MD Program OASIS
Welcome to the OASIS Program!
The Outreach, Advising, Support, and Identity formation for Students (OASIS) program began in January of 2021 to better support students' advising needs during medical school.
The OASIS team provides a comprehensive system of support for medical students’ advising needs and their personal and professional identity formation throughout all years of medical school. Faculty Advisors work within the OHSU School of Medicine UME Program to provide academic, career, and life and wellness advising for medical students, create and deliver general support programming, and collaborate with a variety of individuals in UME and at the University to support the overall success of all medical students.
OASIS Streams
The OASIS advising and support system is comprised of four streams:
- Premedical Outreach
- Medical Student Life & Wellness Advising
- Medical Student Academic Advising
- Medical Student Career Advising
Faculty advisors in each stream work collaboratively together as well as with UME program leaders, faculty, staff, and other University personnel to achieve the three goals of OASIS:
- To provide premedical outreach and guidance, and advance diversity initiatives to promote a diverse student body
- To provide essential support and multi-dimensional, comprehensive advising for medical students
- To cultivate an environment that promotes healthy personal and professional development for students to become successful and fulfilled physician graduates
The Premedical Outreach stream provides support to prospective applicants and advisors, as well as current medical students through the following:
- Outreach to undergraduate college students and advisors, career fairs and college presentations:
- UME Info Days
- Mentor applicants and medical students from disadvantaged backgrounds
- Advance diversity initiatives through pathway programs and partnerships
- Applicant feedback
- Available to those who have applied to the most recent cycle and were not successful in receiving admission.
The Medical Student Life & Wellness Advising stream includes the following support through our Faculty Life & Wellness Advisors:
Individual Life & Wellness Advising
Our Life & Wellness Faculty Advisors provide a confidential venue for individual life and wellness advising to students.
Programming Events Include:
- Successful transitioning into medical school
- Personal relationships
- Stress management
- Financial wellness
- Sleep, exercise, nutrition
- Personal identity formation
- Internal and external factors that influence personal identity formation
- Accessing resources and skill development to foster fulfillment, success, and thriving as physicians of the future
Faculty Life & Wellness Advisors
Dr. Whitney Black, a board-certified Psychiatrist and Associate Professor at Oregon Health & Science University, is a clinician, medical educator, and quality leader. With nearly twenty years of experience in medicine, she has developed considerable expertise in systems design and performance improvement, emerging as a thought leader in measurement-based care. In her role as the Quality Medical Director for the OHSU Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Black has firsthand knowledge and experience with implementing innovative technologies and programs to improve access to quality psychiatric care. As a clinician and OASIS Life & Wellness advisor, Dr. Black believes in a comprehensive approach to well-being with a focus on compassion, self-care, and personal values. When away from work, Dr. Black might be found adventuring in the great outdoors, diving into a great book, or pondering her next creative endeavor.
Dr. Jacobs is originally from the Seattle area. She attended Linfield University in Oregon where she studied Biology & Chemistry. She earned her medical degree from Saint Louis University in Missouri and completed her pediatric residency training at University of California San Francisco, Children’s Hospital Oakland. Dr. Jacobs went on to fellowship at the University of Colorado to specialize in Adolescent Health & Medicine. She joined the OHSU faculty in 2018 and serves as a primary care physician for adolescents and young adults, while also providing hospitalist and specialty consultation in areas of disordered eating, reproductive health, and gender affirming care. Dr. Jacobs enjoys working with youth because she has the opportunity to develop ongoing relationships with inspiring young adults. In her free time she enjoys hiking with her rescue dog, Flora.
Dr. Omar Nazir is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Oregon Health and Science University. Dr. Nazir completed his residency training in Orthopaedic Surgery at Wake Forest Medical Center. His fellowship training was done in conjunction with the Departments of Plastic and Orthopaedic Surgery, offering him a unique viewpoint in managing upper extremity problems. He is board certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and also holds a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Surgery of the Hand.His practice involves a wide breadth of pathology and patients. He is the director of the hand and upper extremity division, co-director of the microsurgery training lab and a member of the teaching faculty of the hand fellowship. He has a special interest in educating the next generation of physicians, teaching residents and medical students. His research interests include cutting edge surgical techniques and cost analysis projects.
Dr. Adi Shafir (she/her) is currently an Assistant Professor at OHSU and is board certified in Palliative Care and Geriatrics. She sees patients in the Knight Cancer Institute palliative care clinic, and in the geriatrics consult clinic through the Division of General Internal Medicine. She attended medical school at University of Pittsburgh, completed internal medicine residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and then went on to complete an integrated geriatrics and palliative care fellowship at University of California, San Francisco. She loves working with medical students through clinic precepting and CSL. She is originally from California but has been residing in Oregon since 2021 with her husband, pug, and daughter. Outside of work she enjoys cooking, baking, hiking, gardening, and is hoping to become a more avid birder.
