ABOUT US
Meet our passionate E-Board!
2021-2022
Michael Booth
President
Class of 2022
Hello! I am a junior from Barnstable, MA majoring in Community Health and Biology. At Tufts, I am also a Daytime Events Coordinator for Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC), Vice President of Wind Ensemble, and a volunteer dog walker for Animal Aid. I was first introduced to the Physician Assistant profession by a family member who is a nurse and as I went through my freshman year of college and explored the different careers in the medical field, I found myself being drawn more and more towards PA. It provided similar responsibilities to that of a doctor while still allowing the lateral mobility that nurses enjoy, and the length of schooling would allow me to start my career as soon as possible. I'm so excited to continuously learn more about the PA profession and help other undergrads along their pre-PA journeys!
Gebrela Baraki
Treasurer
Class of 2023
Hey everyone! I’m from Rochester, NY and I am pursuing a major in Biology and a Computer Science minor. I came into Tufts as a BLAST scholar and have become involved in the African Student Association (ASO) and Eritrean & Ethiopian Student Association (EESA). I have always been interested in working in healthcare and I am currently working as a Resident Service Technician at a Nursing Home. I was introduced to PAs while looking for alternative career paths for being a doctor, and fell in love with this profession after shadowing one at my local hospital. Being able to have similar duties to a doctor but with more freedom within specialites really intrigued me and I look forward to learning more from the Pre-PA Society as I continue on the Pre-PA track at Tufts!
Chelsea Chia
Vice President
Class of 2022
Hi all! I am a junior from Westchester, New York, majoring in Community Health and Biology. On campus, I am also on the E-board of the Chinese Students Association, an Asian American Peer Leader, and part of Project SHARE and Timmy Global Health. When I came to college, I was interested in biology, but I did not want to go into medicine at all, because the only role that I knew about were being a doctor. I knew that I did not want to go to school for the rest of my 20s. When I first learned about the PA path, I realized that it played a lot to my interests and to the work-life balance that I wanted. Currently, I hope to use my EMT certification to look for more opportunities for direct patient care. I look forward to continuing on this journey with the rest of my peers and helping others as they learn more about this growing occupation!
Justin Lee
Outreach Coordinator
Class of 2022
Hi Everyone! I am a junior from Seoul, South Korea, majoring in Biochemistry. I am also involved in KSA BigBrotherBigSister as an event coordinator, an event coordinator for ACS American Chemical Society, and the president of Liberty in North Korea. I currently a licensed HHA, but in the process of applying to jobs. I was introduced to the PA job by my sister. I was always interested in working in the medical field, but the idea of going to school for 7 more years to become an MD was not appealing to me. So, I was elated when I heard about the option to be a PA and started to research everything about this profession. And after learning about the Tufts Pre-PA website, my life became a lot easier. I plan to take a gap year after graduating to work as a full-time CNA and hopefully a MA, before applying to PA school.
Adriana Moffat
Secretary
Class of 2022
Hi everyone! I’m a Junior from Miami, Florida pursuing a B.S in Biopsychology. I am involved in the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) and I am a mentor for SoFlo Scholars. I have always been interested in working in healthcare as a doctor but when I discovered the PA profession my sophomore year of high school, I fell in love. I really liked that I could achieve a similar career path as being a doctor in a much shorter time, while also providing me with the flexibility of switching specialties. Over the years, I have shadowed a few doctors and a PA and realized this is the right career path for me. I plan on applying to PA programs after a gap year working to gain more clinical hours. I am excited to be a part of this amazing society and grow alongside my fellow peers.
David Barrios
Outreach Coordinator
Class of 2023
Hi everyone! I am from Lynn, MA and I am double majoring in Biology and Biotechnology. Here at Tufts, I am a part of the Football team and Encendido – Tuft’s only Latin dance group. I have always been interested in the healthcare field, but I truly became passionate once I became a CNA. Recently I have been working as a CNA in the Covid-19 wing at a nursing home in Lynn and I am very fortunate to gain clinical experience during these times. Growing up, I had always wanted to become a doctor until I became aware of the PA profession during my freshman year of college. Ultimately, the lateral mobility found within the profession solidified my choice for the Pre-PA track at Tufts. I am thrilled to be involved with the Pre-PA Society as I look forward to learning more about the profession and continue the pre-PA track with my peers!
Nora Elhaissouni
Communications Chair
Class of 2023
Hi! I’m from Melrose, MA majoring in Biology and Child Study and Human Development. At Tufts, I am involved in the Kaplan Lab where I work with a post-doc on research about the use of silk-based biomaterials in analyzing their tissue-specific outcomes. I am also a Tufts Jumpstart Corp member where I work with preschoolers from underrepresented communities on their language and literacy skills. When I first came to Tufts, I was unsure of what career path I was interested in and explored various majors and health professions. When I attended the TPPAS GIM meeting in the spring of 2020, I was able to learn more about the profession which led me to do my own research about it. I became very interested in being a PA as it offers more range and time flexibility while still being able to work in the medical field. I am very excited to learn more about the PA profession with other passionate pre-PA students as well as start working on my patient care hours!
