Khadijah Ojo, the director of pre-health advising at 佩珀代因大学, was recently named one of the country’s top 50 pre-health advisors by Inspira优势—a leading medical science admissions consulting service that weighted student interviews, matriculation statistics, evidence of program development, and expertise in the selection process for its prestigious list.

Ojo说：“我对这个荣誉感到非常兴奋和惊讶。 “All the success of the pre-health office is due to the amazing students that we have at Pepperdine.”

As the director of pre-health advising at Pepperdine, Ojo helps undergraduate students develop a plan for admission to a graduate program in their field of interest. This process involves charting a relevant curricular course through their bachelor’s degree, promoting awareness of the core competencies required for graduate health professions programs, and preparing them for the myriad of pre-requisite requirements and mandatory entrance exams.

Ojo takes a holistic approach to advising and helps students not only prepare academically, but also develop skills that will set them apart from other medical school candidates. She helps them find leadership opportunities, practice their interview skills, and optimize their resume in an effort to propel them forward toward their dreams.

“我真的很喜欢支持和赋予学生独特性，”Ojo解释道。 “It’s my job to help them overcome challenges and relieve them of unnecessary stress. It's so fulfilling to provide our undergraduates with the tools that they need to be successful, graduate, and matriculate to the next level.”

Ojo受到自己大学经历的启发，承担了这个重要的角色。 Discouraged from pursuing her goal of becoming a practitioner by a negative interaction with an academic advisor, she never applied to medical school. Ojo instead pursued a master’s degree in public health and a doctorate in education. Her new goal was to equip students with the encouragement she never received as a prospective doctor.

“我对学生采取非常乐观的态度，”Ojo说。 “我听他们说。 They tell me what they want to do, and we build a plan to get them there. My goal is to be the type of advisor who can take a challenging situation and turn it into a positive outcome.”