The Medical Student Academic Advising stream includes the following support through our Faculty Academic Advisors and peer tutoring:
Individual Academic Advising
Our Faculty Academic Advisors offer one-on-one academic advising on an as-needed basis to help students develop strategies for learning, studying, test taking, and time-management.
- All students are required to meet individually with an OASIS Academic Advisor at least twice each academic year.
- The Academic Advisors work closely with the Student Peer Tutors, who support students with course and examination content in all years of medical school.
Programming Events
Opt-in general programming is designed to help students identify and access academic resources and support services which sets them up for success in medical school courses, clinical experiences, and assessments including national board examinations. Includes workshops on:
- Study and time-management skills
- Managing and organizing large volume instructional materials
- Integrating course content to optimize deep learning and comprehension rather than rote memorization/surface learning
- General test-taking skills
- USMLE board preparation
- Stress management and coping strategies that support academic success
Formal YourMD Peer Tutoring
Available to all students in the Foundations of Medicine phase as well as the Clinical Experience Phase of the curriculum.
Faculty Academic Advisors
Dr. Anstey is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine at OHSU and practices as a Hospitalist within the Division of Hospital Medicine. He received his undergraduate degree from UCLA before attending medical school at OHSU. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at UCSF. He went on to complete a fellowship in Academic Hospital Medicine at UCSF and was on faculty there in Hospital Medicine before returning back to join the faculty at OHSU. He has been involved with the development of several medical curricula in subjects such as Point of Care Ultrasound and Data Science. His interests are in medical education, digital health innovation, quality improvement and patient safety, and point of care ultrasound.
Dr. Kyle Johnson is a Professor in the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry where he directs the OHSU Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Consultation-Liaison Service. Dr. Johnson grew up in northeastern Oklahoma and attended both undergraduate and medical school at the University of Oklahoma. He completed his Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry training at OHSU, and is boarded in Sleep Medicine. Scholarly interests include pediatric sleep medicine, youth suicide prevention, and emergency child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Johnson recently co-edited a textbook entitled “Sleep Difficulties and Disorders in Autism Spectrum Disorder”. He spends time away from work with his family, and enjoys kayaking, reading and discussing politics.
Dr. Travis Philipp is a spine surgeon and an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation. Raised in Kansas, he completed his undergraduate studies in Human Biology at the University of Kansas where he graduated from the honors college with distinction and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He completed his MD at OHSU in 2014 and was privileged to stay at OHSU for his Orthopaedic Surgery residency. He then spent a year at NYU for his spine surgery fellowship before returning to OHSU as faculty. Throughout his education and training Travis has had an active role in curriculum development, teaching and tutoring with an interest in the science of learning.
Dr. Bailey Pope is an academic hospitalist at OHSU, she has an MD from OHSU. She is passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of compassionate, knowledgeable and professional physicians. She is active in the internal medicine residency program and the medical school. In the internal medicine residency program, Dr. Pope is a member of the core faculty and is co-director of the CLEAR program (Coaching for Life-Long Learning, Empathy and Resiliency), chair of RASC (Resident Achievement and Support Committee) and she is co-chair of the curriculum committee. In her work with medical students she was a medical student coach and now has transitioned to become an academic advisor with the OASIS program. She has a particular interest in coaching students and residents as they face the challenges of clinical rotations. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, painting, traveling, hiking and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Mayersak is currently an Associate Residency Program Director and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for the Department of Emergency Medicine. She grew up on the East Coast where she went to Emory University for undergraduate training. Prior to joining the healthcare field, she obtained her master’s degree in analytical chemistry and worked in the Explosives and Propellant Division at the Naval Surface Warfare Center. She attended medical school at The George Washington University and stayed on for residency and then as a faculty member in the Emergency Department until 2015 when she came to OHSU. She has been actively involved in student and resident education, serving as a preceptor and Clinical Skills Lab (CSL) faculty instructor. Her academic interests include wellness, DEI initiatives, and palliative medicine. She enjoys shopping, reading, travelling, and spending time with her fur babies, friends, and family.
