 10 years as a research assistant and educator at Portland State University’s Autism Training and Research Center and as a board member of both the Autism Society of Oregon and Northwest Autism Foundation. In addition to her studies and career in academia, Jen helps run her family farm on the Washington coast, is the proud mother of college aged twin sons, and loves inspiring other non-traditional students on her active Instagram and TikTok pages @the.road.to.doctor.jen.
Ryan Boothe is an Admissions Counselor at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.
L. Latéy Bradford, MD, PhD is a board-certified Family Physician and Core Faculty in the Family Medicine Residency Program at the University of Maryland Capital Region Health. Dr. Bradford provides comprehensive primary care for all members of the family, with a specialty in obstetrics and newborn care. She completed residency training at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, MD and moved to the University of Maryland Capital Region Health to provide high-quality and equitable health in the community where she lives.
She has a wealth of experience working with underserved communities and addressing complex healthcare needs through a social justice lens. Dr. Bradford is passionate about dismantling health inequities, particularly as it relates to maternal and infant health. She teaches and supervises residents and student trainees and serves as faculty advisor for resident education. She is also an active member of the Maryland Academy of Family Physicians.
Amanda Brem is the founder of The Brem Method, a holistic approach to test prep and academic achievement. When Amanda started coaching pre-med students, she found that many of them were overwhelmed with the stress of preparing for exams. However, she believed there was a better way to approach test prep than the conventional “just suffer through it” mentality.Amanda combined her background as a personal trainer and athletic coach with her pre-med experience to create something new: The Brem Method. This methodology leverages sports performance tools to increase students’ self-confidence in high stress environments while prioritizing their physical and mental health as they prepare for test day. Amanda also teaches essential critical reasoning strategies and incorporates the latest research on high-volume learning into each student’s study program.The Brem Method empowers students to build effective study habits so their academic work doesn’t take over their lives. In their work together, Amanda educates students on how to overcome challenges, build resilience, and advocate for themselves throughout their academic careers.
Dr. Camille Broussard is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She is a public health-trained and board-certified Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine, and Addiction Medicine specialist having completed Pediatrics residency, Adolescent Medicine fellowship, and Addiction Medicine training at Johns Hopkins. She staffs the Chronic Fatigue Clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and the Center for Adolescent & Young Adult Health at Harriet Lane Clinic. She recently also became the associate program director for the Johns Hopkins Adolescent Medicine Fellowship Program. She is committed to improving the health and well-being of vulnerable youth by eradicating health disparities and health inequities.
Heather Burt is a first year medical student at Tulane University School of Medicine. Originally from Toronto, Ontario, she completed her BA at Colgate University in 2019 majoring in Biology. In 2021, she graduated from the University of British Columbia, earning her MSc at the School of Population and Public Health. Her thesis focused on young adult mental health, specifically among post-secondary students. Post-graduation, Heather continued working in the realm of mental health as a clinical research coordinator where she investigated the use of IV ketamine for acute suicidality in pediatrics. In her free time she enjoys being outside, playing sports, and being with friends and family. She is currently interested in pursuing primary care.
Hannah earned her BA from Boston University and is currently completing her MBA at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), where she has been employed for the last 5 years. Hannah has had experience supporting graduate students in both Admissions and Residence Life.
Her work in Admissions has included enrolling students in Optometry, Occupational Therapy, Dental Hygiene, Nursing, and Physician Assistant programs. She has worked with the Accelerated Master of Physician Assistant Studies program on MCPHS’s Worcester campus for the last 2 years. Hannah is passionate about developing relationships with prospective students to offer support that will help them to aspire to their future career in healthcare.
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Dr. Alkiesha Collins is a nationally certified Physician Assistant (PA). She has 16 years of experience as a clinically practicing PA and 24 years of diverse health care experience overall. PA Collins earned a Masters of Medicine in Physician Assistant Studies from Western Michigan University in 2007. She also graduated Summa cum laude with a Doctorate of Health Sciences in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from A.T. Still University in 2017. She is nationally certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Throughout her 16-year PA career, she has worked in 4 different states including 12 years of experience in Nephrology, 2 years in Family Medicine and 2 years in Internal Medicine.
She has contributed, written and published several articles, medical blogs, and conducted original research when obtaining her Doctorate in 2017. She is also a member of multiple professional organizations including American Academy of Nephrology PAs, Renal Physician Association, NCCPA’s Physician Assistant Ambassador program, the Medical Health Advisory Board for the National Kidney Foundation and most recently a member of the Commission on Continuing Professional Development and Education for the American Academy of Physician Associates/Assistants.
She has a passion for preventive health and empowering patients, family and friends to be
knowledgeable participants in their health care team. She enjoys going to the movies, international travel, and prioritizing self-care. our amazing speakers to come soon!