2019-2021
Sara Mitchell
Founder and President
Class of 2021
Hi! I am from Acton, MA and I am pursuing a B.S. in Biology and a Food Systems and Nutrition minor. Outside of academia, I compete for the Tufts XC/T&F teams, I am an ARC peer tutor and I am the treasurer for the Protestant Student Association. I also work as a Bio-13 lab TA and I am on the Chi Omega philanthropy cabinet. Freshman year of college, I fell in love with the PA profession because I could still achieve my career goals in medicine but in a shorter, more financially-attainable manner. Furthermore, PAs have lateral mobility in clinical specialties which is very appealing to me because I'm interested in so many areas. I thought that establishing this club would be a great way to bring peers together who share the same ambitions. I worked for two years as a CNA in a skilled nursing facility and became a Medical Assistant at a dermatology clinic during the pandemic year. I also work closely with an individual who has a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). I plan on applying to PA programs in the Spring of 2022 after taking a growth year.
Rachel Kiehne
Vice President
Class of 2021
Hello! I am a senior from Dallas, TX and I am pursuing a B.S. in Biology and a Food Systems and Nutrition minor. I am a member of the Tufts Women’s Track & Field team, Vice President of LCS Cancer Outreach, and a Cohort leader for Tufts Food Rescue! I was attracted to the PA profession by a fellow classmate my senior year of high school. I was always interested in the medical field, just unsure if medical school was right for me. Since high school, I have shadowed/worked with many wonderful PAs and doctors who have solidified this path for me. I love the flexibility the job offers, whilst still maintaining all the aspects of medicine I am interested in! I applied to PA schools in Spring 2020 with the intention of heading right into a program after graduation rather than taking a gap year.
Kathryn Miles
Outreach Coordinator
Class of 2021
Hi! I am a rising senior from Great Falls, VA and I am majoring in Biology. On campus, I am an ARC tutor, I am involved in Project Share and I worked in the Freudenreich genetics research lab on chromosome instability. I am EMT-certified and am currently working towards getting my DPC hours and healthcare experience! Since my freshman year, I had been debating between MD and PhD, until I discovered the PA profession. What drew me in was the emphasis on life balance while still being able to do everything that attracted me to a career as a doctor. Additionally, the lateral mobility and the ability to enter the workforce early, due to shorter schooling, were also appealing aspects of becoming a PA. I plan to take two gap years, in which I will continue to work as an EMT and most likely start work as a technician, and then apply in the Spring of 2023.
Yasmin Farah
Outreach Coordinator
Class of 2021
Hi! I’m a senior from Auburn, ME majoring in Child Studies and Human Development. At Tufts, I am involved in the Muslim Students Association where I serve as Co-President, as well as a tutor and mentor through the Tufts After-School Tutoring and Enrichment club. I was first introduced to the PA profession during my sophomore year of high school by my PA who informed me about how similar this profession is to that of a Physician. I was particularly astounded by the time flexibility that PA's have in comparison to other health professionals and how vital this would be for me as I begin to plan out my future. I enjoy the direct patient care that comes with working in the medical field as a PA and I’m particularly excited to see where this pre-professional society goes from here!
Michael Booth
Secretary
Class of 2022
Hello! I am a junior from Barnstable, MA majoring in Community Health and Biology. At Tufts, I am also a Daytime Events Coordinator for Tufts University Social Collective (TUSC), Vice President of Wind Ensemble, and a volunteer dog walker for Animal Aid. I was first introduced to the Physician Assistant profession by a family member who is a nurse and as I went through my freshman year of college and explored the different careers in the medical field, I found myself being drawn more and more towards PA. It provided similar responsibilities to that of a doctor while still allowing the lateral mobility that nurses enjoy, and the length of schooling would allow me to start my career as soon as possible. I’m so excited to be a part of the Pre-PA Society, and I look forward to exploring the profession and preparing for graduate school alongside everyone!
Gebrela Baraki
Communications Chair
Class of 2023
Hey everyone! I’m from Rochester, NY and I am pursuing a major in Biology and a Computer Science minor. I came into Tufts as a BLAST scholar and have become involved in the African Student Association (ASO) and Eritrean & Ethiopian Student Association (EESA). I have always been interested in working in healthcare and I am currently working as a Resident Service Technician at a Nursing Home. I was introduced to PAs while looking for alternative career paths for being a doctor, and fell in love with this profession after shadowing one at my local hospital. Being able to have similar duties to a doctor but with more freedom within specialites really intrigued me and I look forward to learning more from the Pre-PA Society as I continue on the Pre-PA track at Tufts!