Executive Board
President: Malena Forgach (forgach2@msu.edu)
Hey everyone! My name is Malena Forgach and I’m co-president of the MSU Pre-Physician Assistant Club. I’m a senior with a major in physiology and a specialization in bioethics, humanities and society. This will be my third year with the club and my second year serving on the E-board. I've aspired to be in the medical field since I was young. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school when mother received a total knee replacement that I knew what a PA was. She only met with the doctor once, and was with the all PA the other times. I really enjoyed how much the PA was involved in her treatment, surgery and the amount of time he got to spend not only with her but also with his other patients. Later, I did more research on the career and knew this would be a great fit for me. In preparation for PA school, I received my EMT-B license in the summer of 2009. Since then, I have been acquiring my direct patient care hours by working at an assisted living facility here in Lansing. I have also volunteered at Ingham Regional Medical center, and have shadowed many PA’s. Outside of school, I enjoy going out with friends, reading, and being outdoors.
President: Alexis Smith (smit1273@msu.edu)
Hello! My name is Alexis Smith and I am the co-president of the Pre-PA club at MSU. I am a senior with a major in Kinesiology and Athletic Training with a minor in Spanish. Since I was young, my dream was to become a doctor. Along the way, I worried about where a family would fit in. I was not sure if medical school was the right direction for me. My last attempt was to shadow an orthopedic surgeon. The first day, he introduced me to his right hand man; the PA. His passion towards his profession astounded me and I immediately loved the role he played between the patient and the doctor. I knew I had found the perfect place for me. This is my 4th year in the club and the 3rd year I will be serving on the E-Board (I served as secretary for 2 years). I am on the MSU Cycling Team and my summers are filled with training for the annual DALMAC from Lansing to Mackinaw. Besides my passion for cycling, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, traveling, playing sports, and my job as a Care Manager at Sunrise Senior Living.
Vice President: Liz Kline (klineel2@msu.edu)
Hey! My name is Liz Kline and I am the vice president of the Michigan State Pre-PA Club. I am a senior majoring in Human Biology. I have wanted to work in the medical field since the beginning of high school. I became interested after a mission trip to Mexico where we delivered medical supplies and built two churches. It wasn't until my freshman year of college that I decided I wanted to be a PA. I will be starting a job this summer working as a home health care aide at a business based out of Flint. This will help me to obtain the hours needed for PA school. In my spare time I enjoy playing basketball, shopping, working in my garden, fishing, and spending time with family and friends.
Secretary: Kelsey Leicht (leichtke@msu.edu)
Hello! My name is Kelsey Leicht and I am the secretary of MSU’s Pre-PA club. I am a junior with a major in Physiology and a minor in Nutritional Sciences and I am also a member of Lyman Briggs. When I was younger, I actually had never envisioned myself with a career in health care. Then in high school, I suddenly took an interest in medicine along with how the human body works. It was then that I realized I wanted to go into the medical field. I decided to take an anatomy class and I loved it! I heard about the role of the Physician Assistant and knew it would be the perfect place for me. I am now a CNA and have been obtaining my direct patient care hours by helping out at a pediatric office in North Carolina which I absolutely love! Outside of school I enjoy reading, shopping, and having fun with my friends and family!
Treasurer: Lauren Brayton (braytonl@msu.edu)
Hello! My name is Lauren Brayton and I am a senior at Michigan State University. I am majoring in Kinesiology and plan to attend Physician Assistant graduate school. I am currently the treasurer of the Michigan State Pre-PA Club. I became a Certified Nurse Assistant last summer, and am currently working at an Assisted Living Facility in Lansing to obtain direct patient care hours. I have always had an interest in the medical field, but it wasn't until my sophomore year of college that I grew interested in the PA profession. I love the direct patient care interactions that a PA experiences. I am really looking forward to being involved in the health care field. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, playing tennis, running, and listening to music. Looking forward to another great year--go green!
Volunteer Services Chair: Halee Doyle (doylehal@msu.edu)
Hey! My name is Halee Doyle and I’m a volunteer service co-chair. I am a senior majoring in Kinesiology and will be studying abroad in England for the Fall semester, so you probably won’t see me till the Spring. I got interested in the medical field my freshmen year of high school when I had to have knee surgery and met with an orthopedic surgeon and his PA. After seeing what the PA’s role was and learning the benefits I decided that a PA was the best option for me. The ability to have a family and still have a career is this field was one reason I was gravitated to it, as well as the relationship a PA holds with their patients. I’m excited to plan volunteer opportunities for the club, since volunteering and the medical field are related in many ways. Helping others in the community has always been something I was passionate about and I feel that having a career in the medical field is similar to that. You are able to help your patients get back to living healthy and make their lives better. To fulfill my direct patient hours requirement I worked as a Physical Therapy tech for two summers. I gained a lot of knowledge about how to interact with patients as they recovered from injuries and how individuals progress in their own time. Along with the PA club I am involved with my fraternity Phi Epsilon Kappa and am a member of the MSU handball team. We competed at nationals at ASU in February and our girls’ team won the national championship! In my spare time, I love to hang out with my friends and family, read, play sports, and travel to new and exciting places.