In May 2023, Kathryn graduated from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a Master of Science in Environmental Health Degree and with certifications in Climate and Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, and Risk Sciences and Public Policy. Her thesis research, under the advisory of Dr. Paul Locke, assessed the public health effectiveness of a piloted approach to radon mitigation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She is now attending the University of Maryland School of Public Health to pursue a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences through the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health.
Katie Desmond has the one of the best jobs in the world. For the past nine years, Katie has worked directly with pre-PA and PA student members at AAPA. She has overseen the development of the brand-new pre-PA membership category, and developed programming and resources to help future PAs begin their careers, ensuring that PA school is accessible to anyone ready and willing to go above and beyond for their patients. Katie is also host of the popular webinar series PA Like a Pro for pre-PAs, PA students, and early career PAs.
Dr. El-Alfy is a Professor of Biopharmaceutical Sciences-Pharmacology at The Medical College of Wisconsin, School of Pharmacy (MCWSOP) and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. She is a graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt. She has a M.S. Degree in Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Mississippi. Before joining MCWSOP, Dr. El-Alfy held several faculty positions in Pharmacy and Medical schools. Dr. El-Alfy held several leadership positions including Director of the Behavioral Neuroscience Core-NPN at the School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, chair of several governance committees at different Pharmacy Schools, and spearheaded the development and implementation of the MCW SOP co-curriculum program.
Dr. El-Alfy’s teaching experiences include physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She is a nine-time recipient of teacher of the year award as voted for by students in different colleges of pharmacy. She also received the 2015 Chicago State University Faculty Excellence Teaching Award and the 2020 MCW Faculty Service Award.
Dr. El-Alfy is an active member of many professional societies and acts as a grant, dissertation, and manuscript reviewer for various national and international organizations. Dr. El-Alfy's research interests focus on the role of the endocannabinoid system in neuropsychiatric disorders. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop new therapeutic targets for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr. El-Alfy has more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and 100 national and international presentations. She is a co-inventor of 2 provisional patents and one full patent. She has received several research grant awards.
Susan H. Fenton, PhD, RHIA, CPHI, FAHIMA is an Associate Professor and the Associate Dean for Academic and Curricular Affairs at the D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston in Houston, TX. She is responsible for their graduate certificates, master’s, doctoral and dual degrees programs.
Additionally, Dr. Fenton leads the ONC - funded Gaining Equity in Training for Public Health Informatics and Technology (GET PHIT) workforce development project. Dr. Fenton’s research areas of expertise include workforce development, data management, ICD-10 implementation and health care associated infections. She also serves on a variety of regional and national professional association committees and boards.
Dr. Kyle Fletke is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine. He currently serves as an associate program director for the family medicine residency. After completion of residency at ProMedica Toledo Hospital, he accepted a faculty position with the Cone Health family medicine residency in Greensboro, NC.
To further pursue his academic interests he completed a faculty development fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2018 he and his family moved to Baltimore, MD where he started his current position. His clinical interests include inpatient medicine and general ambulatory care. He teaches second year medical students in an introduction to clinical medicine course, third year students in the core family medicine clerkship, and fourth year students in the family medicine sub-internship.
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Dr. Follett currently serves as the Pharmacy Outreach Specialist and a Clinical Instructor at the
University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Prior to assuming her present role, she made significant contributions as a Clinical Pharmacist at Parkview Medical Center and UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, where she focused on enhancing patient care through personalized pharmaceutical interventions.
Passionate about global public health and improving patient outcomes, Chandler is devoted to raising awareness about the critical role pharmacists play in the healthcare system. In addition, she strives to mentor aspiring pharmacists by illuminating the diverse career opportunities within the field.
Chandler holds a BS in Biology and a BA in Spanish from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she also excelled as a Division One soccer player (Go Seahawks!) She furthered her education with a PharmD from the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science.
To learn more about Chandler's career and accomplishments, visit her .
Austin Gentry is a seasoned admissions professional with nearly a decade of experience in higher education. He is currently the Director of Recruitment and Retention at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, located in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Austin began his career as the Financial Aid Outreach Advisor and later transitioned to the Office of Admissions, where he ended his time at New Mexico State University (NMSU) as the Assistant Director of Admissions and Scholarships. At NMSU, he helped create paths for incoming students from diverse backgrounds. Currently, as the Director of Recruitment and Retention at Burrell, he works with prospective students on successfully applying and transitioning into medical school.
Austin is passionate about assisting students in achieving their dreams of becoming physicians while reducing barriers to those who have historically been left out of medical school admissions.
Austin holds a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and a Bachelor's in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University.
