Welcome to the Loyola College Biology Alumni page! Currently featured is a series of Q&A sessions with alumni in which they discuss their Loyola experience as well as their post-graduation endevors. Question & Answer Sessions
An Interview with Joseph Di Chiara, 2001 Q: When did you graduate from Loyola? A: May 2001 Q: What are you doing today? A: Cardiology research at Sinai Hospital and starting medical school at PCOM in the Fall. Q: How did Loyola/Biology prepare you for where you are today? A: Loyola’s biology department provided me with a very strong foundation in the basic sciences and my time in the research department helped me secure my current job. Q: What is your fondest memory from your time at Loyola?
A: The great professors and friends I built relationships with.
Q: Finish this sentence, at Loyola, I’ll never forget……..? A: Having to raise a Madagascar hissing cockroach in my dorm room.
Q: Finish this sentence, if you had the chance to do your undergraduate days all over again, I…………? A: Would change nothing. I met some of my best friends and gained an irreplaceable education. The school as a whole provides students with a very well-rounded education and great opportunities seem to come to Loyola graduates.
Q: What advice would you give current and/or prospective students considering Loyola and/or Biology? A: I would advise prospective students to meet with current Loyola students or alumni and speak with professors from different departments to witness the camaraderie, helpfulness and all-around pleasant atmosphere of the college. Once attending the college I would recommend students to work their hardest, have fun, and stick with the challenge. The Biology department is very challenging but it truly prepares you for the road ahead. Q: Would you please give a brief narrative of your career goals when coming to Loyola, the journey you have been on to achieve those goals or new ones, and what your aspirations are in the next 5-7 years.
A: When starting at Loyola, my career goal was to become a doctor. Although I knew the curriculum would be a challenge, I underestimated the amount of work involved and started somewhat shaky. I began shadowing an Anesthesiologist from St. Joseph’s Medical Center, observing his day-to-day tasks and witnessing many surgical operations. He gave me great advice regarding college and informed me how competitive admittance to medical school has become. I quickly realized that to become a doctor I would need to improve myself as a student. I began working much harder and substantially improved my grades. However, my first medical school application was rejected. Despite my disappointment, I obtained a job at Sinai Hospital doing cardiology research with a worldwide famous cardiologist. During this job I have gained essential experience required for medical school. I have spent countless hours working side-by-side with doctors, residents, patients and nurses, and have gained first-hand experience in the hospital. Everyday I work with the people that I have longed to follow after. During this time I have gained acceptance into medical school, which I attribute to this great work experience. I deeply believe that the fundamentals I learned at Loyola gave me a great advantage at my current job, and performing well with this job helped me gain admission to medical school. During the next 5-7 years I will complete medical school and some of my residency training, and will be on the path to reaching my ultimate goal. 
(Back to top)
An Interview with Abby Tubman, 2006 Q: When did you graduate from Loyola? A: May 20th, 2006 Q: What are you doing today? A: Malaria research at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Q: How did Loyola/Biology prepare you for where you are today? A: The Loyola Biology department gave me the opportunity to explore my interest in research through independent study under the guidance and supervision of a faculty member. My experience doing mosquito research with Dr. Rivers helped to get my foot in the door at NIH. It set me aside from other competitive candidates. Q: What is your fondest memory from your time at Loyola? A: I have countless fond Loyola memories, but one of my favorites is playing snow football until 4 a.m. in Seton Court with high hopes that classes would be cancelled that day…and they were!
Q: Finish this sentence, at Loyola, I’ll never forget……..? A: ...when we had a whole week off from school during freshman year due to a blizzard that hit Baltimore and left us snowed in. Fun times! Q: Finish this sentence, if you had the chance to do your undergraduate days all over again, I…………? A: ...would change nothing! Q: What advice would you give current and/or prospective students considering Loyola and/or Biology? A: I would say just visit once and you’ll fall in love with the place. Ask any Loyola student about their experience and you’ll see why Loyola provides the ideal setting for a well-rounded, liberal arts education. As for those considering Biology, take a few courses and see how you feel. It never hurts to try. If your passion and determination is strong enough, you will succeed. Majoring in Biology at Loyola is a challenge, but by no means is it impossible. The professors are more than willing to help you succeed, so take full advantage. And forming a support/study group with other Biology majors doesn’t hurt either! Q: Would you please give a brief narrative of your career goals when coming to Loyola, the journey you have been on to achieve those goals or new ones, and what your aspirations are in the next 5-7 years. A: Coming to Loyola, my goal was to earn a degree in Biology and prepare for a medical education. It was a challenge, but I accomplished that and left with even more. I will be matriculating into medical school this fall with the ultimate goal of becoming a medical doctor who serves disadvantaged communities.
