January/February 2013 - PreMedLife Magazine

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR PRE-MEDICAL STUDENTS

An Interview with Premed Advice Guru

Dr. Sujay Kansagra from Twitter’s @MedSchoolAdvice

Admission Sabotage

Easy Ways to Ruin Your Chances of Getting Great

Recommendation Letters

Studying Abroad

5 Things Every PremedShould Know Before Going

+

THE PERFECT SUMMER EXPERIENCE PREMED REALITY: A PERSONAL STORY TOP 10 APPS FOR PREMEDS

MEDICALSCHOOLABROAD What You Think You Know (but Don’t) About MedicalSchools Outside the U.S.

Bon Voyage!

Social Media Activity May Affect Med School Admission p.12 | University Announces New Pre-Med Major p.15

PLUS:

SCHOOLSPOTLIGHTThe University of MarylandSchool of Medicine keepspace with educating the doctors of tomorrow

2013 Pre-Med Summer ProgramGuideIncluding program dates,program descriptions,perks offered & deadlines!

www.MedEdits.com

www.facebook.com/MedEdits

www.twitter.com/MedEditsMedical

www.MedEdits.com

January/February 2013 | PreMedLife Magazine | 3

contents premedlife|january/february 2013“I was also told to explore my options, never come into collegewith the mindset that I would only think about pre-med.” p. 28

16COVER STORY

BON VOYAGE! MEDICAL SCHOOLS ABROADA closer look at some of the most common misconceptionsand myths about attending a foreign medical school. For thoseconsidering this option, find out what you think you know (but don’t) about medical schools outside of the United States.

INTERVIEW TIPS FROM A MEDICAL SCHOOL INSIDERFounder of Insider Medical Admissionsshares her advice on succeeding at your medical school interview

BACK IN THE DAY WITH SUJAY M. KANSAGRA, MDTwitter’s @MedSchoolAdvice and author ofEverything I Learned In Medical School: BesidesAll The Book Stuff talks about what being apre-med was like and life after medical school

ARE YOU SABOTAGING YOURADMISSION TO MEDICAL SCHOOL?Easy ways to sabotage your chances for getting great letters of recommendation for medical school

THE EARLY DECISION OPTIONFind out if you're in a good enough position to apply to the early decision program at your first-choice medical school

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You may be sabotagingyour medical school dreams

and not even know itp.32

4 | PreMedLife Magazine | January/February 2013

contents/departments premedlife|january/february 2013“It’s never too early to start thinking about the letters ofrecommendation you’ll need for medical school” p. 33

IN THIS ISSUEThe Perfect Summer Experience | 38Nth Dimensions recognizes Sean Spence as the 2012 Orthopaedic Summer Internship winner

Study Abroad:5 Things Every Premed Should Know | 44Things you should know before signing up for astudy abroad program as a pre-med student

Interview Tips From An Insider | 23Founder of Insider Medical Admissions sharesher advice on succeeding at your medicalschool interview

DEPARTMENTSNewsbites| 10Relevant news & information for students apply-ing to medical school

School Spotlight: University of Maryland| 77The oldest public medical school keeps pace with educating tomorrow’s doctors

Especially This Specialty: Pathologist | 78Find out what being a pathologist is all aboutand what it takes to become one

The Goods| 80Gadgets & gizmos to keep you entertained. Checkout our picks for this issue

In The Stacks|83Books to inspire you or provide you with advicealong your journey to medical school

Better Life, Better You| 84Advice & tips for taking care of yourself tomake it through your hectic pre-med life

SPECIAL SECTION2013 Pre-Med Summer Program Guide| 46Over 30 pages of summer programs for pre-med students. From research internshps to MCAT prep classes, programs are availablein California, Florida, New York, New Jersey,Philadelphia, and many more locations acrossthe U.S.