Dr. Ryan Gray is the co-founder and CEO of Mappd. Mappd is a free pre-health tracking software that supports premed and pre-PA (and in the future, all pre-health) students on their journey to becoming healthcare professionals by demystifying and democratizing the pre-health process. He is also the publisher of Medical School Headquarters and the Meded Media network and the author of the Premed Playbook guidebook series. You can hear him weekly on several podcasts, including The Premed Years, OldPreMeds Podcast, and The MCAT Podcast.
Prior to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Ryan was a former Flight Surgeon in the United States Air Force. Ryan graduated from the University of Florida (GO GATORS!) with a BS in Exercise and Sports Sciences and received his MD from New York Medical College. After graduating from medical school, Ryan completed his internship through a Tufts Medical Center transitional medicine program at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital. While a Flight Surgeon, Ryan had some health issues which ultimately led him away from the Air Force and practicing medicine.
Rachel is a veteran of the higher education services world. In the last decade she has served thousands of premedical students in preparing for the MCAT and in planning their path to medical school. Rachel worked at The Princeton Review as a regional director and trainer. She was an early member of Next Step Med, the team that changed the landscape of MCAT practice exams with the 2015 MCAT.
Rachel graduated from The Ohio State University where she studied Spanish and Organizational Management. She earned a certificate in Business Analytics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Deana (pronounced dee-na) most recently was at Stanford University School of Medicine as a Senior MD Admissions Officer, where she gained first-hand knowledge of the competitive medical school admissions process. She was closely involved in evaluating applications, helping conduct interview days, and helping run their MD Admissions Committee.
Prior to joining Stanford, Deana was the Assistant Director of Advising, Student Support & Outreach for the Master in Medical Sciences at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School. Working for this post-baccalaureate Special Master’s Program embedded as part of a medical school, Deana worked closely advising non-traditional, underrepresented MD and DO applicants.
Deana is originally from the Northeast and received her B.S. from Boston University and M.Ed from Providence College in Counseling and Education Administration. She began her career as a certified high school teacher and college counselor, serving on Brown University’s Inaugural Undergraduate Admissions Counselor Advisory Board. She held concurrent part-time roles at Northeastern University working as an application reader for their Undergraduate Admissions Office and as a medical school committee letter writer for their Premed and Pre-Health Advising Program from 2019-2021.
In 2022 Deana co-authored her first publication highlighting the path of the pre-health high school student. Deana has spent a career advocating for and advising students while gaining direct medical school and undergraduate admissions experience. In her spare time, Deana continues to privately advise high school students and families on the undergraduate admissions process.
Varinia Grannum has 20+ years of experience advising students on college and career goals. Prior to joining the Mappd team as an Advisor, she served as the Assistant Dean of Pre-Health and STEM Advising for eight years at Hofstra University in New York.
Deborah Gutman, MD, MPH is a practicing emergency physician for Mass General Brigham, the founder and primary educational consultant for AdmissionsRx, a medical school, and residency consulting practice, and Chief Medical Educator for CapYear, a capstone program offering pre-health college graduates paid patient-facing roles in clinical settings and support with their applications to medical school and PA school during their gap years.
She earned her ScB from Brown University in Neuroscience, an MPH with a concentration in medical ethics and program evaluation and development from the Boston University School of Public Health, and her MD and emergency medicine residency training at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. She has participated in the Teaching Fellowship of the American College of Emergency Physicians. She has received several national and local teaching awards for her work with both medical students and residents and has multiple publications in the area of medical education.
Dr. Gutman has over 25 years of medical student and residency education and admissions experience as a previous residency director for the Brown Emergency Medicine Residency program and a prior admissions committee member for the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. She is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor for The Gateways Masters of Medical Science Postbaccalaureate Program at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, an instructor at the University of California Irvine Fundamentals of Graduate School Consulting Course, and an MBTI Practitioner. She has intimate knowledge of healthcare practice and the medical education landscape. Her mission is to help students reflect and build on their existing strengths, mediate authentic growth, and create the next generation of confident change agents and healers in medicine.
Dr. Gutman lives with her husband of 27 years (also an emergency physician) and two crazy cats (even though she is a dog person) and has a 22-year-old son who is maneuvering his way through a COVID college education.
Kathryn M. Hart, MD, FAAFP is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine where she serves as the Director of the Primary Care Leadership Track. She earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. She completed her residency training in Family Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. She teaches multiple medical school courses and supervises Family Medicine physicians in training, and has received multiple teaching awards. Her academic interests include medical student advising, enhancing medical student recruitment into primary care specialties, humanism in medicine, professional identity formulation, leadership development, cultural competency, and curriculum development.
