Articulation Agreements

Healthcare Heroes

April 30, 2020 by University Communications & Marketing

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

From Scraping By to Attending Med School, Hyo Park Makes it Happen

March 16, 2018 by University Communications & Marketing

As a high school student in Pennsylvania, Hyo Park dreamed of going to college.

But come graduation day, he found himself stuck.

While his friends went off to seek four-year degrees, Park took several part-time jobs to make ends meet — at a deli and a bank, in retail and telemarketing.

When times were really tough, he’d donate plasma twice a week for $50.

“I dreamed of a college education,” Park said. “It was luxury I couldn’t afford.”

That didn’t stop him from keeping hold of that goal. And before long, despite his mother’s reservations, he joined the Navy so that he could eventually seek financial assistance to get a college degree.

In uniform, Park excelled.

He became a ballistic missile defense computer technician, serving aboard the USS Lake Erie stationed in Pearl Harbor. He was deployed to China, Japan and Korea.

And he was recognized by the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet for his role in helping to develop the nation’s ballistic missile defense capabilities.

Things were going well, but Park never forgot his bigger dream.

In his spare time, he took online college courses at Chaminade. And it was through those classes that he realized the school that offered him the “right fit” had been in front of him all along.

He chose to enroll in Chaminade full-time, and after taking a particularly inspiring organic chemistry course with Professor Bulent Terem — “It was the first class that challenged me to think critically and stimulated my curiosity,” Park says — declared biochemistry as his major.

Hyo & friends celebrate Professor Terem’s birthday

Park remembers those early days at Chaminade with no small amount of fondness — he was finally where he belonged.

But he also cringes a little when he recalls how socially awkward — his words — he was, having taken up a host of habits in the military that just didn’t translate well in the real world. (Turns out, people don’t stand at attention in front of their professors’ desks.)

Eventually, though, Park loosened up, got used to civilian life again, made friends. He gained some valuable mentors, too. Professors like Terem who, Park said, live to make learning engaging, and whose passions in their fields are absolutely infectious.

In hopes of giving back to Terem, Park even volunteered to serve as his lab assistant.

“Although I initially started with the intention of helping Dr. Terem,” he said, “I realized that I was able to develop my leadership and communication skills because of these experiences.”

And Park just kept building on those skills — and looking for more opportunities to grow.

Hyo with fellow students at UCLA summer program

He spent a summer helping underserved populations through a UCLA School of Medicine program. He got a grant from Chaminade to attend a conference, where he met with members of the admissions committees from medical schools around the country. And he spent a summer studying zebrafish embryo at the University of Maryland, and then received a Chaminade travel grant to present his award-winning research at a conference.

In short, Park has accomplished some incredible things at Chaminade — thanks in large part, he says, to the connections and mentorships and support he’s gotten at the university.

But perhaps the most noteworthy part of Park’s journey at Chaminade isn’t his many successes, it’s his growing commitment to helping those around him.

“While at Chaminade,” he said, “I learned the importance of dedicating myself to something greater than my personal ambitions — through service.”

And that’s why, after Park graduates in May, he’ll be headed off to the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, where he scored a seat after applying through Chaminade’s articulation agreement.

At George Washington, he said, Park wants to learn — and serve. He plans to volunteer at the university’s “healing clinic,” serving low-income populations who don’t have affordable access to health care.

Chaminade University’s undergraduate Biochemistry program within the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics employs a multidisciplinary approach in exploring issues such as policy and law, science, economics, ethics and values. It prepares students for medical school, other health professions, graduate school and careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, science policy, nongovernmental organizations and academia.

The Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research (OHPAUR) assists students interested in healthcare careers, regardless of their major. Services include: advising, test preparation, summer programs, guest speaker presentations, professional seminars, community service activities and internship/shadowing opportunities. OHPAUR also maintains articulation agreements with four ATSU campuses, as well as Boston University School of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Pacific University, Samuel Merritt University, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, University of Dayton and Western University School of Health Sciences.

Vidinha and Baldauf First Alumni to Graduate from Medical Schools Through Articulation Agreement

June 15, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Chauntelle (Maduli) Vidinha and Ashley Baldauf recently became the first Chaminade University alumni to graduate from medical school through an articulation agreement with A.T. Still University (ATSU). These women, both born on Oahu, studied osteopathic medicine and plan to practice in Hawaii after completing their residencies.

