Your prehealth advisor has supported you through applications, tough decisions, and career planning. Now, it’s time to show your appreciation!

HPSA’s Advisor of the Year award recognizes exceptional advisors who go above and beyond to guide students on their journey to healthcare careers.

Nominate your advisor today and share why they deserve recognition!

Dr. Wasco is a career Emergency Physician, with 40 years of clinical and administrative experience in community and teaching hospitals in Massachusetts. He served as Emergency Department Director and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, North Shore Medical Center, and retired as Senior Vice Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, a teaching hospital of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. He has been the Assistant to the Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Medical Director for regional EMS providers, and President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. With a strong interest in health communications, he served for 10 years as Contributing Editor and Health Columnist for Woman’s Day Magazine, and medical reporter/on-air television commentator for Westinghouse Broadcasting with a 100-station national syndication on the program PM Magazine. Dr. Wasco has also served as a medical advisor for several start-up companies.

Dr. Wasco was nominated by a student-athlete, who said “An alumni of the university himself, Dr. Wasco selflessly dedicates his time towards helping generation after generation of student-athletes fulfill their potential and realize their dreams in becoming a physician leader.”

Dr. Chloe Lash earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from Valparaiso University. She then moved south to pursue a doctoral degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her doctoral research, in the lab of Dr. Charlie Kwit, focused on the chemical and microbial components of myrmecochory (seed dispersal by ants). While pursuing her degree, she also mentored undergraduate research on seed dispersal and on fungal disease transmission in ant colonies. She also has experience in habitat restoration and spider behavior.

Dr. Lash’s nomination essay describes how she went above and beyond to support a pre-veterinary student at the University of St. Francis: “In the absence of a formal pre-veterinary advisor at my institution, Dr. Lash spent many hours of her free time researching veterinary school admissions requirements and building plans to help me throughout the application process.”

Dr. Shupp Byrne serves as the Program Director for the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Professional Program at Thomas Jefferson University and as an Assistant Professor of Urology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. She received her BS in Biology from Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales at DeSales University in Center Valley, PA. She earned her doctorate in Gross Anatomy and Cell Biology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

In her nomination essay, Dr. Byrne’s advisee said, “As I myself move into positions of leadership as an incoming medical student, my one goal now is to be the type of mentor that Dr. Byrne has been for us throughout my time at TJU.”

Carol Robinson serves as the Director of Health Professions Advising at Virginia Tech. She attended Sweet Briar College as an undergraduate, focusing on Mathematics, Psychology, and Teaching. She completed her M.A.Ed. in Counseling at Wake Forest University and is a National Certified Counselor (NCC). She has enjoyed serving other people in various capacities, including as an IT manager, family therapist in a psychiatric hospital, career coach, and, most recently, with health professions advising.

In nominating Ms. Robinson, her advisee said, “Her kindness, generosity, and years of experience as a pre-med advisor have remained unparalleled amongst others, and I truly cannot recommend her enough for this award.”

Dr. Trumbo-Bell serves as the Professor of Biochemistry and Pre-Medical Sciences Studies Certificate Program Coordinator at Bloomsburg University. She started college in 1993 at the University of Louisville-Kentucky as a non-traditional student and single mom with a preschooler at home. In 1996, she earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. While working as a training coordinator for a large retail corporation as she was searching for a chemist job, she realized that she loved helping other adults succeed through teaching. In 1997, she returned to the University of Louisville and completed a doctorate in chemistry in 2002. After defending her dissertation, she started her “dream job” at Bloomsburg University, and in 2004, she was appointed to the Pre-Professional Advisory Committee.  She has been advising pre-medical science students ever since, sharing in their successes or finding alternative paths in case of a setback.

In nominating Dr. Trumbo-Bell, her advisees said, “She made sure I was on track, and she never let me lose confidence in myself. When the time came for me to apply to medical school, she was certain I was going to get in, even when I sometimes felt doubtful…I feel extremely fortunate to have her in my corner because I know I can always count on her.”

Ms. Marić-Antonijević is the Director of Health Professions at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois. She earned a Master of Science in Biology from Roosevelt in 2017 for research on colon and pancreatic cancer. After graduation, she stayed at Roosevelt. in the Department of Biological, Physical and Health Sciences as the Director of Health Professions. Her main role is to advise pre-health students and teaches science classes throughout the year, including cancer biology.

Drawing from her own experiences as a first-generation/immigrant pre-health undergraduate student, Ms. Marić-Antonijević is passionate about advising students that come from all walks of life because she understands the struggles that they might be going through in order to reach their professional goals. She strives every day not only to be their academic advisor but also (and more importantly) their mentor. She has instilled confidence within her bright students and developed a passion for healthcare, social justice, and equity within them with an expectation they will make a world of difference in their communities.

In her nomination essay, her advisees said of Ms. Marić-Antonijević, “she has been one of the most supportive advisors I’ve ever had.  … Without her help, I would not be able to say that I had gotten accepted to multiple schools with scholarships, including my top choice.”

In early 2022, the Student Advisory Council developed the idea of allowing students to recognize outstanding advisors. “As pre-health and health professional students, we’ve relied on the support of advisors to give us information and advice on the admissions process,” said Anand Shah, a current dental student and member of the Student Advisory Council. “We wanted to give students the opportunity to tell the world about their advisors who have gone above and beyond to help them, and other students, with their journey to become health care professionals.”

In February 2022, the Student Advisory Council invited students to nominate advisors who had helped them during their pre-health and health professional journey. From the nominations received, the Council selected two advisors, one each from a public and private university, as the inaugural award recipients.