Jaelynne Birkby
Alumni, Class of 2024
Hometown
Springfield, Oregon
birkby_jaelynne

Extracurricular Activities

- Biology-Health Science Club Vice President - Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) Public Relations Officer - Volunteer First Responder

A Little Bit About Me

I grew up in Springfield, Oregon, where I attended Thurston High School. During the summers, I work as a Certified Nursing Assistant at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in the surgical care unit. Here in Klamath Falls, I have gotten involved in many clubs. I am the Vice President of the Biology/Health Science Club and the ASOIT officer of the Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) club. AED is the national health preprofessional honor society. I am also a volunteer first responder and firefighter for Klamath County Fire District 4. In this role, I respond to medical emergencies, calls regarding fire, and motor vehicle accidents. I have close to 900 hours of volunteering as a first responder. After I graduate from Oregon Tech, I plan to become a pediatric sports medicine PA.

Why I Chose Oregon Tech and My Major

I chose Oregon Tech because of the small class sizes, being known for graduate school acceptance rates, and it is a public university making it a little less expensive than private universities. Since I was young, I always knew that I wanted to go into medicine. I figured out in high school that I wanted to become a PA. Oregon Tech offered the best undergraduate program with my career goals in mind.

My Influential Professors

The most influential professors to me include Dr. G. and Dr. Li. I had Dr. G. as my advisor as well as general biology and microbiology. Dr. G. has guided me through college and has helped me with applying to PA school and for scholarships. I am currently taking A&P with Dr. Li and I have learned so much. I never thought I could learn so much information in one year, but Dr. Li made it possible. Both of these professors have shown continued interest in me which has only helped me excel in their classes and in college.

My Greatest Learning Experience At Oregon Tech

Oregon Tech offers a cadaver lab with anatomy and physiology. This cadaver lab has been a great learning opportunity that I feel fortunate to have. Learning on models is a great start but getting to practice this anatomy on real human bodies is very beneficial and has only cemented the anatomy more in my brain. This experience will be very helpful once I reach my goal of becoming a PA.

My Plans After Graduation

I plan to attend PA school where I will get my master's degree in physician assistant studies. I want to become a pediatric sports medicine physician assistant to help young athletes. This specialty has a special place in my heart due to getting injured a lot as a competitive gymnast.