Pre-med student explores field with scholarship help

To see how scholarships enhance students' education at OSU, look no further than pre-med student and Presidential Scholar Ryan Haran.

From his first term on campus, Haran has immersed himself in extracurricular activities reflecting his interest in medicine. This summer he worked with a gastroenterologist at the Corvallis Clinic. And as he begins his senior year this fall, majoring in Exercise and Sport Science, he also has amassed experiences including assisting low-income clients at a free health clinic, shadowing physicians in Ecuador, working one-on-one with a young adult with special needs, and conducting biochemical research.

"The time adds up but that's where scholarships come into play," he says. "If I had to be working other jobs, I wouldn't be able to do this much."

This fall Haran will continue volunteering each Wednesday at Community Outreach, a Corvallis nonprofit that provides basic health care services to homeless people and others below the poverty line. He helps to admit clients and shadows the program's physicians. A Spanish minor who spent 10 weeks in a medical internship in Ecuador, he says one of the extra benefits of the clinic experience is that he uses his Spanish every night, keeping it fresh.

On Friday nights Haran volunteers with the IMPACT program, in which OSU students team up with children, youth, and young adults with special needs to promote physical activity. "I had never done this kind of thing before, so this has been a great experience for me. I really enjoy it," Haran says.

All these activities are preparing Haran to provide care to a wide variety of people when he becomes a physician — and that's exactly what medical schools are looking for, says OSU's Pre-Health Advisor Chere Pereira. While excellent grades and test scores are expected, "med schools want students who have made an effort to get out of their comfort zone and have interacted with people different from themselves," she says. "Ryan is a great example of the incredible students we get here. It's astonishing what they are able to accomplish in a short amount of time."

Haran grew up near Medford, wanted to stay in-state, and knew OSU has a strong pre-med program. Receiving a Presidential Scholarship, one of the university's most prestigious undergraduate awards, "sealed the deal," he says.

Pereira notes that while scholarships like Haran's are based on achievement rather than income, it doesn't mean that these recipients don't need or appreciate the financial assistance. "Most people don't know that just applying for medical school takes thousands of dollars," she says. "Anything that helps reduce student debt on this end really does make a difference."

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