Dr. Chandler Hubbard graduated from Western University of Health Sciences Medical School with her Doctorate in Podiatric Medicine in 2018 and completed her surgical training at Chino Valley Medical Center in 2021. Dr. Hubbard has an extensive history in geriatric care; sheinitially worked as an insurance coordinator at a skilled nursing facility and acted as the Podiatric Liason for the WesternU American Geriatric Society during her pre-clinical training.Upon completion of her surgical training, she began working part time in private practice in SoCal and working at Western University of Health Science. She has since moved full time to teaching as an assistant professor for pre-clinical and clinical training as well as becoming the director for the Foot and Ankle Clinic. She is board certified in Podiatric Medicine with Certification of Added Qualification in Surgery as well as a Certified Wound Specialist Physician.
Rebecca Jacobs began her career providing health and career resources to college-age students, an experience that ignited her passion for supporting young professionals in higher education. Now at AAPA, Rebecca is developing tools for pre-PAs and empowering young professionals within the PA profession. Rebecca graduated from the University of Florida in 2022 with a MS/BS in Health Education. She joined AAPA in early 2023 as Pre-PA and Student Membership Coordinator.
Susana is a current PA/MPH student getting her dual degree from Northeastern University. She graduated from UC Davis in 2020 with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and a minor in Spanish. At UC Davis she was a volunteer and board member for the Knights Landing One Health Center, a student-run clinic that serves the migrant-farm working community of Knights Landing. She studied abroad in Bolivia through a Pediatric Health Internship with CFHI in 2019. Because of her diverse background, Susana has been passionate about learning Spanish and working with a Spanish-speaking patient population since she became interested in the PA profession in high school. Susana has over 3 years of pre-health advising experience and specializes in pre-PA advising. She was involved in the UC Davis Pre-PA club, is an active member of the National Society of Black PAs, and completed a Pre-PA post-baccalaureate at Keck Graduate Institute in 2021.
Adrienne Kambouris is an MD/PhD student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is a wife, a mother of three, and a veteran. Adrienne joined the Army at age 17 and served for 10 years. In 2016, she graduated from Augusta University with honors in Cell and Molecular Biology and Chemistry. She is currently finishing her thesis project which investigates the immune response to burns and subsequent infection susceptibility. In the future, she hopes to practice surgery with a focus on burns, trauma, and wound healing.
Bill King is the Vice President for Recruitment and Application Services at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Rohan Kuruvilla is a 4th-year medical student at Howard University College of Medicine pursuing a residency in Internal Medicine. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Behavioral Biology from Johns Hopkins University in 2018 and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health Toxicology in 2020 from the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Additionally, he serves as a medical student member of the American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, and American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
Dr. Latshaw is the Director of the Master’s Degree Programs in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Twenty-six years of experience building and managing exceptional comprehensive programs and services in higher education that successfully recruit and retain diverse talent, support at-risk student populations and promote outstanding students onto graduation.
Courtney Lewis has worked in medical school admissions 7 years, including 3 years serving as the Director of Admissions at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM). During her time at BCOM, Courtney was selected to be a member of the national AACOMAS Advisory Committee to help promote admissions best practices for all osteopathic medical schools. She was also elected Vice-Chair of the AACOM Admissions Officer Council. She now serves as Admissions Advisor at Medical School Headquarters.
Nzinga is a scientist and nature lover who was born and raised in Harlem, NY. She is a proud alumna of both Howard University -where she got her bachelor's degree in biology, and of Florida A&M University -where she got her PhD in pharmacology. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University where her work focuses on building computational pharmacological models. Her mission is to attack health disparities by focusing on under-researched disorders, and training upcoming scientists. When Nzinga is not working, she can be found gardening, making jewelry and enjoying nature.
Ellie graduated from Boise State University with a degree in Communication and a certification in Public Relations, and is currently working on her masters degree in Communication at Wake Forest University. While at ICOM, she has recruited across the country for each cohort of classes, and has served on AACOM Committees such as the Recruitment Advisory Committee and on the leadership team for the Council of Osteopathic Medical Admissions Officers.
Doug earned his BS in Chemistry from Central Michigan University, and he researched computational chemistry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at Notre Dame. His teaching experience began early as a TA in both Chemistry and ASL labs. He worked towards a Ph.D. in Chemistry (Physical Inorganic) and completed "all but dissertation" before entering the world of test preparation at The Princeton Review (TPR).
During his time at TPR, Doug taught five MCAT subjects: Biology, CARS, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics. He also taught ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, OAT, DAT, AP and SAT Science and Math Subject Tests and was involved in the development of a life skills program known as Up Next. While at TPR he also served as the Assistant National Content Director for the MCAT through the transition from the old MCAT to the new MCAT. Doug developed, trained, and managed teachers that taught ACT and ACT WorkKeys and developed content for their ACT Science textbook and ACT WorkKeys class.