An interview with Dr. Sujay Kansagra, themedical school advice gurup.28

Social media activitymay affect your

admission chancesp.12

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from the

With another year behind, 2013 brings a brand new year for you to make it happen! Ifyou have already been working your butt off to do whatever it is you need to do to makemedical school happen - keep on grinding. And if you have been slacking now's thetime to get it together if you're really serious about this thing called medical school.Getting into medical school is sure as heck no walk in the park and you'll have to workto get to where you want to be. The nice thing about the beginning of a new year is thatit brings an opportunity for you to MENTALLY start on a new foot - that is if youneed to. The beginning of the new year gives you the chance to make brand new prom-ises to yourself about how hard you're going to work to gain admission to medicalschool. The process of being able to set goals for yourself and seeing them through tothe finish will leave you with the best feeling ever. As you start off the new year andmove through each day, it is very important to think about the decisions you make ona daily basis and what the outcome of your decisions - good or bad - will bring. Beingsuccessful at gaining entry into medical school will come down to the decisions that youmake along your journey. Each day you are faced with choices that can take you in manydifferent directions depending on the decisions that you make. You can decide to spendan extra hour studying or spend it hanging out with friends. You can decide to completethe problems assigned for a class or go further and complete some extra problems oradditional work to better your understanding. You can decide to let a poor grade on anexam discourage you or you can seek tutoring to improve your grade. You have choic-es and the decisions you make count big time. While it may take a good amount ofwillpower to make certain decisions, the trick is thinking about the bigger picture andthe greater goal in making the choices you do make. If you work hard, you deserve theopportunity to see your dreams become reality so don't let bad decisions get in your wayand trip you up. With the new year underway, take a few moments at the beginning ofeach day to remind yourself that the decisions you make throughout the day and thesum of those decisions over the course of the coming months and years will - or willnot - get you into medical school. So, stop messing around and make this medicalschool thing happen. Happy New Year!

Sheema [email protected]

SShheeeemmaa

publisherPublisher/CEO | Sheema Prince

Executive Director/COO | Jonathan Pearson

EVP, Operations | Monique Terc

Managing Editor | Monica Lee

Contributing Editor | Njeri McKenzie

Digital Editor | Donald Gibbons

Contributing Writers | Nth Dimensions Staff,Michelle Finkel, MD, Spanish Medman

Production Coordinator | Shawn Klein

Social Media Manager | Tammy Li

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PreMedLife magazine is published six times per year byKisho Media, LLC. and copies are provided to select col-leges and universities free of charge. The information in

PreMedLife magazine is believed to be accurate, but insome instances, may represent opinion or judgment.

Consult your pre-med advisor with any questions you mayhave about the medical school admissions process andrelated topics. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs,artwork, and images may not be duplicated or reprintedwithout express written permission from Kisho Media,

LLC. PreMedLife magazine and Kisho Media, LLC. are notliable for typographical or production errors or the accura-

cy of information provided by advertisers. PreMedLifeMagazine reserves the right to refuse any advertising. All

inquires may be sent to: Kisho Media, LLC. P.O. Box 7049,New York, NY 10116. To reach us by phone call (347)

231-6429 or email us at [email protected].

PREMEDLIFEthe lifestyle magazine for premedical students

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Conduct laboratory-based, clinical, or translational research under the direction of an established scientist in the area of diabetes or obesity. Prior research experience is not required.

WHERE:

WHEN:

Medica l Student Research Program in D iabetes and Obesi ty 2013

WHAT:

One of NIH-funded Diabetes Research Centers: Albert Einstein College of Medicine Baylor College of Medicine Boston Area Diabetes Research Center Columbia University Johns Hopkins/University of Maryland Joslin Diabetes Center/Harvard University University of Alabama at Birmingham University of California, Los Angeles University of California, San Diego University of California, San Francisco University of Chicago University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania University of Washington Vanderbilt University Washington University Yale University

Information and application:

WHY:

Summer between the first and second year, or between the second and third year, of medical school.

Encourage medical students to consider a research career focused on diabetes or obesity.

Application deadline for summer 2013: Midnight February 4, 2013

http://medicalstudentdiabetesresearch.org

[email protected]

• Students conduct research with an established scientist in the areas of diabetes, hormone action, physiology, islet cell biology or obesity for 2-3 months (receive a stipend).

• Weekly seminars about diabetes and obesity.

• Students present results at a national research symposium.

• Commencement dates and conclusion are flexible.

PREMEDLIFE CAMPUSEDITIONWant a unique leadership opportunity to add to your medical school application?

Now you can apply to be CEO/Editor-in-Chief of the PreMedLife CampusEdition at your school.

WHO: You

WHAT: As CEO/Editor-in-Chief, you aretalked with putting together a staff,producing content, and publicizing youredition on campus - running your ownonline magazine that is a part of thePreMedLife network.

WHERE: Your high school, college, oruniversity.

