In the midst of this global pandemic, our healthcare system has taken centerstage. Every day we see healthcare heroes on the frontlines–sacrificing their own health and wellness to serve their communities, stepping up in times of need, making due with minimal resources and finding creative solutions on the daily.
For our nine soon-to-be-alumni heading into graduate healthcare programs this fall, these images are shaping their vision of who they want to become. They know there’s never been a more important time to become a healthcare provider.
We’re proud and honored to help them answer this call, and to support them in their dreams of becoming doctors, dentists, therapists, nurses, pharmacists and more. It’s why we recently launched a new MBA track in Healthcare Administration. It’s why we’re launching a new B.S. in Community and Public Health this fall. And it’s why we’ve set up partnership agreements with medical schools around the country.
We currently have articulation agreements with 11 different healthcare graduate schools across the nation, including A.T. Still University, Boston University, George Washington University, Pacific University, Samuel Merritt University, Tufts, University of Dayton and Western University. Through these agreements, our students are eligible for early admission provided they meet certain criteria and take certain classes.
These agreements range across the spectrum of healthcare, from medical to dental to pharmacy. Through A.T. Still University, for example, students can choose between osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology or dental medicine.
With Boston University and George Washington University, our students participate in their early selection programs designed to be a direct pipeline into their medical schools. Some time in their sophomore or junior year, they enter into an agreement with the university. As long as they meet all academic requirements, they are provisionally accepted into the university’s medical school upon graduation.
Four of our students are taking advantage of these programs this fall, and 19 of our graduates are currently enrolled in one of the programs.
We’re also a member of The Leadership Alliance, a consortium of 32 academic institutions dedicated to addressing the shortage of diversity in graduate schools and academia. Through the program, we’ve built partnerships with universities who want to admit our students into summer research programs. Our students have participated in programs at Harvard, Yale, Purdue and UCLA–to name just a few. This early exposure to research greatly enhances a student’s graduate school application, particularly for medical schools.
It’s no surprise that Hawai‘i ranks No. 1 in healthcare. It takes a certain kind of person to become a health provider. Someone with compassion, heart and patience–all values that go hand in hand with our island culture.
Healthcare is the perfect complement to Chaminade University’s mission. As a Marianist institution, we educate our students to embrace adaptation and change, family values and community service–core components of our healthcare system. And as a liberal arts school, we ensure our graduates have a wide breadth of knowledge and are able to think critically across a range of disciplines.
Congratulations to our future medical care providers. We thank you for your dedication and service, and we are honored to be a part of your journey.
Chaminade Students Entering Healthcare Programs This Fall
- Rachel Arakawa* – M.D., George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington D.C.
- Camille Burgos – M.D., Ponce Health Sciences University, Puerto Rico
- Theresa Dao* – D.O., A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona
- Noelle Dasalla – D.V.M., Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado
- Estelita Estay* – D.O., A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Missouri
- Jerika Gomez – Pharm.D., UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, California
- Hiʻilei Ishii-Chavez* – D.O., A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona
- Tomomi Kohno – Pharm.D, UH Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, Hawaii
- Ann-Janin Bacani – Pharm.D., UH Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, Hawaii
*denotes students who are entering their program through an articulation agreement
