Bailey Morgan

Share your educational background, including degree(s), institution(s), undergraduate major and graduation year(s).

Bachelors of Arts in Human Physiology and minor in Neuroscience in the class of 2019 at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities College of Liberal Arts

Tell us about your work. This may include job title or organization, projects you're involved in, populations with whom you work, etc.

I will be pursing a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree and hope to be working with under represented populations to ensure their feet are healthy. 

What led you to this profession? Tell us about your path.

I first shadowed a bone marrow transplant doctor and after shadowing for a few days I realized that was not want I had pictured for my medical career. I decided to talk to some of my friends who were going to dental school and optometry school and they told me to look in to other types of health programs. I came across podiatry and saw that I could shadow a physician by my house and decided to check it out. I loved my experience! It was exactly what I had always pictured myself doing and I am now excited to practice podiatric medicine.

What is your advice for current CLA students interested in a healthcare career?

I would recommend that students explore any options they may be interested in and then shadow, shadow, shadow! That is the best way to explore the various options and see what will work best for yourself.
What experiences did you have that confirmed your choice of profession?
Shadowing several podiatric physicians was what sold me on a career in podiatry. I could picture myself in the career and became excited by the work that was being done in the field.  I also looked into summer immersion programs that provide a chance for prospective students to learn about specific programs and meet the staff and faculty of these programs.
What kinds of obstacles have you encountered in pursuing your goals, and how did you overcome them?
I was really worried about my grades because I am a very average student but I overcame this by making sure my application was as strong as possible. I didn't try to hide my grades but I tried to show my work ethic and personality by carefully choosing who I wanted to write letters of recommendations for me and by letting my personality come through in my personal statement and in the interviewing process. I learned that schools don't only care about your grades, they care about who you are and how you would fit into their programs.

What makes your story unique?

My story is unique because most people do not know much about podiatry but almost everyone I talk to has some sort of problem with their feet. I struggled to learn more about programs but once I had the information my advisors were incredibly helpful!

Did anyone encourage or discourage you from pursuing your goals? How did you overcome that obstacle?

My CLA advisor, Gayle, and my physiology advisor, Dr. Barnett, were both super encouraging. They never doubted me even when I doubted myself and I am very grateful for how they helped me.

Is there anything else you would like to share with CLA students interested in health professions?

I would encourage students to shadow and pursue any career they might be interested in and ask lots of questions. I would also encourage students to believe in themselves. I did not think that I would be going on to grad school right after undergrad and am so grateful for all the advisors, family, and friends who were always encouraging and told me I could do it.