Alumni Spotlight

James Bradt came to the University of Portland from the rural town of Pendleton, OR.  While James loved the rodeo, he put his bull riding drams on hold and came to UP wanting to pursue a wonderful branch of health professions- Optometry.   James had already gotten some experience volunteering in an optometry clinic prior to starting at UP, but upon arrival on the bluff, he got jumped right into more clinical volunteering and solidified his experience and desire to pursue Optometry.  Fun fact- He applied to Optometry school his senior year while he was also taking his capstone Biology of Exercise class.  For part of his class project, James committed to run his first ½ marathon and collected physiological data along the way.  Like all things James puts his mind to, he successfully completed (rocked) the ½ marathon and also solidified a spot at Midwestern University in Arizona.  James is a hardworking, kind, wonderful human and will make a great optometrist in the near future!

1.  Give a short description of your application process / tips for upcoming applicants.

I would say the biggest thing in the application process is to get started early and stay on top of deadlines. Getting resumes and letters of rec together before the deadlines even open is always a good idea so that you can get your application together and submitted early while there are still lots of spots to be filled in the program. For me, I took my OAT and gathered my materials about a month and a half before the OptomCAS application even opened so that even if I wanted to retake it, I could be submitting my initial applications early on in the process.

2.  How did your time at UP help you with your career choice, application, etc.? (involvement, academics, research, advising, etc.)

UP was great because it provides so many opportunities to get involved in medical fields and especially volunteer opportunities. The health professions email updates are really helpful to stay up to date on opportunities to take advantage of both on and off campus. Overall, staying on top of deadlines and being ahead of the game in that respect is really important but I think getting first-hand experience can really set you apart in the interviews. Because if you’ve been invited for an interview they obviously think you’re smart enough and qualified, so showing you have experience and knowledge in the field can go a long ways.

3.  What are your favorite memories of UP / any highlights?

Some of my favorite memories at UP are getting to know so many great people from the classmates to the professors and staff. Definitely made some life-long friends in my years here.

4.  What general advice would you give aspiring pre-health types?

I was fortunate enough to work in an optometrist’s office on breaks from high school all the way through my time at UP. While working there I gained experience in all the different departments in the office from insurance and billing to the everyday tasks of the optometrist. I would say that gaining that first-hand experience was huge for me, not only because it looks good on a resume but it was really valuable in the interview process to talk about all sorts of actual experiences and knowledge that I’ve gained working in all of the departments.