Student Profile

“Along with sheer determination, the support of faculty, administrators and other staff on campus has been a major factor in my success here.”

— Katie Ferris


For her senior project, Katie Ferris researched the effects of topical nasal carbonic anhydrase inhibitors on the carbon dioxide detection threshold in Zucker rats. Her research project was published in the journal Chemical Senses in 2007.  Link to Katie’s publication.  No wonder this pre-med neuroscience student liked to grab a friend and “de-stress” on the playground swings.

Actually, Katie thrived on her studies and many extracurricular activities. She carried two minors in chemistry and science, health and society. A founding member of the Pep Band, she also played clarinet in both the Wind Symphony and Wind Ensembles. She was membership vice president of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service organization. She was a peer project leader for a local nursing home and has served as a student representative on the Health Professions Advisory Committee.

Katie also gaining real-world experience in medicine while at Allegheny. In addition to shadowing experiences at Meadville Medical Center and with a local orthopedic surgeon, she spent three breaks working as a student lab assistant at Washington Hospital. There she processed specimens, performed studies on glucose meters, calibrated instruments, observed pathologists and assisted with autopsies.

“Along with sheer determination, the support of faculty, administrators and other staff on campus has been a major factor in my success here,” explains Katie. “There is always someone there when I need to talk—it’s like having a second family. In addition, being surrounded by 2,000 other determined students has been a great experience.”

Katie completed an MD degree from Penn State Hershey Medical School.