Starting in 2018, Doug started his own tutoring company, IcosaPrep, as a tutor for standardized tests like ACT, SAT, GRE, DAT, OAT, PA-CAT, MCAT. In 2020, Doug helped develop and implement a novel test prep program for the UC Davis Health Professions Post Baccalaureate Certificate Program. He is now working with the third cohort of students in that program and has since started working with the postbac program at Shoreline Community College in Seattle When he’s not teaching, Doug still plays music as a percussionist.
Betsy Merideth is the Director of the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program (PBPM) at Goucher College in Baltimore. Now in its 40th year, Goucher PBPM is proud of its role in transforming the lives of nontraditional premedical students and enriching medical school cohorts with passionate students who come from diverse backgrounds ranging from Peace Corps to Teach for America to health policy, and everything in between. Betsy has been working closely with her career-changer postbacs since 2003, and loves getting to know them in the pivotal postbac year and throughout their application year. She is passionate about nurturing a close-knit, collaborative, and noncompetitive culture of community and support at Goucher. Betsy has served in postbac-program leadership roles at the regional and national levels, and was a founding Board member of PostBacCAS.
In her current role as the Associate Dean of Pre-Health Advising at Hofstra University in New York, Dr.Miller leads a team of specialized advisors who work students interested in pursuing a career in the health professions. The team works with students from new student orientation through the admissions process to ensure they are as prepared as possible for the complex application to health professions schools.
Seeing a need to better serve non-traditional students, seeking either a career change or record enhancement, she founded and directs Hofstra’s Post baccalaureate Premedical program for the past two decades. Over the years, the program has expanded, and enrollment has grown exponentially preparing students for a wide variety of careers in healthcare.
She is the university’s ”go to” person for premedical education when designing new programs and curricula. In addition to her current role in the Center for University Advising, Dr. Miller serves as an adjunct assistant professor teaching a first-year seminar specifically designed for pre-health students.
As an expert in pre-health advising, Dr. Miller authored the book “Prescription for Success: A Guide for Pre-health Students.” She believes in educating students on academic success strategies, options in healthcare and demystifying the complicated application process.Dr. Miller values her work with students and sees that as one of the greatest joys of her life.
Hana Minsky grew up in Berkeley, California. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Global Disease Biology combined MD/PhD as a student in the Johns Hopkins University Medical Scientist Training Program. She will be completing her PhD in Pathobiology. During her undergraduate years, Hana conducted her senior practicum research in the lab of Dr. Philipp Zerbe in the UC Davis Department of Plant Biology. In addition, she served as the Chief Research Associate for the UC Davis Emergency Medicine Research Associates Program and as the Chief of Internal Affairs for the student-run Joan Viteri Memorial Clinic.
After graduating, Hana continued her exploration of host-pathogen interactions and infectious diseases by working as an assistant research coordinator with the UC Davis Division of Infectious Diseases. Since beginning her studies at Johns Hopkins in 2021, Hana has enjoyed learning more about the role of the immune system in mediating interactions between hosts, microbes, and the environment. Outside of her academic pursuits, Hana enjoys weightlifting, hiking, cooking, and playing Ultimate Frisbee.
Darrell Nabers is the Dean for Admissions and Recruitment at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Dean Nabers graduated from Whittier College, receiving a BA in Political Science. After graduation, Dean Nabers worked for a couple of years in banking as a credit investigator and deferred entrance to Law school when he began a teaching program in Houston, Tx. Eventually, the program yielded a teaching credential, and he committed to a career in education. Much of his teaching career took place in the Bay Area of California. He received his M.Sc. in electronic business systems from Golden Gate University in 2003. Dean Nabers is currently enrolled in the educational doctorate program at Loyola University Chicago and is actively working to earn his Ed.D.
As an educator with a technology background, he found opportunities to expand his expertise into the classroom, leading to work in administration and his first admissions and financial aid position in 2002. Since then, Dean Nabers has been directing admissions, financial assistance, and diversity offices over the past 17 years. As a result, he has advised a generation of students to apply to undergraduate, professional, and graduateschool programs across the country. Darrell came to Chicago in 2005 to work for the University of Chicago- Pritzker School of Medicine, starting as an analyst in the admissions department and eventually being promotedto Director of Admissions at Pritzker. He began his journey with Loyola in June 2015.
During his time at Stritch, Dean Nabers has helped to execute and implement a comprehensive mission-based,
holistic admissions process utilizing the participation of over 200 committee members while increasing the
breadth and scope of Stritch recruitment efforts to expand the diversity of our student body. Mr. Nabers was
promoted to Assistant Dean in 2018, and since that time, Stritch has experienced unprecedented growth within
its applicant pool. As a result, DACA students continue to find a home, and resources to support the
matriculation of women and other underrepresented groups in medicine continue to improve the quality of our
candidate yield.