The articulation agreement, negotiated by Chaminade’s Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research (OHPAUR), permits early admission to ATSU for qualified students. Chaminade also maintains articulation agreements with seven other mainland universities.

Chaminade President Bernard Ploeger, SM., said Vidinha and Baldauf are “a source of pride for our campus ‘ohana.”

“I’m delighted that these compassionate, hardworking young women will share their medical talents with Hawaii residents, especially those living in underserved communities,” Bro. Ploeger said.

Vidinha, who enrolled at ATSU’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri, graduated from Chaminade in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. She competed on the Silversword volleyball team for three years, and participated in biomedical research programs at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas and the University of California, San Diego.

Ashley Baldauf (B.S. Forensic Science ’12) with family

Vidinha will complete her residency in family medicine at Kingman Regional Medical Center in Arizona.

Baldauf majored in Forensic Sciences and minored in Chemistry at Chaminade, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2012. She began her medical studies in 2013 at ATSU’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Arizona, then was allowed to spend the following three years studying and working at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center on Oahu.

Baldauf will serve her residency in family medicine through a University of Hawaii program in Mililani.

In addition to two ATSU school campuses, Chaminade maintains articulation agreements with Boston University School of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Pacific University, Samuel Merritt University, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, University of Dayton and Western University School of Health Sciences.

Time Management is Key, Undergraduate Says, to Balancing Pre-Med Studies, Soccer and Social Life

June 8, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Incoming senior Megan McClanahan is one of Chaminade University’s “super achievers.” Along with excelling in her pre-medical studies, she competes on the Silversword women’s soccer team, immerses herself in campus issues through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and still has time for social activities.

Megan McClanahan and Silversword soccer teammates — Silversword Women’s Soccer Team

How does she strike a balance among these diverse interests? McClanahan says time management enables her to “not only balance soccer and academics, but to also enjoy a social life.”

“Soccer practice helps me fire up my brain early in the morning so I can perform better in morning classes,” she says. “I usually do homework in the afternoons and evenings. I am a big believer in study groups, and I have found a great group of friends to study with. The last thing I do to balance my life is to get enough sleep. I shoot for at least eight hours a night.”

That formula obviously works for McClanahan, who plans to earn her undergraduate biology degree next year from the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Then this future surgeon will enroll at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences through an articulation agreement negotiated by Chaminade.

“I have known for a very long time I want to be a doctor,” McClanahan says. “During my freshman year, I became aware of the articulation agreement Chaminade has with George Washington. My sophomore year I did more research about GW and viewed it as the next place I want to stop on my journey through life.”

With guidance from Chaminade’s Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research, McClanahan was accepted for an interview at George Washington “and fell in love with the Washington, D.C., area and the campus while I was there.”

“As a part of the agreement, I am finishing my time at Chaminade pursuing a humanities minor of Hawaiian and Pacific Island Studies,” McClanahan says. “I am grateful for the opportunities presented to me at Chaminade, and I am eager to begin my next steps to becoming a doctor.”

McClanahan, who hails from the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska, was initially attracted to Chaminade as a high school junior when she participated in a National History Day contest. On the last day of the competition in the nation’s capital, McClanahan won a Chaminade merit scholarship. Then she discovered the Silversword soccer team.

“I spent the next year trying to find a way to get the coaches and athletic department at Chaminade to notice me,” McClanahan says. “Once I was able to fulfill my lifelong dream of playing college soccer, I had a decision to make.

“Should I be fearless and decide to spend the next four years in Hawaii, a place I have never been? Or should I play it safe and stay closer to home? Needless to say, I took a leap of faith and have never looked back with regret.”

Chaminade’s undergraduate Biology program prepares students for medical school, other health professions, graduate school and careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, science policy, nongovernmental organizations and academia. For information on articulation agreements allowing early admission to health profession programs at numerous colleges and universities, visit https://chaminade.edu/undergrad-research/health-professions-advising/.

Missouri Trip to ATSU Inspires Medical School Dreams

April 12, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade and ATSU students, faculty, and staff Chaminade University students Vanessa Ignacio, Dexter Manglicmot and Adam Perez have set their eyes on becoming medical doctors. So, when offered the opportunity by the Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research (OHPAUR) to tour the world’s oldest college of osteopathic medicine, they enthusiastically went for it.