Volunteer Services Chair: Ramanpreet Oberoi (oberoira@msu.edu)
Hey everyone! My name is Ramanpreet Oberoi and I am the Co-Volunteer Services Chair. I am a senior majoring in Physiology. This is my second year being a member of the Pre-Pa club and first year being on E-board. It wasn?t until about junior year that I officially decided that I wanted to go to PA school. I have always had an interest in the medical field but was unsure of what career path I wanted to take. The MSU Pre-Pa club has helped me to learn more about the field and information about the process of applying to PA schools. This past summer I took a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) class to obtain my direct patient care hours. I have volunteered at an assisted living center, Sparrow Hospital, Relay for Life, American Red Cross, and Ronald McDonald House. I have also shadowed some physician assistants who specialize in orthopedics and I was able to see a knee replacement surgery. During my spare time I like to go shopping, watch a lot of movies, and just hang out friends. I am currently in the process of applying to PA schools so if anyone has any questions feel free to email me. I?m looking forward to meeting new people and having a great year!
Campus Communications Chair: Katie Trumbley (trumbl18@msu.edu)
My name is Katie Trumbley and I'm the Campus Communications Chair this year for Pre-PA Club. I am a senior majoring in Human Biology with a specialization in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society. I am member of the Honors College and I am a Resident Mentor in Case Hall. At MSU, I have also been involved in Day At State and Honors Times Two Tutoring. This past summer, I was certified as a Nurse’s Assistant. I became interested in the medical field after working at a pediatrician’s office while I was in high school. The doctors there really enjoyed their job and were happy to help the kids that came in. It seemed to be a very rewarding career. I found that becoming a PA would give me the ability to work with patients, while still having a flexible schedule and being a part of a team with the physician. As of now, I want to go into pediatrics because I enjoy working with children, but I am looking forward to the rotations in PA school and learning more about other specializations.
Special Events Coordinator: Amy Copeland (copela65@msu.edu)
Hello! My name is Amy Copeland and I am the Special Events Coordinator. I am a senior majoring in Nutritional Science with a Health Promotion Specialization. This past summer I took a class to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). I currently work at an assisted living/memory care facility in Okemos to obtain patient contact hours. I’m excited to gain more experience in the medical field by job shadowing and volunteering. I believe a PA is the right fit for me because I will be able to interact with patients as well as maintain my own independence as a health care provider. I have wanted a career in the medical field since I was in elementary school and immediately became interested in what a PA is all about once I discovered the position. Being a member of MSU’s Pre-PA Club has provided me with information that will help me throughout the process of applying to schools as well as opportunities that assist my interest in becoming a PA. I’m very much looking forward to planning fundraisers and other events any club members are interested in for the 2011-2012 school year! Outside of school, I enjoy hanging out with friends, going to the movies, and shopping!
Historian: Katrina Keithley (keithle2@msu.edu)
Hello everyone. My name is Katrina Keithley, and I am a Sr. majoring in Human biology with a specialization in Health Promotion. I am currently the Historian of the MSU Pre-PA club. Right now I am a certified nursing assistant at Timber Ridge Assisted Living. I have worked there since January and it really has given me an insight to the health field and how I handle people. It has been a great experience and is very rewarding. I have volunteered at the MSU student food bank, relay for life, and on the orthopedic floor in Sparrow hospital. I have been a member of the PA club for three years now and am finally ready to help everyone else that is interested in learning about the profession. Science has always been what I was good at in school, and I have developed people skills on the way so health is the right choice for me. In my spare time I am on an all-star cheerleading team in Lansing called Wildcats. I love to work out and have fun, and I try to see my family when I can. Feel free to contact me with any questions about the PA profession or even MSU school advise.
Club Adviser, Kinesiology: Amy Tratt, tratt@msu.edu
Club Contact Email: msuprepa@gmail.com
To be added to the club's list serve please email our secretary (Kelsey Leicht) at Kelseyprepaclub@gmail.com. The list serve informs students of meetings, volunteer activities, and other Pre-PA related news.
