PHOTOS BIO Emily O’Brien from The Bachelor 16 with Ben Flajnik

Meet Emily O’Brien, one of twenty-five eligible bachelorettes competing for the heart of hunky wine maker Ben Flajnik on Season 16 of The Bachelor set to premiere January 2, 2012 on ABC.

Emil O’Brien is a rare breed for The Bachelor in that she is a full-fledged academic! She’s in her second year of medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she is well on her way to becoming an epidemiologist (Someone who studies studies patterns of diseases or health risks.) She completed her undergraduate work across the Triangle at Duke University and is already being called the female version of ‘s Ames Brown.

Pro: Healthy is always a pro, and so is smart. Her favorite all-time book is East of Eden for goodness sake!

Con: As far as Ben Flajnik goes, I think Emily is going to be a little bit too intimidating in the brains department.

Heterosexual dude notes: Oh man – a gorgeous doctoral student at UNC? This smarty pants loving tarheel fan has his favorite Bachelor contestant! (How many attractive blond Bachelor contestants are we going to get from North Carolina? (See: Emily Maynard) Ommmm nommm nommm!

Emily O’Brien

Age: 27

Occupation: Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina, graduate of Duke University

Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

What is your most embarrassing moment?
I was matched to my brother on an online dating website. Mortifying.

What is your favorite all-time book and why?
“East of Eden.” It’s such a perfect story of good and evil and an amazing examination of human psychology.

Do you like to go out dancing? If yes, what is your preferred type of dancing?
Yes. I like to ‘drop it like it’s hot.’ I try to replicate some zumba routines on the dance floor and usually end up getting made fun of.

Tattoo Count: 0

I hate it when my date:
Uses a coupon to bring the bill down to $4.32, then tips the waitress 67 cents. You know who you are.

Additional photo from a paper strokes which Emily contributed to:

Are you a friend of Emily O’Brien’s and would like to share some more information, funny stories, or embarrassing yearbook photos? Comment below or drop us a line at starcasmtips (at) yahoo.com!

Official profile photos (blue background):
Craig Sjodin/ABC Television Group © 2011 Disney

Meeting Ben Flajnik photo:
Rick Rowell/ABC Television Group © 2011 Disney

*** CHECK OUT OUR PROFILES OF ALL THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS FROM SEASON 16 HERE!