Three students accepted into Albany Medical School's Early Assurance Pathway Program

The Honors College is proud to celebrate Michaela Kirwan, Kayleigh Ross, and Kiera Whitely on their acceptances to Albany Medical College's (AMC) Early Assurance Pathway Program (EAPP).  
 

Michaela Kirwan

Michaela Kirwan is a biology major and member of the Honors College. She grew up in Cornwall. Michaela had previously worked as a scribe in Ellis Hospital’s emergency department until she recently trained as a patient care assistant (PCA) at Albany Medical Center – just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic. She remained in Albany and started as a PCA in a surgical unit and worked consistently throughout the most intense COVID period. Though the experience was challenging, it was also meaningful. “There was learning and re-learning and mastering new skills almost every day. It was intense, but very rewarding,” Kirwan said.
 

Kayleigh Ross

Kayleigh Ross is an Honors College student from New City, studying art history with a biology minor. Ross, a Native American, believes that she will bring unique and deep visual analytical skills to the bedsides of her future patients. She says that through her major she has developed a keen sense of observation. “The skills that I’ve acquired in analyzing art can be applied to understanding patients--they will help me understand not only superficially what patients say, but also listen deeper for what they actually mean,” Ross said. She participated in the New Visions program in high school and has had several clinical experiences including working in the local youth ambulance squad in her hometown.
 

Kiera Whitely

Kiera Whitely grew up in Brooklyn and is a biology major. She is a first-generation college, Afro-Caribbean student who “hopes to bring authentic cultural diversity and broaden the way her classmates might consider different aspects of the lives of their patients.” Whitely’s extracurricular activities are extensive and include clinical experience at New York Presbyterian's Brooklyn campus as well as work-study activities in the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement. At the latter, she helps with voter registration, works with the NAACP, and is involved in a special effort to help create a mental health clinic in inner-city Albany.

The partnership between the University at Albany and AMC provides a pathway for students from diverse populations pursue careers in the medical field with the goal of mitigating disparities in healthcare. Learn more about the program and the other UAlbany students who were accepted in this record year.