Dana Ott

Dana Ott (She/They), a third-year Genetics major with an African and African American Studies minor at UC Davis, is on a colorful journey. She adores pink, splurges at thrift stores, and enjoys experimenting with hair dye. Committed to improving health resources on and off campus, she serves on the UC Davis student health board. Hailing from foggy San Francisco, she finds peace by the beach. Dana's ultimate goal? To attend medical school and become a psychiatrist, delving into the complexities of the human mind with compassion. She is very excited to be joining the Pre-Health Peer Advising Team and looks forward to meeting with you!

What advice do you have for pre-health aggies?

My main piece of advice for our pre-health aggies is to take time to explore your interest and who you are outside of school. Medical programs want to see a well rounded person, not just a good student. College is a time to explore who you really are outside of academics. Ask yourself: what do I stand for and what qualities do I want to see in myself? Additionally, take advantage of the fact that almost everyone is experiencing a similar time of growth and use that similarity of figuring things out to connect with others.

Is there anything you wish you would have done differently in your pre-health career?

I personally wished I would have met with pre-health advising earlier, so I could have gotten a head start on completing my graduate programs’ prerequisites. I spent a lot of time taking random classes when I could have been working towards my goal of attending medical school. Remember don’t fret if you find yourself in a similar situation. With support like the kind found at HPA and dedication you will still be on your way to your program of choice.

What has been your favorite memory at UC Davis?

My favorite memory at UC Davis is probably all the movie nights I had with my now best friend in the Tercero grasses freshman year. We watched so many classics and talked the nights away under the stars. The now beat-up blue comforter we watched every movie on is a sweet reminder of my earliest days of college.  

What are you most excited about working at HPA?

I’m most excited about meeting all the students who stop by HPA and building a great rapport with the HPA team.