Pre-Med Tutor with 2+ Years Teaching Biology

Ray O.

I am a rising senior at the University of Pittsburgh's Honor's College pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Chemistry minor on a pre-med track. My coursework includes Biology I and II, Organic Chemistry I and II, giving me a strong foundation across the core sciences that undergraduate and pre-med students typically struggle with most.

My most relevant teaching experience comes from serving as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for Biology I at Pitt for over two years. In that role I led recitation sessions, held office hours, and worked directly with students one-on-one and in small groups to break down material that didn't land in lecture. I learned quickly that most students don't struggle with biology because they lack intelligence, they struggle because the concepts aren't connected to anything intuitive yet. My approach has always been to find the analogy or real-world anchor that makes abstract material more obvious, then build from there.

Beyond the classroom, I work at a sleep research lab at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Western Psychiatric Hospital, which has given me firsthand exposure to how scientific research is conducted in a clinical setting and deepened my appreciation for the biological processes underlying human health. I'm comfortable tutoring Biology I, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry. The students I've worked with range from freshmen encountering college science for the first time to upperclassmen preparing for the MCAT. Whether in a group recitation or sitting one-on-one with someone the night before an exam, my goal is always the same: make it make sense.