Ambassador Coordinators
Addie Coody
Campus: Tulsa
Email: addie.coody@okstate.edu
Undergrad: Oklahoma State University
Hometown: Grandfield, OK
Specialty Interest: Family Med/OBGYN
Advice to Prospective Students: Don't compare yourself to classmates or anyone else's experience (past or present). Everyone has an individual path to follow. We are all a team and will one day be colleagues!
Why I chose OSU-COM: I chose OSU for many reasons, including the incredibly nurturing atmosphere found on all OSU campuses, but there is one reason that is the most influential: the 3+1 program. Through the 3+1 Program, I saved time and money by only attending undergrad for 3 years and starting med school a year earlier! My first year of med school classes counted towards my bachelor's degree, and I could walk for graduation in May following first year. Go Pokes!!
McKenna Riggs
Campus: Tulsa
Email: mckenna.riggs@okstate.edu
Undergrad: The University of Oklahoma
Hometown: Prague, OK
Specialty Interest: Anesthesiology
Advice: Medical school is what you make it! Of course, it is hard at times, but you are capable of much more than you think. Find a good friend group and lean on each other to get through the tough times. Believe in yourself and realize that you are living out your dreams!
Why I chose OSU-COM: I chose OSU because I grew up in rural Oklahoma. I know that OSU-COM focuses on training physicians to return to rural areas. I also thoroughly enjoyed every person I encountered at OSU during my application process, and I wanted to join the Cowboy family!
Rylee Dunlap
Campus: Tulsa
Email: rylee.dunlap@okstate.edu
Undergrad: Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Hometown: Stringtown, OK
Specialty Interest: Psychiatry or Pediatrics
Advice: Medical school will be the best time of your life! Enjoy every test, study sessions, group activities, the good and the bad. Never compare your progress to someone else's; there is more to life than a number in the grade book. Remember that you chose this field for a reason and were specifically picked to be a part of this program. You deserve to be there, and the world is your stage! PERFORM LIKE A ROCKSTAR!
Why I chose OSU-COM: OSU-COM is a welcoming place full of individuals that genuinely want to see you succeed. They value the uniqueness of each student and strive to push their students toward a path of greatness. I felt most accepted and at home when I first visited this school, and I couldn't have made a better choice than to come here.
Jada Lusk
Campus: Tulsa
Email: jada.lusk@okstate.edu
Undergrad: OSU-Stillwater
Hometown: Edmond, OK
Specialty Interest: Family Medicine
Fellowship Interests: Hospice/Palliative Care, Geriatrics
Advice: Remember your WHY and be proud of your best. The journey of a career in medicine can be long and grueling. The process can make you lose sight of why you pursued it in the first place. It can cause you to start treating yourself and others poorly. Don’t let it. Focus on learning. You aren’t learning to master a multiple-choice exam. You are learning to be prepared for the moment when the thing standing between a patient and a good or bad outcome is YOU. You are so much more than your last exam grade. One of my mentors, a graduate of OSU COM, told me before I started medical school to “Be a sponge. Learn as much as you can for your patients. I promise you that your best will be more than enough.”
Why I chose OSU-COM: I have known since high school that I wanted to attend OSU-COM. My primary care physician is a graduate of OSU-COM and has greatly inspired me. She embodies the type of physician that I want to be. I was fortunate enough to be able to apply for early admission through the 3+1 program and started medical school a year early. I ultimately chose OSU-COM because I want to be a service-minded primary care physician well-versed in caring for underserved and underrepresented populations. I knew I would be exposed to great primary care doctors and be taught medicine beyond signs, symptoms, and medications.
Alex Baldridge
Campus: Tulsa
Email: alex.baldridge@okstate.edu
Undergrad: University of Oklahoma
Hometown: McKinney, TX
Specialty Interest: Surgery
Advice: Take medical school one day at a time. Live in the moment, there will always be time to worry about what’s coming up next tomorrow. Get in a routine where you work hard during the week, that way, you can do fun things on the weekends. Don’t get behind in classes and be proactive in your studying. Life is way too short to stress about the small things. Find a study group to keep you on track but still be able to have fun while doing it. Remember, many people have done this before you, and they are still standing!
Why I chose OSU-COM: I chose OSU because of the people. Everyone is so willing to help in any way possible. They take you in as one of their own the minute you step on campus. I am also interested in rural health care, and their program has trained some of the best rural physicians.
Bethany Paris
Campus: Tahlequah
Email: bparis@okstate.edu
Undergrad: Oklahoma Christian University
Hometown: Edmond, Ok
Specialty Interest: Family Medicine/Internal Medicine
Advice: Always be honest - about what you do (and don't!) know, who you are, and how you're doing. It makes everything a lot easier.
Why I chose OSU-COM: I chose OSU because both the older students and the administration seemed as excited about my medical school journey as I was. Through countless hours of mentorship and advice, they've proven me right. On a non-academic level, there's nothing better than living 10 minutes from both the lake and the river.
Jeffrey Habel
Campus: Tahlequah
Email: jhabel@okstate.edu
Undergrad: Oklahoma State University
Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK
Specialty Interest: Interventional Cardiology
Advice: My biggest advice is just to enjoy every moment of med school. There are going to be your ups and downs, not every test will be perfect, and not every day/week will be easy. There will be days when you feel behind and overwhelmed, but just know that you aren't the only one feeling this way. We are all here because we belong here, and if you feel overwhelmed, your classmates are most likely feeling the same way. You are never alone throughout this journey, you have your peers, professors, mentors, and so many other resources available that are going to help you get through this. While you might be so focused on studying and getting the best grades, don't forget to make time for your loved ones, appreciate these years, and make many memories!
Why I chose OSU-COM: I chose OSU-COM because most of the doctors that mentored me were all D.O.'s that went to OSU, and therefore, I had a lot of respect and appreciation for what D.O.'s did. I also went to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater and loved everything about the cowboy family. When I'm trying to decide where I want to continue my education, it will always be somewhere that I feel valued, heard, appreciated, and supported. This is exactly what OSU-COM provides us.
Ella Schultz
Campus: Tahlequah
Email: elschul@okstate.edu
Undergrad: East Central University
Hometown: Prague, OK
Specialty Interest: Family Medicine
Advice: “The humblest tasks get beautified if loving hands do them.” - Louisa May Alcott
The day-to-day grind can be exhausting, and sometimes you might find yourself taking shortcuts. I try my best to remember that someday people will depend on me to know what I’m talking about- that helps me stay focused and be as thorough and consistent as possible, even in the little things. At the end of the day, the goal is to be a blessing to others!
Why I chose OSU-COM: I chose OSU-COM because it felt like home the first time, I stepped foot on campus. Growing up in rural Oklahoma gave me the desire to focus on rural medicine, which is a huge part of the OSUCOM mission and another reason why I chose this school.