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Fredonia extends UB medical school connection; 8 grads entering health professional schools

For the first time, a graduate of the State University at Fredonia will be enrolled in four consecutive classes at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo.

In total, eight SUNY Fredonia graduates have been accepted and began attending health professional schools this summer or fall.

Laurel Finson of Lakewood, a 2020 SUNY Fredonia graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biology and minors in chemistry and public health, is continuing the pipeline to the UB medical school. Her predecessors include Lily Dixon and Kevin Nickerson (second year), Mam Deng (third year) and Rebecca Hartling (fourth year).

Six Fredonia alumni are matriculating to medical, optometry and veterinary schools and another two are enrolling in physician assistant programs, according to Ted Lee, SUNY Fredonia Department of Biology professor who chairs Fredonia’s Health Professions Advising Committee.

Two 2018 graduates are among Fredonia’s newest medical school enrollees. Travis Briggs of Oneonta will attend St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. He is Fredonia’s first student to attend a Caribbean medical school in recent years. Ryan Ruia of Forestville, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in molecular genetics and minors in chemistry and psychology, will attend SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.

“It was a modest year for acceptances, although we will have a Fredonia graduate in each of the (last) four classes at the Jacobs School of Medicine at UB for the first time,” Dr. Lee noted.

Marina Kessler of Fredonia, a 2020 SUNY Fredonia graduate with a bachelor’s degree in molecular genetics, will attend The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Carter Windoft of Lakewood, a 2019 SUNY Fredonia graduate with a bachelor’s degree molecular genetics and a minor in chemistry, will attend The Ohio State University College of Optometry.

Connor Dolce of Brocton, a 2018 SUNY Fredonia graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry, will attend the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine.

The Physician Assistant Studies program at Mercyhurst University, Erie, Pa., is the destination of Maddison Heslink of Ashville, a 2020 SUNY Fredonia graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry, and Rachel Orth of Fairport.

Lee said the Health Professions Advising Committee awarded two Kaplan MCAT prep course scholarships this past year; one was provided by Kaplan, the other was funded by the Health Professional School Preparation Scholarship Fund at the Fredonia College Foundation. The recipients were Brad Brown and Elizabeth Hahn. The Kaplan MCAT prep course retails for $2,499.

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