Dr. Snow is a General Surgeon at the VA and Assistant Professor in the OHSU Department of Surgery within the Division of Gastrointestinal and General Surgery. She is from California where she received her Bachelor’s from the University of California, Merced. She then completed an Intramural Research Training Award Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. She attended the University of California, Davis for medical school, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She then completed her General Surgery residency training at OHSU then worked in private practice and within the Providence Health systems. In 2022 she returned to the VA/OSHU and is currently the OHSU VA site director for the general surgery residency program, and serves as a foundations of medicine clinical preceptor for the undergraduate medical students.
The Medical Student Career Advising stream consists of specific pods, each overseen by an OASIS Career Advisor and representing different intended specialty choices and residencies. The 6 career advising pods include:
- Family Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics + Neurology + Psychiatry
- Emergency Medicine + Obstetrics & Gynecology
- General Surgery + Surgery Subspecialties (Neurosurgery, Ortho, Otolaryngology, Urology, Ophthalmology, etc.) + Pathology
- Other Specialties and Those Requiring a Preliminary/Transitional PGY-1 Year (Interventional Rad, Anesthesia, Dermatology, Diagnostic Rad, Nuclear Med, Physical Med & Rehab, Preventive Med, & Radiation Oncology)
Stream specific support includes:
Individual Career Advising:
Our Faculty Career Advisors offer one-on-one career advising.
- All students are required to meet individually with an OASIS Career Advisor at least twice each academic year starting in July of their second year.
- Students can request to meet with any of the OASIS Career Advisors prior to deciding on which specialty and/or career option to pursue.
- Once a student determines their intended specialty, students meet with the specific Career Advisor who oversees the pod of those residencies.
- Career Advisors will also assist students in identifying an appropriate departmentally-based Residency Specialty Advisor, and this trio will work collaboratively to support a successful residency application, interview, and Match process for the student.
Programming Events
Opt-in discussion based programming and workshops throughout the year helps students with:
- Specialty exploration
- Career planning
- Elective selection
- Residency application support
- Professional identity formation.
Active-Learning Workshops are available including:
- Suturing
- Splinting
- Casting
- Chest imaging
- Body imaging
- Transfusion lab, etc.
- Clinical simulations
- Other procedures
Faculty Career Advisors
Pod: Specialties Requiring a Preliminary/Transitional PGY-1 Year: Interventional Rad, Anesthesia, Dermatology, Diagnostic Rad, Nuclear Med, Physical Med & Rehab, Preventive Med, & Radiation Oncology
Dr. Carlson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation and serves as the Section Head of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. His clinical expertise is in acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain, spine pain and sports injuries and he is board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. Dr. Carlson is a native Oregonian and Willamette University graduate. He earned his medical degree from Oregon Health & Sciences University and completed his Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Carlson is fellowship trained in Sports Medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago and served on the faculty there before returning to OHSU. His research interests are focused on assessing the correlation of physical function, clinical symptoms and imaging abnormalities to improve care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions. His educational efforts center on incorporating the knowledge of functional neuromuscular anatomy to the clinical exam in order to improve the assessment of chronic musculoskeletal conditions.
Pod: Surgical Specialties, Ophthalmology & Pathology
Born and raised in Hawaii, Dr. Atwater was delighted by the opportunity to head back West and join the faculty at OHSU. She chose to pursue her medical training at Georgetown University because the program was grounded in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, or care for the whole person. She chose a career in orthopaedics because it helps maximize patients’ quality of life. During orthopedic surgery residency at Johns Hopkins, she developed an interest in building orthopedic recruitment and MSK education pathways for medical students. At OHSU, she is the faculty advisor for the orthopedic student interest group, the orthopedic career advisor, and the orthopedic clerkship director. She has two toddlers, ages 1 and 3, and a Frenchie named Stella. Her goal is to empower all medical students to imagine themselves as a surgeon, proceduralist, or pathologist regardless of gender identity or background.
Pod: Internal Medicine
Dr. Harrison received her BA from Boston University (Biology Major –Marine Science Concentration) where she also explored theatre. After a two year hiatus teaching English in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program in Japan, she returned to her home state to graduate from the University of MN medical school. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency and Chief Residency at OHSU and then joined the Department of Medicine (DOM) faculty. She is currently a Professor of Medicine in the DOM, hospitalist on the Medical Teaching Service in the Division of Hospital Medicine (DHM), Clinical Experiences Director for electives within the DOM, and a former SOM Colleges Lead and Coach before transitioning to the Oasis Career advising role. She is a member of the DHM Leadership Team and Director of Faculty Development. In these roles she finds deep satisfaction in career coaching of medical students, residents and faculty. Additional passions in medicine include the physical exam, narrative medicine, diversity equity and inclusion, and culture change.