WHEN: The application deadline forSpring 2013 launches is Feb. 1

WHY: Running your own campus editionof PreMedLife magazine will provideyou with a unique leadership opportu-nity that will surly help you stand outfrom the rest of the crowd.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.premedlife.com ‘Start Campus Edition’Deadline for our SPRING 2013 LAUNCH

FEBRUARY 1

www.premedlife.com


THELATESTRecent news & information relevant for students applying to medical school

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"Social networking sites will inevitable affect future selection of

doctors and residents," concluded the authors of a new study

published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal. {PAGE 12}

Do transfer students have a harder time gainingadmission into medical school? A new reporton medical school applicants who transfer fromone college to another says that they may facegreater challenges to getting accepted.

The report, released by the Association ofAmerican Medical College's Analysis in Brief,was the result of an investigation that useddata from college transcripts of medical

school applicants to explore if, and how a stu-dent's pattern of attendance was linked totheir academic preparedness and eventualacceptance into medical school.

The findings revealed that attending multi-ple academic institutions was associated withboth lower MCAT scores and acceptance ratesto medical school. The report also found thatthe average MCAT scores were highest (29.1)

for those who only attended one college,decreasing to 26.9 for those who attendedfour or more institutions. Furthermore, thepercentage of applicants who were acceptedto medical school decreased from 52.5% to35.6% for those same two groups.

"Medical school applicants who attendedmultiple undergraduate institutions may facegreater challenges in accessing medical educa-tion," the authors stated. The findings showthat these applicants have lower mean MCATexam scores and lower acceptance rates tomedical school. However, with regard toadmission outcomes, the findings also showthat the number of institutions attended is ofless importance than the type of educationalinstitutions that an applicant attending (i.e.,the rate of acceptance to medical school for 7of 10 types of institutions that an applicantattending is roughly equal to an applicant whoattended 4 or more institutions).

The report also showed that medical schoolacceptance rates differed when it came to the typeof institution the applicant attended. Specifically,the average acceptance rates among those whoever attended a non-U.S. institution, a 'high-research-intensity institution' (59.0%), or a four-year baccalaureate, liberal arts institution werehigher than the rates for those who ever attendedone of the other seven types of institutions.

"This finding may suggest that across typesof educational institutions differences exist inthe ability to access important resources, suchas knowledge of the application process, pre-medical educational programs, health-relatedwork and voluntary experiences, and peerswith similar aspirations - all things that mightencourage a student to pursue a career inmedicine," the authors wrote.

Transfer Students FaceHarder Time GettingInto Medical School

Following a recent vote, the University of Texasat Austin is one step closer to getting a medicalschool. The new school is expected to bringmany benefits and great opportunities for manyinvolved. According to the news release

announcing the new milestone, professionalswill train for careers in medicine by deliveringpatient-based care throughout Texas' TravisCounty to create a partnership that is designedto focus on keeping residents across CentralTexas healthy.

In response to the positive vote ChairmanGene Powell made the following statement:"This is a win-win for both the University ofTexas System and residents of Central Texas. Aschool of medicine at UT Austin will not onlybenefit the university and its students, but also the

residents of Austin and surrounding communi-ties and all Texas. This is a perfect example ofhow a public/private partnership can work forthe benefit of society. Not only will more doctorsbe educated and stay in Texas - addressing apressing shortage - but through collaborationsbetween a university system, a hospital systemand a health district, all residents of Central Texaswill have greater access to quality healthcare."

The university hopes to begin constructing themedial school in 2013 and enrolling medical stu-dents in 2015 or 2016.

New MedicalSchool Comingto Texas Area

www.uag.edu/medicine

http://www.facebook.com/uagschoolofmedicine


Premeds may need to start thinking more abouttheir use of social networking sites as medicalschools are now beginning to use data whenconsidering applicants, according to a surveypublished in the Postgraduate Medical Journal.

The research, conducted by Carl I Schulman,MD, PhD, MSPH, from the Department ofSurvey at the University of Miami Miller Schoolof Medicine, and his colleagues, included datafrom surveys completed by 600 staff members,mostly program directors and residency coordi-nators, involved in the admissions process formedical school and residency programs acrossthe country. Although respondents were mainlyinvolved in reviewing residency program appli-cants, 8% were involved in medical school appli-cations only and 7% were involved with both.

The results of the survey revealed that whileonly 9% admitted to using social networkingsites to evaluate applicants, around 19% saidthey used some type of internet search to pick

up information on applicants. Furthermore,15% of schools and programs said they plan touse the web and/or social networking sites tosearch out information on candidates in thefuture, but 29% were neutral on the issue.

