“I don’t think I would be in medical school without the Reconnect program. I found that my appreciation for medicine deepened, and I gained a firsthand experience for the struggles facing rural health that I could not have experienced shadowing or even living in a rural town.”

-Andrew Yun, 2023 Fellow, Medical Student at Drexel University College of Medicine

I believe the ReConnect program was an integral part of not only becoming a well-rounded applicant, but also of guiding me towards pursuing a career in rural health. Gaining direct patient care experience along with having a support system with people who were going through the same process was so important in making me a competitive and competent applicant.

-Maria Robelo, 2022 Fellow, PA Student at OHSU Physician Assistant Program

“The hands-on experience I gained in patient care and working in a rural setting really helped me stand out during the medical school application cycle and currently amongst my medical school peers. It is pretty clear that compared to a good handful of classmates, I have a better level of comfort with patient interactions, hands-on interactions with patients, and working in resource-limited areas. Many faculty members in my school seem impressed by my aspirations to be in rural medicine, and this experience helped me realize that I prefer the challenges of working in a rural setting compared to other environments.”

-Steve Dobrioglo, 2021 Fellow, Medical Student at Stony Brooks Renaissance School of Medicine

“I would not have moved to rural Oregon and experienced working in a rural healthcare setting if not for the ReConnect Fellowship program. I got to experience working in a setting where patients may not have seen primary care in over 10+ years, patients who historically have not sought health services due to inability to apply for health insurance, and patients who overall just wanted someone to listen and enhance their quality of life. The ReConnect Fellowship program, especially the staff and events held with everyone in the cohort, made me feel grounded whenever I felt frustrated and alone, and I am thankful for that.”

-Tina Vu, 2022 Fellow, PA Student at OHSU Physical Assistant Program

“If you are looking for a tight-knit program that treats you as more than a nameless pre-med on an assembly line, provides advocacy for what you need to thrive during the application process, and acts as a collaborative family offering breaks from the stress in the form of food and fun activities….then I highly recommend this Reconnect Gap-Year Fellowship.”

-Andreea Gosman, 2019 Fellow, Resident at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University – Emergency Medicine