Braeden Shields ’26
Braeden Shields ’26
Biology
Health Policy and Management
When Braeden Shields ’26 began college, he was not sure he wanted to be a physician but knew he wanted a career helping others. He chose to major in health policy and management, adding biology as a second major once his medical school plans became clear.
In August 2026, Braeden will begin studies at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. He was offered early provisional acceptance through Brown’s Early Identification Program, which selects up to five high-achieving students from colleges in Rhode Island each year. He learned about the program while shadowing his pediatrician, Kevin Clegg, M.D. ’88, who also attended PC before earning his medical degree at Brown.
“Providence has offered me a perfect blend of academics and the opportunity to enjoy a different side of college,” Braeden said. “I’ve studied a blend of science and healthcare. Biology has given me the problem-solving aspect of medicine. Health policy and management has allowed me to step back and examine the ethical and logistical dimensions of healthcare.”
Braeden, from Barrington, Rhode Island, is a member of the Honors Program. He joined the laboratory of Marla Tipping, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, as a sophomore. With financial support from the college, he conducted fruit fly research and presented his findings at the college’s annual Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity and at the Annual Drosophila Research Conference in San Diego. He contributed to an academic paper that his research group will publish.
Through a connection made by Gus Cervini ’88, a member of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences Advisory Board, Braeden secured a summer research internship at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Orthopedic Research Department, studying rare genetic diseases in mice.
He found time to organize a Global Medical Brigade trip to Belize during winter break as a junior. With eight other students, he worked on sanitation projects and did community medical outreach alongside healthcare professionals. An athlete in high school, he has enjoyed intramural sports on campus, including water polo, and he found time to run a marathon in New Hampshire.
As a student ambassador for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Shields welcomes prospective students to campus and helps them navigate the college decision process. His message to them is consistent: “I could not recommend Providence College more as a school. I could not have been happier these four years.”
