30-min Advising

Dr. Christine Crispen worked in medical education for over 12 years. She has worked in both admissions and curriculum and has a solid understanding of the admissions process as well as an overview of what medical education looks like. As the former Director of Admissions at UC Irvine and Admissions Committee member at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, she has reviewed thousands of applications for interview selection, interviewed candidates, and voted for admission. Christine has also worked extensively with post-baccalaureate students who need more academic support and remediation before they are ready to apply (or reapply) to medical school and has successfully helped many students gain acceptance after a well-structured plan.

Joined Medical School HQ in July 2022, after serving as Director of Admission at BCOM and Vice Chair Elect for the COMAO. Currently, 2nd longest serving Premed Advisor with MSHQ. Premed Advisor for any Allopathic and Osteopathic applicants, applying on AMCAS, AACOMAS, and/or TMDSAS. Provides advising for: Active Applicants/Reapplicants - students seeking thorough guidance and strategic assistance with application preparation, including essay workshopping and draft editing (Primary and Secondaries), medical school list, letters of recommendation, interview prep/mock interviews, timeline, update letters, etc., for AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS Premed Pathway Students - undergraduate students seeking tailored advice about how to thoughtfully build a competitive application year-by-year Early Assurance Applicants - undergraduate students seeking help with application preparation for competitive Early Assurance programs, including essay editing and strategic guidance ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Full Bio: Courtney Dunford (formerly Lewis) joined MSHQ in July 2022, after having worked in medical school admissions for years, many of which were spent serving as the Director of Admissions at Burrell COM. During her time as Director of Admissions, she participated in the accrediting process of the medical school, which received full accreditation status, and subsequent approval from two additional states’ higher education boards for the COM to expand and have campuses and medical students there. She also helped establish a Pathway program with a local undergraduate university into the medical school. While under her direction, the cohort size increased, and underrepresented matriculation grew to over 20% of each cohort, while admissions stats increased. Many of those admitted medical students have gone on to match into highly competitive residency and fellowship programs. Courtney also held two nationally elected medical admissions standard committee and admissions officer council positions, serving as Vice Chair-Elect before joining the MSHQ team. Serving in these roles required her to develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of MD, DO, and TMDSAS admissions processes, policies, and evaluation standards to promote consistency across the platforms and amongst the medical schools. As an advisor, Courtney strongly advocates for increased transparency and accessibility for students in medical school admissions processes and requirements. Pulling from her own experience growing up underrepresented in underserved, low socioeconomic areas as the oldest of eight children, she recognizes how many challenges and barriers many students may face along their path. Having had to navigate her own educational journey without guidance and advice, she understands the complex and sometimes complicated nature of higher educational systems and is passionate about providing students with information on how to navigate this system in a way that works for them. In her personal life, she enjoys spending time with her husband, traveling the world, trying out new local restaurants, attending professional/college sports games, reading fantasy fiction, and finding picturesque hiking trails or motorcycle routes to explore in the PNW. As an MSHQ Expert Premed Advisor: While with MSHQ, Courtney has guided her students to be incredibly successful in obtaining interviews and being accepted into a myriad of competitive MD and DO medical schools all across the country. She can adapt to working with premed students coming from any path, whether traditional or nontraditional, looking to apply to any medical school using AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS. She has also helped students be successful in gaining acceptance into Early Assurance and Early Decision programs. She appreciates strategic planning and working with students who want to be thoughtful about their approach. Thinking through questions – “What schools do you want to apply to? What gaps are in your application for those schools? How do you craft your essays to stand out to those schools? Why are medical schools asking you to get experience in certain areas?” She prefers to do live essay feedback/review so content and suggested edits can be discussed in real time, and she can act as a sounding board for revision ideas, if desired. Guidance is tailored per-student, so each student has a customized game plan to fit their goals.

Crystal Esparza Dean is a dedicated higher education leader with over 17 years of experience specializing in admissions, recruitment, scholarships, and student affairs, most recently serving as the Director of Admissions at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Bringing expertise in organizational leadership, conflict management, and bilingual communication, she looks forward to providing expert support and guidance to the next generation of medical professionals as part of the MHSQ team.

Deana (pronounced Dee-na) brings extensive insight into medical school admissions from her time at Stanford University School of Medicine as a Senior MD Admissions Officer. She actively evaluated applications, helped facilitate MD interview days, and played a key role on the MD Admissions Committee. Deana also serves as a BioSci Career Coach within Stanford Medicine’s BioSci Careers Office, guiding MDs, PhDs and Post-Doc students with resume and interview preparation, along with guiding residency and fellowship application preparation. Prior to Stanford Medicine, at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, she advised non-traditional and underrepresented MD and DO applicants as Assistant Director of Advising, Student Support and Outreach for the Master of Medical Sciences Special Master’s Program integrated with the medical school. She was responsible for writing medical school committee letters for the graduate cohort, conducted mock interviews and sat on the program’s graduate admissions committee. As an alumna of Boston University, the University of Massachusetts and Providence College, her academic career began as a high school teacher and college counselor. Deana actively contributed to Brown University’s Inaugural Undergraduate Admissions Counselor Advisory Board and held dual roles at Northeastern University, contributing as a seasonal reader within the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and as a committee letter writer for Northeastern’s PreMed and PreHealth Advising program. In 2022, Deana co-authored a publication focusing on the paths of pre-health high school students showing her dedication to student advocacy and mentorship across both medical school and undergraduate admissions. She is also the host of our Med School Years Podcast!

With over 14 years of experience, Kristen has guided thousands of students through the medical school application process, providing expert advice and unwavering support at every stage of their journey. Her extensive background includes serving as an Assistant Dean of Admissions, Admissions Committee member, Director of Admissions, and pre-health counselor. This wealth of experience has given her a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of medical school admissions, including academic preparation, application strategy, and interview success. Having been a first-generation college student herself, Kristen is especially passionate about advocating for underrepresented populations in medicine, including first-generation students, LGBTQ+ students, individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. She is committed to breaking down barriers and ensuring that every aspiring physician has the resources, knowledge, and confidence to achieve their dreams. At the core of Kristen’s approach is a deep dedication to student success. She believes in empowering individuals to take ownership of their academic and professional paths, fostering personal growth and resilience along the way. She takes pride in celebrating her students’ achievements, knowing that each milestone brings them closer to making a meaningful impact in the field of medicine. Kristen holds a Master of Social Work degree and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science with an emphasis in psychology. Kristen believes music = life. When she’s not working, she can be found learning to play the drums, traveling, and attending rock and heavy metal concerts with her husband and young daughter.

Dr. James Scott Wright has worked in medical education for 30 years. He was director of admissions for UT Southwestern Medical School, associate dean for health professions programming at UT Dallas, and executive director of the Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS). He loves to work with all students, but has a passion for working with non-traditional and LGBTQ+ students and students who have an interest in the intersection of science/medicine and the humanities. Dr. Wright has undergraduate and master's degrees in history, a doctorate in education, and a master's degree in theology. In addition to advising students at MSHQ, Dr. Wright is a hospital chaplain in Austin, Texas, where he lives with his adorable 15-year-old Pomeranian, Wilkie.