He continues volunteering to work with other admissions offices in Illinois through the Illinois Medical School Admissions Consortium. He also serves as an advisor for the Collegiate Scholars Program, which helps low-
income high school students apply to undergraduate programs nationwide, and affiliates with the efforts oforganizations like SUMMA, I AM ABEL, and Patients R Waiting to encourage support for matriculation of
underrepresented students in medicine.
Andrea O’Brien is the Director of Admissions at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, based on the Kirksville, MO, campus. Her 25+ year professional career has been spent in Student Affairs and Higher Education, primarily in Graduate Admissions for the Health Professions, and previously, Residence Life. Her education consists of a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources - Industrial Psychology, and a Master's degree in Management with an emphasis in Organizational Development. She has a Post-Master’s Certificate in Residential Education from the University of Missouri.
Within her role, Andrea works with recruitment and retention efforts for programs on ATSU’s three campuses in Missouri, Arizona, and California; however, her office is located in Missouri. She has served as a professional advisor to student organizations, the Admissions liaison to the Graduate Program Committee for Biomedical Sciences, and the Admissions Consultant to ATSU-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine’s faculty Pre-Screening and Admissions Committees. She is actively involved in ATSU’s medical and dental school faculty interviewer training and participates as an interviewer for medical, dental, biomedical sciences, and physician assistant programs. Andrea also works to develop outreach programs for undergrads and high school students, establishes relationships and agreements for pipeline programs, and supervises the Still Scholars Early Acceptance Program for medical and dental programs. Andrea has developed, presented, and led numerous programs and workshops at conferences, professional retreats, and seminars. Recently, she served as Chair of the Council of Osteopathic Medical Admissions Officers through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM).
She lives in Kirksville, MO, with her husband and their two Dalmatians. They have two grown sons.
Youngrok is a seventh year MD-PhD candidate at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Youngrok earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Johns Hopkins University. At Johns Hopkins, Youngrok worked with Dr. Gregg Semenza to study the role of Hypoxia Inducible Factor in triple negative breast cancer. During this time, Youngrok also worked with Dr. Jeong Kim at the Catholic University School of Medicine in Suwon, South Korea to study the role of platelet factor 4 in angiogenesis.At Georgetown University School of Medicine, Youngrok worked with Dr. Todd Waldman to study the role of Cohesin in bladder cancer. Youngrok successfully defended his doctoral thesis titled “The role of STAG2 in bladder cancer: clinical implications as a biomarker and potential mechanisms of tumorigenesis” and earned a doctoral degree in tumor biology in December 2022. Since then, Youngrok has returned to medical school to complete his medical training. Aside from his academic achievements, Youngrok has also served as a mentor for premed students wanting to pursue MD-PhD training and served as a research mentor to medical students in the past four years. Outside of work, he is an avid golfer.
Antonio Patterson is currently a second-year osteopathic medical student in the class of 2026 at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Arkansas State University campus. He started his medical studies at the age of 49 and now at 50 years old, is the oldest student in his class. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Tougaloo College in 2010 and a master’s degree in biomedical science with a clinical emphasis from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2019.
Antonio became a nationally certified medical assistant in 2019 and a limited-licensed radiologic technologist in 2020. In 2021 he earned his second master’s degree in biomedical science with a research emphasis from the New York Institute of Technology. Antonio was recently accepted into the three-year Delta Population Health Institute fellowship and is currently writing healthcare policy proposals geared towards access to mental healthcare for individuals in rural communities.
Antonio is an ordained minister and served in various pastoral capacities for 25 years including medical missions to Haiti for several years. He spent 10 years as a high school science teacher, teaching multiple classes as well as founding a non-profit teen mentoring program, The Exodus Project, for at-risk-youth. He has been married for 23 years and is the father of 2 daughters and one son. Antonio is active on Instagram and YouTube @studentdoctor_antoniopatterson.
Savanna Perry, PA-C completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia, and graduated from Augusta University’s PA Program in 2014. She has practiced exclusively in dermatology in Georgia for the past 8 years. As a new grad, she created The PA Platform, a business and website for aspiring and current PAs, which has presented opportunities for 2 published books, hosting multiple online courses and virtual conferences, and The Pre-PA Club podcast. In addition to clinical practice, Savanna is involved in education at her alma mater and enjoys family time with her husband and daughter.
Dr. Quezada is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. She is Associate Dean for Admissions and Associate Dean for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion for the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Dr. Quezada received her undergraduate degree from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, and her medical doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Maryland and Baltimore VA Medical Center. Dr. Quezada also obtained a Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition at the Institute of Human Nutrition at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health.
