A Dose Of Support: BIMS Student Helps Future Physicians Find Their Path

As the first BIMS 101 student peer mentor coordinator, Rylee Camp uses her experience pursuing medicine to support future healthcare professionals. 

Every future physician has moments that shape the kind of doctor they hope to become. For Rylee Camp, a senior biomedical sciences (BIMS) major at Texas A&M University, one of those moments came through mentorship, as she discovered that supporting others was just as meaningful as pursuing her own path toward medicine.

Now, as the first BIMS 101 student peer mentor coordinator, Camp is not only preparing for her own future in medicine but also helping to create a stronger support system for the students who will follow in her footsteps.

The Anatomy Of An Aggie 

Originally from Midlothian, Texas, Camp knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. Her connection to Texas A&M, however, began with her family, including her father, who graduated from the university in 2002. 

“Texas A&M has always felt like home to me,” Camp said. “I grew up hearing my dad’s stories, visiting College Station, and seeing firsthand the impact of the Aggie family. When it came time to apply for college, Texas A&M was actually the only school I applied to because I truly could not picture myself anywhere else.”

Over time, Texas A&M became more than just the place where Camp pursued her education — it became a university that connected generations of her family, including her mother’s recent graduation from Mays Business School as part of the first Flex Online MBA graduating class. 

“Knowing Texas A&M was where I wanted to go motivated me throughout high school, and I worked hard to earn automatic admission,” Camp said. “Since then, being an Aggie has become even more special. It is something our whole family shares, and the Aggie core values are values I grew up with and continue to carry with me.”

Those values have shaped the way Camp approaches her education, leadership, and future career. 

“I was drawn to biomedical sciences because I knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine and wanted a major that would challenge me while preparing me for that path,” she said. “BIMS has given me a strong foundation in science, but it has also connected me with mentors, leadership opportunities, and a community of students who share my passion for serving others through healthcare.”

Diagnosing Her Path 

Through BIMS coursework, clinical experiences, and service opportunities, Camp developed a deeper appreciation for the connection between science and patient care.

“Courses like anatomy and physiology, neuroscience, biochemistry, and my BIMS-directed electives have shown me how much I truly enjoy learning about the human body,” Camp said.

Her classroom experiences became even more meaningful when she saw those concepts applied to real patients.

“One experience that stands out to me is connecting what I learned in neuroscience to my time volunteering with hospice patients,” Camp said. “Learning about memory, cognition, and changes within the nervous system gave me a deeper understanding of what many patients with dementia experience.”

The experience reinforced the importance of seeing patients as individuals rather than simply diagnoses.

“It changed the way I approached patient interactions because I realized that even when someone may not remember specific conversations or moments, the emotions and dignity behind those interactions still matter,” she said. “My coursework helped me better appreciate the person behind the disease, which is a perspective I hope to carry with me as a future physician.” 

Outside of coursework, Camp has continued exploring healthcare through volunteering, physician shadowing, working as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant at an urgent care, and participating in the Consumer Access Project, where she studied barriers that can affect patients’ ability to receive care.

A Healthy Dose Of Leadership

As a BIMS 101 peer mentor, upper-level BIMS students help incoming students adjust to the demands of the major, connect with resources, and find their place within the BIMS community. 

“I became interested in becoming a BIMS 101 peer mentor after completing my sophomore year at Texas A&M,” Camp said. “After initially struggling to find my place in such a rigorous major and navigating the pre-medical process as the first person in my family to pursue that path, I realized how much I wished I had someone to help guide me.”

That experience inspired her to become the type of mentor she once needed. Growing up, Camp’s parents emphasized the importance of selfless service and leadership, values she now brings to her role as a mentor 

“I developed a passion for sharing the advice and resources I wish I had known earlier,” she said. “Whether it was helping students navigate challenging science courses, find opportunities outside the classroom, or understand that struggling is a normal part of the process, I wanted to help younger BIMS students feel supported as they begin their journey.”

After serving as a BIMS 101 peer mentor, Camp looked for ways to expand her impact within the program. Through her work with Jake Clough, director of undergraduate academic advising for the BIMS program, she continued developing as a mentor and ultimately became the program’s first student peer mentor coordinator. 

In this role, Camp helps prepare peer mentors to support incoming BIMS students academically, personally, and professionally.

“My role has shifted from directly mentoring students to helping develop the peer mentors who will support the next generation of BIMS students,” Camp said. “I help provide mentors with advice, resources, and guidance so they feel prepared to support students not only academically but also through the challenges that come with adjusting to college and pursuing a rigorous path like medicine.”

Through this position, she has learned that meaningful mentorship comes from honesty, encouragement, and shared experiences.

“The most impactful mentors are often not the students who had a perfect journey, but the ones who struggled, adapted, persevered, and can use those experiences to help someone else,” she said.

Camp hopes her work creates a lasting impact by strengthening the network of support within BIMS.

“My goal as a coordinator is to help develop intentional mentors who are approachable, encouraging, and prepared to support their students in the way I wish I had been supported as a freshman,” she said. “If we can strengthen our mentors, we can create a stronger community within BIMS where students feel like they have someone in their corner.”

A Prescription For Success 

As Camp prepares for medical school, she knows the lessons she has learned through BIMS will continue shaping the physician she hopes to become.

“Being part of the BIMS program has helped me grow in ways that go far beyond preparing for a medical school application,” Camp said. “The coursework is academically rigorous and has continuously pushed me outside of my comfort zone, but each semester has also proven to me how capable I am.

“I think one of the greatest things BIMS has taught me is that success in a challenging field requires more than academic ability: it requires resilience, humility, and the willingness to continue growing,” she said. “The combination of rigorous coursework, leadership opportunities, and mentorship experiences has helped me become a stronger student and has prepared me for the challenges and responsibilities that come with pursuing medicine.”

Outside of medicine, Camp enjoys spending time with her family, participating in Aggie traditions, line dancing, and baking her mom’s secret banana bread recipe for friends and fellow Aggies.

“Overall, Texas A&M has given me so much more than an education; it has given me friendships, traditions, memories, and a community that has shaped who I am,” Camp said.