Olubumi Braimah '22

Olubumi “Bumi” Braimah found himself far from his home in Liberal, Kan., when he came to Pitt-Bradford. As a high school student, he had applied to just three out-of-state schools, including Pitt. His experience mirrors that of many students who initially applied to the Pittsburgh campus but found a home and lasting connections at Pitt-Bradford.

“The relationships I made my first year kept me at Pitt-Bradford,” he said. “I made good friends and made connections with professors on campus. I didn’t want to move.”

A visit to the small campus confirmed to Bumi and his family that this was where he belonged.

“I was accepted to Pitt-Bradford with the Panther Scholarship, which covered quite a bit of my tuition, so I decided to attend admitted students’ day to see campus. My dad and I loved it,” he said. “I went to a small high school so going from that to Pitt was an easy transition and I knew it would be easier to make connections.”

Only a few months after visiting campus, Bumi packed up his belongings and drove 20 hours from Kansas to kick off his first year of college as a biology major.

Inspired by his mother, an outpatient physician, Bumi knew early on that he wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.

“I was certain that I wanted a career where I could help people and have a significant impact, so medicine was an obvious choice,” he said. His introduction to biology in his freshman year solidified this ambition. From then on, he meticulously planned and prepared to sit for the MCAT during his junior year.

At Pitt-Bradford, Bumi never let an opportunity go to waste. He consulted with his academic advisor regularly and joined the pre-med club, which offered field trips to local medical schools and peer mentorship from Pitt medical students. He conducted research and published in peer-reviewed journals with Dr. Lanre Morenikeji, assistant professor of biology.

Bumi also worked as a resident advisor, coached others as a tutor, served on the Blue and Gold and Society, and was president of the Christ in Action club -- all of which he leaned on in his medical school applications.

“For my applications, I spoke a lot about my involvement on campus. When I got to the section that says ‘tell us about yourself,’ I had a lot of experiences to share,” he said.

All of his preparation paid off. After sitting for the MCAT once in his junior year and 25 medical program applications later, the University of Kansas-Wichita was one of the first to accept Bumi. He was already eager to return to his home state, and the full tuition scholarship was a bonus he was grateful for.

Now Bumi is a third-year medical student considering specializing in internal medicine. He also has a passion for serving rural communities and has been tinkering with the possibility of returning to Northwest Pennsylvania if he matches into a residency program within the region. 

Reflecting on his journey, he advised other pre-med students, “Don’t come into Pitt-Bradford with the mindset that because it’s a regional campus you won’t get a lot out of it. In my experience, I think I got more out of it. I built lifelong connections that helped me get into medical school.”