She is passionate about equity, inclusion, and diversity, and brings this lens to her work in academic medicine. She has worked locally, regionally, and nationally to amplify physician workforce diversity, and to impact the climate in which future and current physicians train and practice. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, a recipient of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Awardee for Distinguished Service in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and the Healio American Gastroenterological Society Disruptive Innovator Health Equity Award. She is co-Chair of the AGA Equity Project, and DEI section editor for the Gastroenterology scientific journal.
Dr. Jason Radowsky is a surgeon at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Dr. Amanda Robinson is an Osteopathic Physician who specializes in Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (ONMM). She is also an Assistant Professor in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) at Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (BUCOM). She received her Doctorate in Osteopathy from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2020 where she was granted the Anatomy/OMM Fellowship position that included earning a Master’s in Adult Science Education from Troy University within the same time frame.
While at ACOM, she was awarded ‘Best in OMM’ and the Dean’s Award. After ACOM, she went on to the Michigan State University ONMM 3-year residency. She served as Chief resident and graduated from that program in June of 2023. She has participated in Student OMM Clinic, Student Sports Medicine Clinic, and Spartan Street Medicine. Dr. Robinson has lived in many different states: Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio, Alabama, Michigan and now Tennessee. She enjoys time with her 2 huskies, a Maine coon cat, and 3 rescue kitties as well as hiking, creating art and enjoying tasty meals. Her favorite book is the Road Less Traveled by Dr. M. Scott Peck and she strives to give back to those around her taking into consideration all the elements that may surround each individual.
Details to come
Gustavo Ruiz is Deputy Director of the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine.
Dr Ryan is a primary care sports medicine physician and medical director of the MedStar Horsemen’s Health, a program designed to monitor the health of jockeys and other racetrack personnel at Maryland racetracks. A national spotlight has been fixed on their healthcare model since they designed and implemented important concussion protocols.Dr Ryan is also an assistant professor for Georgetown school of medicine and faculty member at medstar Franklin square family medicine residency program where she sees family medicine and sports medicine patients. She also is an assistant team physician for Towson University and the Baltimore orioles and co-medical director of sports medicine for the Baltimore marathon. She has a sports medicine office at Medstar Franklin Square institute seeing injuries and specifically concussions. She sometimes can be found working at MedStars urgent care centers and a mentor for their program for NPs and PAsShe is an advocate for family medicine and sports and currently serving as education committee chair as well as President Elect for the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicans.
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Tara Schumacher has over 23 years of higher education experience. She was previously a Graduate Admissions Recruiter and International Credential Evaluator at Temple University Graduate School and is now currently the Assistant Director of the Admissions at Salus University. She is the program manager of Salus University’s Occupational Therapy program and Post Baccalaureate program in Health Sciences.
Kylee Shivok grew up in Bethlehem, PA. She did the first two years of her undergraduate degree at Rutgers - New Brunswick and graduated from DeSales University in Center Valley, PA. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Throughout college, Kylee worked in various healthcare positions such as Mental Health Technician, Patient Care Technician, Medication Associate, as well as Ophthalmic Scribe and Technician. She is a second year medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Kylee is passionate about harm reduction and volunteers through JeffHOPE at Prevention Point, a needle exchange center in Kensington, Philadelphia that also provides various medical care. She is also currently involved in research in regards to the visual impacts of neurodegenerative diseases using new ophthalmic and neuroimaging technology.
"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."
It’s only fair to say that like any other surgeon, I have been in school for over a decade from an undergraduate degree in Biology to medical school. I recently completed a GeneralSurgery residency in Baltimore and currently serve as an Acute Care and Trauma Surgeon inWestern Maryland, making a meaningful impact on our community's healthcare. As I lookahead, my surgical journey continues to evolve.
Beyond the operating room, I hold a Master's in Public Health from George WashingtonUniversity, earned in 2022. This was fueled by my passion for broader public health endeavorsand a holistic approach to patient care. I'm expanding my knowledge base, pursuing a Master'sin Individualized Genomics and Precision Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, positioningmyself at the forefront of innovative healthcare practices.
But let's talk passion – mine extends far and wide. I'm deeply devoted to education and career development. I actively share my insights and experiences by providing private coachingto healthcare professionals, including surgeons, physicians, physician assistants, and nursepractitioners. I wholeheartedly believe that every individual has a unique path to becoming thebest healthcare professional they can be, acknowledging the invaluable contributions of every team member in patient care.
Today, I'm excited to share my journey and insights with you, offering a personal perspective on the diverse and fulfilling path a career in surgery can provide.
Joanne grew up in the midwest and earned her BSEd and MA in English before starting her career working with pre-health students as the Assistant Director of Admissions at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine. After serving as a retention counselor at a nursing college, she began her second masters in Leadership and Policy in Higher Education. She then spent four years as the Director of Admissions at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University before moving to the University of California, Davis where she created the Health Professions Advising department and their post-bac program. She earned her EdD in Leadership and Learning at Vanderbilt University. She has been serving pre-health students for over fifteen years.