Accompanied by OHPAUR advisor Amber Caracol Noguchi, Ph.D., the students made the 4,000-mile trek March 22-26 to A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM) in Missouri. Known for its rigorous studies to engage biomedical research and its cutting edge healthcare delivery program, ATSU/KCOM has a legacy that stretches back to 1892 when Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., D. O, founded the American School of Osteopathy in Kirksville, Missouri.

KCOM staff and faculty generously gave of their time and energy to the Chaminade students, and the Chaminade students appreciated it. “This trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the amount of accommodation we received from the staff showed how much they care for individuals,” said Ignacio. “I was able to speak one-on-one with an admissions counselor and really go over the details concerning my application to the school.”

A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine simulation lab The students received overviews and demonstrations in a myriad of laboratories, including osteopathic skills, anatomy, ultrasound, and simulation skills laboratories throughout the campus. ATSU KCOM student ambassador and Chaminade alum Ryan Santos ’13 (BS Biology) helped answer the students’ questions and showed them around campus.

Manglicmot’s interest was piqued by the demonstration of the manipulations of osteopathic medicine. “I did a little research and learned that manipulation is a modern diagnostic test of illness and injury called osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). This hands-on care involves stretching, pressure, and resistance of the muscles and joints, a holistic healthcare approach that considers a patient’s medical history, lifestyle, emotional, and mental health. Ultimately, it acknowledges the mind, body, and spirit of the patient,” Manglicmot explained with fascination.

A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine cadaver lab For Perez, it was the anatomy lab. “It was beautiful to see their anatomy lab and see how the school goes through great measures to accommodate for the cadavers. It says a lot when you take care of people like that, even if they are dead…It was probably one of the best anatomy labs with the ventilation system and their practice of trying not to use too many chemicals,” he said.

The trip opened the eyes of the Chaminade students to the possibilities and the challenges of medical school and provided wisdom for accomplishing their goals. All three students thought of KCOM as somewhere they would like to attend for medical school. “After this visit, I can firmly say that A.T. Still University–Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine is my first choice for medical school,” Ignacio said.

ATSU Offers Chaminade Students Guidance for Med School Applications

February 13, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Lori Haxton, Dr. Jeffrey Morgan, and Dr. Dave Koenecke speaking with Chaminade students — Lori Haxton, Dr. Jeffrey Morgan, and Dr. Dave Koenecke conduct a professional development workshop

To help students achieve their academic and career goals, Chaminade University’s Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research coordinated professional development workshops conducted by officials from A.T. Still University (ATSU).

Under formal articulation agreements, Chaminade students gain early admission to health profession programs at ATSU campuses in Arizona and Missouri with degrees in osteopathic medicine, dentistry, audiology, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

The Jan. 31 workshops focused on what the ATSU admissions committee looks for in applicants and how to communicate effectively during the interview process. ATSU administrators also led an informational session on Feb. 1 to give students an overview of educational opportunities.

For Adam Perez, a Biochemistry major graduating in Spring 2019, the biggest takeaway from the admissions workshop was that ATSU looks at all aspects of applicants. This means it’s important “to truly understand who you are” when applying for medical school.

Melissa Ponce, a Biochemistry major graduating in Spring 2018, credits the interviewing skills workshop with helping her “see my unconscious quirks.”

Dr. Dave Koenecke conducting a mock interview with a Chaminade student — Dr. Dave Koenecke (ATSU, Assistant VP of Admissions) conducting a mock interview

“I realized through this workshop that all the questions the interviewer asked were all questions that I had the answers to,” Ponce says. “It’s all a matter of being genuine and honest with not just the interviewer but myself as well.”

Before departing Oahu, ATSU Vice President for Admissions Dr. Dave Koenecke toured the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, which partners with Chaminade to provide affordable medical care to underprivileged residents, including many Native Hawaiians.

Through an articulation agreement, 2012 Chaminade graduate Ashley Baldauf enrolled in the osteopathic medicine program at ATSU’s Arizona campus in 2013 and is spending three years studying and working at the Waianae center.

Office of Health Associate Provost Patricia M. Lee-Robinson reports that eight Chaminade graduates are currently enrolled in ATSU programs.

Chaminade also has articulation agreements with Boston University School of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Pacific University, Samuel Merritt University, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, University of Dayton and Western University School of Health Sciences.