People

Elizabeth Ann Barajas, MA

Staff Advisor, All Health Professions

Elizabeth is a staff advisor for Health Professions Advising, specializing in helping current students and alumni with their personal statements and other writing requirements for health professions applications. She received her MA from UC Davis in 2013 in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. After receiving her degree, she taught writing, grammar and pronunciation classes for international students through the UC Davis Extension and the Linguistics Department. More recently, she worked for the Academic Assistance and Tutoring Centers as a Writing Specialist, helping students with their class assignments and writing requirements for graduate and professional school applications. Elizabeth is passionate about giving students the support and tools they need to reach their goals.

Schedule an appointment with one of our other advisors here.

Karen Draper

Staff Advisor, All Health Professions

Karen graduated from UC Davis in Spring 2019 as a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major. While she is not a transfer student, she did receive her Associated Degree in Arts and Humanities when she graduated high school. She became a staff advisor in Summer 2019, but was previously a peer advisor and co-coordinator for the Pre-Health Ambassador Network (PHAN), an organization within HPA. She also helped found and coordinate the High School Pre-Health Symposium. Karen attended the 2018 ADEA GoDental Recruitment Event in Orlando where she saw a mock interview and spoke with dental school admissions representatives. She loves advising, tabling, and hosting workshops to help students’ on their pre-health path. Her favorite part about working in HPA has been making my closest friends and working together on events, including the Summer Pre-Med Bootcamp.

Schedule an appointment with Karen or any of our advisors here.

Doug McLemore

Test Prep Specialist

Doug started his career teaching Astronomy and Chemistry at community college and university in Colorado. In 2007, he got his first test of test prep when his university started an in-house MCAT prep program. He taught the course for two semesters. Not long after, Doug went on to work as a teacher, tutor, trainer, and developer for one of the big test prep providers. He spent about a decade focused on learning about the test prep business and even worked in an advising capacity for pre-medical students. Afterwards, he started his own tutoring business. At HPA he is developing an in-house test prep program for the GRE, DAT, OAT, PCAT, MCAT, and other standardized tests that students need to get into health profession post-graduate programs.

Schedule an appointment with Doug or any of our advisors here.

Mirella Lopez

Veterinary Medicine

Mirella is a first-generation third-year veterinary student at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She graduated from UC Davis in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. While an undergraduate she was did a variety of on-campus animal internships, was involved with PSSD & Vet-Aid club, and was an undergraduate officer for the Knights Landing One Health Center (KLOHC) Veterinary Clinic. As a veterinary student, she has an interest in regulatory medicine, public health, and small ruminant medicine. She is passionate about representation in veterinary medicine and improving access to care for underserved communities. This is demonstrated through her involvement in Veterinarians as One Inclusive Community for Empowerment (VOICE) and as Co-Director of the KLOHC Veterinary Clinic. When she is not studying, Mirella enjoys DIY crafts, gardening, and watching crime dramas or comedies.