Mary Cate Gallagher '19
From working in an HIV clinic in South Africa to interning with a cardiac surgery unit in New Jersey to serving as a tester and counselor with AIDS Project Rhode Island, Mary Cate Gallagher ’19, who has been admitted to the Physician Assistant Program at the Yale School of Medicine, is building the skills and experience she’ll need to ensure that her future patients receive the best care.
“I want to be able to have a tangible impact on my patients' lives and for them to see that, even in a really dark time, someone’s willing to advocate for them and work in their favor,” says Gallagher.
Her professors and mentors in Bryant’s pre-health program helped Gallagher prepare for such a goal. “The direct access to professors really makes the program stand out,” she says. “For an 18-year-old, being able to form a relationship with someone who is an expert in their field is a special interaction.”
The program, says Gallagher, goes beyond teaching biology and chemistry; it exposes you to a wider world. “The professors don’t just answer your questions. They’ll help you think about what you’re doing and guide you to explore directions you may not have thought of.”
Their guidance helped her discover a new way to advocate for patients, and help them stay healthy. “In my immunology classes with Professor Kirsten Hokeness, Ph.D., we learned about the socioeconomic influences that affect medicine and disease spread,” she says. “Not just the direct treatment of illness, but the larger causes.”
Inspired, Gallagher, a member of the Honors Program, spent nearly two years on her honors thesis researching Rhode Island's policies surrounding Hepatitis C treatment, and how they can be improved. “The project was based in medicine,” she explains, “but it was mostly about how society treats medicine and people who are sick.”
"My honors thesis was one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had and I would not trade it for the world,” explains Gallagher, who notes that being able to point to the work she did for the project helped her immensely when applying to Yale.
That’s a key to success, she says: Being able to take a step back and think of the roots of a problem instead of just seeing and reacting to the symptoms. “I think the classes here have taught me that – to just take a breath and look at things from a different angle.”
Real World Experience
Internships
Department of Health Certified HIV/HCV Tester and Counselor, AIDS Project Rhode Island
• Performs anonymous and confidential HIV/Hepatitis C testing, counseling, referrals and related services
• Provides specialized harm-reduction counseling and education to serve a diverse, bilingual population
Medical Assistant, Bryant University
• Student medical assistant and electronic medical records administrator
Student Athletics Budget Manager, Bryant University Athletics
• Monitored 20 NCAA budgets for a Division I school. Focused on invoicing, expenditure reports and NCAA budget compliance
Cardiac Surgery Intern, Jersey Shore University Medical Center
• Worked directly with the cardiac surgery team in the OR as well as in the outpatient setting
Bryant Athletics
Field Hockey
• Named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad and to the MAAC All-Academic Team
Honors Program
Engaged in comprehensive analysis and discussion of topics across a wide range of courses and disciplines with a community of some of the University’s most talented and driven students and educators.
Honors Thesis: Predicting the Effects of Medicaid’s Sobriety Requirements on the Spread of Hepatitis C in Rhode Island
Research
Honors Thesis: Predicting the Effects of Medicaid’s Sobriety Requirements on the Spread of Hepatitis C in Rhode Island
Study Abroad
Cape Town, South Africa
• Worked as a researcher in an HIV Clinic
A Connected Community
Bryant's purposeful student life delivers co-curricular immersion with an inspiring, collegial community. Students forge deep connections that last a lifetime.
"Finding the people who are trying to create and spread good in the world is important to me. I want to be part of that."
By studying Spanish and business, "I am getting the most out of my education and engaging both sides of my brain.”
“No matter where you are in your career, you need to stay ahead and learn. I went to college many years ago. This program has been a great experience to refresh and stimulate different ways of thinking. It’s made me better in the way I approach my profession.”