(Back to top)
An Interview with Bridget Keenan, 2006 Q: When did you graduate from Loyola? A: 2006
Q: What are you doing today? A: I am currently a post-baccalaureate research fellow at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. My lab is part of the Genetics Branch of the National Cancer Institute and studies the molecular mechanisms associated with leukemia. Q: How did Loyola/Biology prepare you for where you are today? A: Undergraduate research at Loyola helped me to prepare for research at the NCI – I learned new lab techniques as well as how to write a scientific paper. I think that the combination of being a Bio Major with a Chem Minor prepared me for work in a lab and becoming a MD-PhD. I think that going to a smaller college like Loyola, where the professors and students are so close and friendly, was also a great benefit. Q: What is your fondest memory from your time at Loyola? A: I don’t have one specific memory but in general, my fondest memories involve the amazing friends I made while at Loyola. Q: Finish this sentence, at Loyola, I’ll never forget……..?
A: ...my study abroad experience in Newcastle, England – I’ll never forget all of my travel experiences or people I met while living there.
Q: Finish this sentence, if you had the chance to do your undergraduate days all over again, I…………? A: ...wouldn’t change much about my years at Loyola. I may have gotten involved in undergraduate research earlier than I did and then maybe I would have realized sooner that I wanted to pursue a MD-PhD in comparison to a MD only. I also would have been less hesitant to apply for research grants and scholarships and been more confident in my own abilities in science.
Q: What advice would you give current and/or prospective students considering Loyola and/or Biology? A: I would tell them to do several things while at Loyola. One would be to study abroad – it is such a fun, educational experience as well as looking great for grad/med school. Another thing that will help prepare you for a future career (in anything) is volunteer work – I recommend volunteering in the community right outside Loyola in addition to doing something clinical. Also take advantage of all the opportunities Loyola has for peer tutoring as well as mentoring and advice from professors and older students.
Q: Would you please give a brief narrative of your career goals when coming to Loyola, the journey you have been on to achieve those goals or new ones, and what your aspirations are in the next 5-7 years. A: When I started at Loyola, I knew I was going to be a bio major and pre-med. I first considered doing research as a summer job and not as a future career, because after doing it, I still wanted to be a doctor. But after being a summer student in a lab at University of Maryland School of Medicine three years in a row and doing research at Loyola during my senior year, I began to appreciate it and realized that I could make this part of my future career and without having to give up my interest in becoming a MD. I decided to apply to MD-PhD programs and because of this major change in my career goals and the extra effort it would take, I decided to take a year off between college and med school. I am now doing research at the NCI and this year off was definitely a good decision – I am learning new skills in the lab as well as confirming that I want to become a physician scientist. I find this career choice so appealing because my work as a scientist will advance the knowledge about disease (such as cancer) for the patients I will see as a physician. I will be attending Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the fall for my MD-PhD degree and after med school, I am planning on spending my life working in academic medicine, probably specializing in oncology and researching cancer.
(Back to top)
An Interview with Mike Abt, 2006 Q: When did you graduate from Loyola? A: 2006.
Q: What are you doing today? A: I'm going to UPenn for my doctorate in Immunology. Q: How did Loyola/Biology prepare you for where you are today? A: Besides providing a solid foundation in Biology, the best aspect of the Loyola Biology Department is the accessibility of the faculty. This gives you a chance to learn by interacting, not just by listening to lectures. Q: What is your fondest memory from your time at Loyola?
A: To single out one memory is impossible. It’s the collection of memories of the friends you make and the activities you do together that together formed a great Loyola experience. Q: Finish this sentence, at Loyola, I’ll never forget……..? A: The people I met and the friends I made. Q: Finish this sentence, if you had the chance to do your undergraduate days all over again, I…………?
Q: What advice would you give current and/or prospective students considering Loyola and/or Biology? A: Loyola gives you the opportunity to explore a potential career in Biology while still giving you the flexibility to experience other academic disciplines. So if you have been interested by some field in Biology but are still uncertain in exactly what you want to do in life, consider a Loyola education.
Q: Would you please give a brief narrative of your career goals when coming to Loyola, the journey you have been on to achieve those goals or new ones, and what your aspirations are in the next 5-7 years. A: When I came to Loyola I wasn't sure what path I would take in my career. I took courses in preparation for a career in medicine but by the end of my junior year I had decided to go to graduate school for a Ph'D instead of a M.D. Right now, I'm working for my Ph'D in Immunology. I expect this endeavor itself to take about five years. Beyond this I hope to establish a lab in whatever field I find most interesting.
(Back to top)
| 
Undergraduate Admission
Graduate Admission
Undergraduate Financial Aid
Graduate Financial Aid
Driving Directions