Janet’s advising career in Ithaca, NY has involved work as a learning strategies counselor, admissions officer at a university, instructor of college success courses, college success counselor, writer of committee letters for students applying to medical school, director of pre-health advising and chief advisor at an Ivy League university that sends over 250 applicants to medical school each year. She has advised students on every aspect of the medical (naturopathic, osteopathic, allopathic) and dental admissions cycle, as well as veterinary, podiatry, physician assistant, chiropractic, and nursing. During the pandemic, she cofounded the HEAL Clinical Education Network that provides weekly free virtual shadowing as well as physician led interactive courses in clinical reasoning. In 2021 she published The Family Guide to Medical School Admissions, a guide for being a parent who is good company on the journey to medical school.
Dionne M. Soares, MPAS, PA-C is a NCCPA certified Physician Assistant who has been practicing clinically since 2001 and has 10+ years' experience in Physician Assistant education. She is a graduate of the Howard University Physician Assistant Program (2000) and holds a Master's in Physician Assistant Studies (2003) from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.Since the beginning of her career, Dionne has been passionate about working in obstetrics, gynecology, and overall women’s health. As a Physician Assistant, she engages not only patients but also students as faculty at the Howard University Physician Assistant Program. As a clinician, she is dedicated to providing compassionate care to women across the age spectrum. In her words, “I feel blessed that I am working in a field I love and am passionate about. I enjoy listening and engaging with patients as we work together to navigate and discuss options to address their medical concerns.” Ms. Soares currently serves as the Department Chair and Program Director for the Howard University Physician Assistant Program. In this capacity, she is able to play a significant role in the development of future physician assistants in their journey to clinical practice, leadership, and advocacy. In her spare time, she is a baseball mom and enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and traveling.
Tony Swicer went into EMS right after high school, became a paramedic, and eventually worked up to senior management in a large ambulance service. After 13 years in EMS, he started medical school at age 32. He attended the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Then, he completed his residency in Family Medicine through an educational consortium between the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and The Medical College of Wisconsin. He is board-certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment. Currently, he works as a hospitalist for Aspirus Health in Wisconsin and is an adjunct assistant professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin–Central Wisconsin.
During medical school and residency, he also earned a Master of Public Health degree and a Master of Science in disaster and emergency management. He has worked on large research projects to improve campus nutrition, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival, and end-of-life care in minorities. In his spare time, he has been an active contributor in the Medical School Headquarters Facebook group, helping others get into medical school since 2015.
Dr. Tan is the Director of the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program (PMP) and was the Founder and Director of the Johns Hopkins University (HSI) Program. With over 10 years of experience in pre-health advising, she serves in multiple leadership role with the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) including co-chairing 3 national or regional conferences, cochairing both the Professional Development & Leadership Committee and the Publications & Media Committee, and serving on the NAAHP LEADS Task Force.
After graduating from Whitworth University with dual degrees in Biology and Chemistry, Dorothy is now an MD candidate at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Since 2016, she has been teaching in various capacities in areas ranging from STEM to outdoor recreation and music. With diverse teaching experiences, including a year-long Fulbright English teaching fellowship in Taiwan, Dorothy enjoys customizing approaches for unique learning styles and empowering students to master the concepts they find most challenging. On her official MCAT, Dorothy scored in the 99th percentile in both the Chem/Phys and Psych/Soc sections. In her free time, you can find her trying new recipes, fiddling around at the piano, or training for her next marathon.
Dr. Warden-Jarrett graduated from Oakwood College with a B.S. in Biochemistry. She received her medical degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and she is a board certified Family Physician practicing in Bowie, Maryland. She is the clinical director for the Bowie location of Maryland Primary Care Physicians, and managing partner. She also is very involved with health policy, and is the president of the Maryland Academy of Family Physicians. She enjoys lobbying for healthcare equality.
Dr. Whitney is the director of the Special Master's Program at Georgetown University. Dr. Whitney was the director of the Regular Physiology M.S. program for 11 years prior to her leadership in the SMP. She has taught and worked with the Physios since 2008. She received her Ph.D. in Physiology from Georgetown University and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology. Her teaching focuses on physiology, specifically renal physiology. She also teaches cadaveric and non-cadaveric gross anatomy. Dr. Whitney also enjoys teaching pathophysiology, to many kinds of students all over Georgetown’s campus. Her research interests are on growth hormone-mediated sex differences in diabetic renal disease.
Dr. James Scott Wright has worked in medical education for more than 25 years. He served as the Director of Admissions at UT Southwestern Medical School, as well as an Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education at UT Dallas and Executive Director of TMDSAS.
Dawn Yargeau is Supervisor of Admissions at Wayne State University
