Health Professions Profile:Biology majors Dawn Beemer and Chris Karns have made the most of their Allegheny experience while preparing for medical school.
Dawn—a psychology minor—and Chris—an economics minor— are known as fair and caring leaders as well as reliable colleagues. They have both served as Peer Leaders for neuroscience professor Lauren French and worked as resident advisors. As sophomores they spearheaded the formation of the Allegheny Pre-Health Club with several other students, shepherding it through its formal recognition as a student organization, its initial budget planning, and a very successful inaugural year of activities.
Not all of Chris and Dawn's interests coincide, however. Chris participated in an Experiential Learning Term trip to Turks and Caicos to study the biochemistry of a tropical reef. To make the most of the experience, he became SCUBA certified. Over the course of two summers, Chris used satellite imaging and GIS to study habitats for Lyme disease with an environmental science professor. And during summer 2006, he worked as an emergency room technician at Meadville Medical Center, an experience that cemented his interest in pursuing a medical career.
Dawn also participated in an EL trip, but of a very different nature. Traveling to Nicaragua, she witnessed extreme poverty and offered her time to help the people of Project Chacocente build productive lives. She also spent a summer working on a public/environmental health project testing for lead in Meadville homes and educating children about common environmental hazards. And in January 2008, she traveled with her mother, who is a nurse, to Tanzania to study HIV/AIDS and to help develop effective prevention strategies.
Chris and Dawn—who are members of the Tri Beta biology honor society—each had multiple medical school acceptances. They have decided to attend Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
