Spring is always an exciting and bittersweet time for the OHSU community. This June, hundreds of students will walk across the stage, taking hold of a well-deserved diploma and taking oath to practice medicine and research with ethical verve and compassion. Three graduates from the School of Medicine reflect on their time spent at OHSU, sharing memories, insights and their hopes for the adventures that lie ahead.

Why did you choose OHSU?

Bailey Pope, M.D.: OHSU has been committed to getting students into the clinic early… I didn’t realize how important the early clinical time would be, but I found that I was able to be more focused on lectures and learning because I had seen patients that had the diseases and conditions we were talking about in class.  It not only made me a better clinician, it also made me want to learn more for my patients in the future.

Kyle Ambert, Ph. D.: Growing up in Oregon, OHSU always loomed in the background. I always thought of it as a sort of “intellectual Mount Olympus.” I wanted to be a part of it, even as a kid.

What surprised you most about your time at OHSU?

Brian Garvey, M.D.: I was surprised by how much I love rural medicine! [The] mentorship and teaching from my preceptors in John Day, OR, was some of the best I received during all four years of medical school. It not only cemented my commitment to family medicine as a discipline, but also opened my eyes to the important role OHSU plays in addressing primary care shortages in rural areas by providing these opportunities.

Where are you headed next?

Brian: I will be staying at OHSU for combined Family Medicine/Preventative Medicine Program. I’m thrilled.

Bailey: I will be staying at OHSU for an Internal Medicine Residency.

Kyle: I’ve joined Intel Labs, as a Research Scientist, where I’m looking at new applications of distributed computing to computational biology. I’m particularly interested in taking what I’ve learned about using artificial intelligence in neuroscience, and extending it to the distributed systems world, to develop better tools for understanding the brain.”

What will you take with you from your time at OHSU?

Bailey: [Fond] memories stem from all of the amazing friends I have made while in medical school.  It is a special friendship that you have with your classmates.

Brian: One of the things that I am most excited about in the coming years of residency is the opportunity to mentor and teach future OHSU medical students. Hopefully our shared experiences will be cause for some humor after long days on the wards.

Kyle: I’ve benefitted from some outstanding teachers and mentors at OHSU. I hope to be able to be the sort of educator for others, in my career, as they have been for me.

Hear from more OHSU students on the Student Speak blog. Then, click here to learn about undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.