Pod: Family Medicine
Dr. Richard Moberly MD (he/him/his) is originally from Grand Junction, Colorado and trained in Wichita, Kansas. He has previously practiced in rural Iowa and various overseas locales. He currently practices full spectrum family medicine including obstetrics, inpatient medicine, geriatrics, and travel medicine at a rural clinic just outside of Portland in Scappoose. He enjoys all things geeky, reading, hiking and exploring the outdoors. His partner is a family nurse practitioner and they have two very energetic young children, 2 dogs and 2 goldfish.
Pod: Emergency Medicine + Obstetrics & Gynecology
Dr. Sigman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and is the Director of Undergraduate Medical Education for the Department of Emergency Medicine. She is excited to serve as an OASIS Career Advisor for EM and OB/GYN and also as the CPR co-block Director. She completed her medical school at Boston University School of Medicine and her residency training at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center. In June 2021 she completed a Medical Education Fellowship here at OHSU, and she is currently working on a Master's of Health Professions Education through the University of Michigan. She has particular interests in curriculum development, student and resident career advising, and educational leadership.
Pod: Pediatrics + Neurology + Psychiatry
Dr. Coryell is a pediatric neurologist, specializing in epilepsy. He completed his undergraduate medical education at OHSU before completing pediatrics residency at University of Washington, followed by a neurology residency at OHSU and a fellowship at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Since returning to OHSU in 2012, he has had various roles with the School of Medicine, including teaching in clinical skills lab, co-directing the NSF block, and mentoring scholarly projects. Besides his clinical activities, he also maintains collaborative research in the area of pediatric epilepsy (clinical trials, comparative effectiveness research, learning healthcare systems). He has also previously served as clinical director for the division of neurology, and has worked closely with residents and fellows in the area of child neurology/neurodevelopmental dsiabilities, general pediatrics, adult neurology, and child psychiatry. When he isn’t practicing medicine, he enjoys reading, outdoor activities (hiking, skiing), and spending time with his dogs.
The UME DEIB Advisors are essential members of the School of Medicine UME Program and administrative team to provide individual and group support and mentoring to medical students who self-identify as belonging to diverse and minoritized groups.
Dr. Alex Domingo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine where he pursues his passions in planetary health and social justice through teaching, research, clinical practice, student mentoring, and workplace transformation. As an OHSU Diversity Navigator, he hopes to support students from all backgrounds in expressing their authentic selves in their workplace and careers. Dr. Domingo provides full spectrum clinical care, including maternity/labor management, gender-affirming care, mental health support, and substance abuse treatment, in both in the hospital and at the OHSU South Waterfront Family Medicine Clinic. He completed medical training at Yale University School of Medicine and residency at OHSU Family Medicine Residency. Outside of work he enjoys spending time exploring Oregon with his daughter, wife, and pup Oliver.
Dr. Gause is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine. Clinically, she attends in the intensive care unit and works as an interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension specialist at OHSU. She was born and raised in Maryland and obtained both her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Maryland. She completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2013 and a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio in 2019. Dr. Gause has a strong passion for all areas of medical education but her main interests include curricula development and trainee mentorship. She is currently the Associate Program Director for the PCCM fellowship. During her free time she enjoys traveling, watching movies, and exploring Portland’s rich restaurant scene.
Dekey Lhewa, MD earned her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine where she also completed her internal medicine residency. This was followed by gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship at the University of California San Francisco-Fresno program and transplant hepatology fellowship at the University of Michigan. Her clinical special interests are management of liver tumors and alcohol associated liver disease along with issues regarding access to care and outcomes of liver disease especially among underserved populations. She has spent majority of her life in the Pacific Northwest and is very happy to be back home. She is honored to serve as a Diversity Navigator and looking forward to working with medical students from diverse backgrounds and supporting them in their journey.
Dr. Anya Solotskaya is originally from Kyiv Ukraine, she immigrated to the United States when she was 10 years old. She studied Psychology and Biology at Boston University and received a BA. She spent several years working at the Society of General Internal Medicine as a Program Coordinator before getting a Master’s degree in Physiology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, VA with a research emphasis on preterm labor. She later completed her MD at the Medical College of Virginia at VCU. After completing residency at the University of Illinois- Chicago, she became an Assistant Professor at OHSU in the Division of Hospital Medicine. Dr. Solotskaya has continued her work in outreach to the homeless community by working with Portland Street Medicine, and has a passion for teaching about health vulnerabilities and bias in clinical interactions. When away from work, she can be found going to farmers markets, cooking and hiking with her partner April and their two rescue dogs.
Learn more about our transformation from the Colleges Program to the new OASIS Program within this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S6PGFN8fDc&feature=youtu.be