Meet Amanda (Two-Year)

Name Change Notification for New Students

The Medical Master's program is now Biomedical Sciences - Medical, part of the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences EVMS School of Health Professions at Old Dominion University. This section includes testimonials from students who enrolled or completed the program as Medical Master's students.

Amanda Severn

• BS, Cell Biology and Neuroscience - Montana State University
• MS, Biomedical Sciences - Eastern Virginia Medical '17
• MD Candidate, Eastern Virginia Medical '21

Why did you choose this school?

What brought me to the EVMS program was the curriculum. I wanted a program that would not only afford me the opportunity to take medical school classes, but to also enhance my understanding of the medical field through multiple lenses. Here I was able to take classes alongside medical students, gained invaluable clinical experience and mentorship and developed a more holistic understanding of the medical field through public health and medical ethics courses. What kept me at this medical school was the environment. The student body, faculty and staff are enthusiastic, supportive and work to empower everyone to succeed.

Tell us about your experience; what was the most challenging aspect of this program and the most rewarding.

The most challenging aspect of the program was learning how to be an effective student. I could understand individual concepts presented to me, but the volume of information was significant. Thankfully, EVMS has a Student Affairs office that provides academic counseling. It is through this program that I, and the majority of my peers, received help to understand how I best learn as an individual and how I can study effectively and efficiently.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the program is all of the opportunities the institution provides outside of medical school. For example, I was able to spend 5 weeks in Germany with a group of my peers. During the weekday, we worked as interns in the Body Worlds Plastinarium doing dissections, furthering our anatomy knowledge and dissection skills. In the evenings and on the weekends, we were able to travel throughout the area and immerse ourselves in the various cultures around us. 

If you could give any advice to an incoming student, what would it be?

There is so much support; use it. No one is expected to succeed in isolation and reaching out to those around you will only strengthen your ability to become a medical student.