Alumni Update: Where are they now?
Name: Taya Varteresian
Degree(s) Received: BS (gerontology) & MS (gerontology)
Year of Graduation: 2002 for BS & 2004 for MS
Job title: 3rd year medical student
Company: Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Location (city and state): Kirksville, Missouri
Please briefly describe your position and your company:
I’m a medical student getting ready to start 3rd year clinical rotations in August.
Why did you choose to study gerontology at the USC Davis School?
USC has the best program for gerontology. It has its own center where specialists in all fields of aging work together, as opposed to being isolated across the campus. The research studies performed by our faculty members are amazing. No matter how busy our professors are they are always willing to meet with students.
How did you learn about your current position? Was it through an internship, a previous job, or a connection through USC?
USC introduced me to osteopathic medicine. The pre-medical office at USC in the department of Letters Arts and Sciences held informative conferences regarding osteopathic medicine. Additionally, my internship with Dr. Anne Katz at the Tingstad Older Adult Counseling Center exposed me to the psychological suffering of elders. As a therapist at the Center, I witnessed the debilitating physical aliments that accompany depression and anxiety. After this experience, I knew that I wanted to become an osteopathic physician so that I could be more able to address the psychological aspects of my patient’s health. The professors at the Davis School went out of their way to help me get into medical school. Dr. Anne Katz, Dr. Phoebe Liebig and Dr. Christian Pike all supported my medical school application and provided me with letters of recommendations. Also Dr. Phoebe Liebig helped me obtain my current award for the AFAR medical student summer program at UCLA. The professors care and are truly willing to help.
Please briefly describe how the USC Davis School’s curriculum helped prepare you for your current position.
Osteopathic medicine focuses on the mind, body and spirit. The Davis School stresses the bio-psycho-social aspects of aging. There is an overlap between viewing the whole patient in osteopathic medicine and the multidisciplinary nature of aging at the Davis School.
What advice would you offer to a prospective student interested in studying gerontology at USC?
Try to research with at least one professor at our school. You will learn so many meaningful skills. Research experience makes you more unique and solidifies your classroom education.
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