Alumni Spotlight

Jessica Osborn took a bit of an untraditional and winding path to medicine. She started medical school 4 years after she finished her undergraduate education (UP class of ’16) and is thankful she took the time to be sure medicine was the right career path. Her interest in a career in science began in a virology lab at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) where she worked during the summers while she was in high school; work that she continued throughout college.  As a result, early on in college, she thought that she would pursue a PhD due to her interest and experience in research. However, after taking physiology at UP, she became increasingly interested in medicine and thought that she may want to pursue an MD/PhD to combine her interest in medicine and research. Volunteering in a hospital during her senior year of college further confirmed this interest in medicine. Following graduation, she took a job at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City in a virology lab working for a principal investigator who had an MD/PhD, hoping that this experience would confirm her pursuit of an MD/PhD. Concurrently, she started coaching rowing at a non-profit rowing organization that provides a free rowing program to kids living in underserved areas of New York City. Much to her surprise, it was her coaching experience that made her realize that she wanted to pursue an MD or DO.  She enjoyed the longitudinal relationships she created with the athletes and realized that she wanted a career with a similar focus. As a result, this realization drew her toward her pursuit of primary care medicine. After 2 years in New York, she moved back to her hometown of Seattle to study for the MCAT and work on medical school applications. In doing so, she took a position as a research scientist at the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWMC) in the Microbiology department. At UWMC, she worked as a research scientist and eventually became lab manager. While working, she took the MCAT, applied to medical school and was lucky enough to be accepted into OHSU’s class of 2023 in April of 2019. Coincidentally, her journey to medicine has come full circle back to OHSU where her passion for a career in science began. 

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

I applied to about 17 schools total (MD and DO), the majority of which were on the west coast. I decided to apply to DO programs in addition to MD programs because I thought DO schools would be a good fit for me due to their emphasis on primary care medicine. I received 8 interviews, 5 DO and 3 MD. I went to 6 out of these 8 interviews, was accepted to 4 out of the 6 programs, waitlisted at 1 and denied by 1. If I were to give some tips to upcoming applicants they would be the following: First, dig deep and be honest with yourself for your essays and secondaries. It is very easy to get caught up in what you think the admissions committee will want to read. If you write about experiences that have made an impact on how you see yourself, the world or medicine, no matter how big or small, that is what they would prefer to hear. Second, before interviewing, find someone to look over your application and identify your weak points that you may not realize exist. Many schools will pinpoint these areas during an interview to try to throw you off. Lastly, don’t share your personal statement with too many people. Choose a few trusted people to revise your essay. Too many opinions will change the voice of your essay and it is extremely important to maintain your voice and personality in your personal statement. 

2. How did your time at UP help you with your career choice, application, etc.? 

Academically, I am so thankful for all of the incredibly dedicated professors I had during my time at UP. It has become especially apparent in these first few weeks of medical school that UP has prepared me very well for medical school (even with starting school 4 years after graduating from undergrad). My experience being a teaching assistant for general chemistry and tutoring for Spanish and anatomy at UP further helped me realize that I want a career that involves serving others. Studying abroad in Granada, Spain not only improved my Spanish proficiency, but also seeded my interest in global medicine and incorporating my passion for Spanish into my future career in medicine. 

Finally, I could not be more thankful to have rowing as a part of my life during my 3 years at UP. Not only does being a part of a rowing team get you out of bed and active bright and early in the morning, but it teaches you resilience, dedication and camaraderie like I could have never imagined. All of these skills have helped me in just the first few weeks of medical school already. Additionally, this experience with collegiate athletics at UP has sparked my interest in exploring sports medicine. 

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

I loved studying abroad in Spain, being a part of the rowing team and dance of the decades! 

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

I would highly suggest being involved in things you are genuinely interested in throughout college, not just because something seems relevant to medical school (i.e. just doing research, scribing or shadowing). Even unconventional experiences can inform and inspire your direction in medicine in the most surprising ways. Some of my favorite topics to talk about in interviews were my interest in Spanish from studying abroad in Spain and double majoring in Spanish (I eventually want to incorporate this into practicing medicine). I even ended up writing my personal statement about being a rowing coach for a non-profit rowing program in New York City. Lastly, I would highly recommend waiting a few years before applying to medical school. I cannot express how thankful I am to have professional experience outside of school. I am incredibly grateful for all of the people I met and the experiences I had in the 4 years between my undergraduate education and medical school. I personally believe these experiences living in new cities, being pushed out of my comfort zone and interacting with individuals of a multitude of backgrounds will make me a better physician in the end.