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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.
As chief diversity and inclusion officer, David A. Acosta, MD, provides strategic vision and leadership for the AAMC’s diversity and inclusion activities across the medical education community, and leads the association’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion unit.A board-certified physician of family medicine, Dr. Acosta joined the AAMC from the University of California (UC), Davis School of Medicine where he served as senior associate dean for equity, diversity, and inclusion and associate vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer for UC Davis Health System. He previously served as the inaugural chief diversity officer at the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine, where he established a rural health fellowship program for Tacoma Family Medicine, a residency program affiliated with the UW Department of Family Medicine.
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.
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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!
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
For over 20 years, Ms. Nau has contributed to the development of outreach strategies to help identify high school, undergraduate, technical and professional students who are exploring healthcare careers. She is a skilled communication and recruitment strategist with 20+ years of experience in graduate and medical admissions & recruitment. Her experiences include building relationships with high school counselors, faculty and advisors, developing outreach strategies for graduate programs, and producing recruitment activities for audiences ranging from middle school to post-doctoral students. Mandy’s knowledge of medical education and the professions is exceeded only by her enthusiasm and drive for successful outcomes.Mandy can be reached at linkedin.com/in/mandynau
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.
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.
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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.
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.
Dr. Tan is the Director of the Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program (PMP) and was the Founder and Director of the Johns Hopkins University Post-Baccalaureate Health Science Intensive (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.
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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.
Dr. Wynes is national lecturer on Charcot neuroarthropathy, limb salvage as well as other foot and ankle disorders.
He was recently recognized as 2021 "Physician of the Year" at University of Maryland Midtown Campus and a "Top Doctor" in the specialty of Podiatry by Baltimore magazine in 2020.
Every patient is an individual, and Dr. Wynes believes in meeting patients' needs through comprehensive evaluation and treatment designed to help them achieve an active, pain-free lifestyle. Dr. Wynes provides each patient with communication and education so that he or she can make informed decisions regarding treatment.
Many conditions can be treated by nonsurgical techniques; however, in certain cases, surgery is the recommended treatment option. In his practice, Dr. Wynes combines leading-edge techniques with proven traditional methods to provide patients with the best foot and ankle care possible.
Dr. Wynes currently manages all facets of foot and ankle care for children and adults. With his additional fellowship training in foot and ankle deformity correction, he is able to provide the most up-to-date treatment options for congenital and progressive conditions.
His specialized training has equipped him with the skills to handle a vast array of issues, from the most basic bunion or hammertoe surgery to complex realignment and tendon transfers, with the utmost accuracy and precision. In addition, Dr. Wynes offers minimally invasive treatments, such as ankle arthroscopy and metatarsal lengthening.
He is program director for the University of Maryland Limb Preservation and deformity Correction Fellowship Program.