While the researchers also reported that asignificant proportion disagreed or strongly dis-agreed that it was a violation of privacy tosearch for an applicant's name on social net-working sties, over half of the respondentsagreed that online professionalism should be afactor in the selection process and that "unpro-fessional behavior" displayed on wallposts/comments, photos, and group member-ships should compromise an applicant.

"Social networking sites will inevitably affectfuture selection of doctors and residents," theauthors concluded. "Formal guidelines for pro-fessional behavior on social networking sitesmight help applicants avoid unforeseen bias inthe selection process."

Social Media ActivityMay Affect MedicalSchool Admission

Brand NewProgram to HelpPremeds Apply toMed School

Beginning in fall 2013, Columbus State University(CSU) will offer a new program designed to make theprocess of preparing for and gaining acceptance intomedical school easier for students.

The new Competitive Premedical Students pro-gram will include free participation in a MCATcourse, shadowing opportunities, medical school vis-its, peer mentors, contact with CSU graduates attend-ing medical school, medical school application prepa-ration, and medical school interview strategies.

"From the moment they step on campus, we'regoing to start providing them with tools that will helpthem become successful medical school applicants,"said Katey Hughes, program director and an associ-ate professor of biology.

Offering more than the traditional premedicaltrack available to students at the university, theCompetitive Premedical Students program willexpose students to opportunities and knowledgebeyond recommended premedical coursework. "Wehave students who go to medical school, and they'redefinitely prepared," Hughes said. "But here's what Isee: The process of getting to medical school can beoverwhelming and, too often what I see are studentswho stand out, definitely capable of going academi-cally, but because of their course rigor, because ofMCAT prep, because of all these external factors,they become overwhelmed and end up not submit-ting applications to medical school. This will hope-fully provide resources from the time they come toCSU to help gear them up in that process."

The program is expected to accept up to 15 fresh-men, but may grow as more students will be allowedto apply by spring 2014. The deadline to apply for theprogram's first group of students is January 15, 2013.For more information and for application details visitColumbusState.edu/premed.

THELATEST

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89,452 The total number of Medical College Admission Tests administered in 2012, according tothe latest data published by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

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Medical students who are deep in debt andchoosing to pursue careers in primary-care medi-cine will face greater financial challenges com-pared to higher-paying specialists, according to anarticle published in Academic Medicine.Fortunately, however, researchers found thatdespite growing debt levels, physicians in all spe-cialties can repay the current level of educationdebt without incurring more debt.

For the study, researchers from BostonUniversity and the Association of AmericanMedical Colleges used specially-designed soft-ware to create a scenario that looked at the annu-al finances for a fictional physician's household tocompare the impact of various debt levels, repay-ment plans and living expenses across three spe-cialties. And for their fictional indebted physi-cian, the researchers came up with three career

tracts: one as a primary care physician and two ashigher-paying specialists, like psychiatrist,ob/gyns, or surgeons, each with comparablestarting salaries. Four debt levels were used:$150,000, $200,000, $250,000, and $300,000.According to the press release announcing thestudy, among indebted U.S. medical school grad-uates in the class of 2011, 59% had educationdebt of $150,000 or more, 33% had $200,000 ormore, 15% had $250,000 or more, and 5% had$300,000 or more.

The results of the study suggest that recent med-ical school graduates, with the median amount ofeducation debt ($160,000) can enter primary care,raise a family, live in an expensive urban area andrepay their debt within 10 years without incurringadditional debt. However, to achieve all of thesegoals at the $200,000 debt level, the primary carephysician would need to consider an extended repay-ment plan and/or a federal loan repayment program.Furthermore, to achieve these goals at the $250,000or more debt level, a primary care physician wouldneed to consider living in a more moderately pricedarea and/or choosing an extended 25-year repay-ment plan or a multi-year commitment to a federalloan forgiveness/repayment program.

"Our results show that student debt levels havebecome so high that a growing number of studentswill struggle on a primary care salary alone to repayeducational loans and still have enough left over tocover other routine household expenses," notes sen-ior author John Wiecha, MD, MPH, associate pro-fessor of family medicine at Boston UniversitySchool of Medicine (BUSM) and an assistant deanfor academic affairs at BUSM.


Video Gaming May Help SurgeonsPerform Better, New Study ShowsThe hand-eye coordination and hand skills gainedfrom playing video games are similar to the abili-ties needed to perform some of the mostadvanced robotic surgeries, according to a newstudy conducted by researchers at the Universityof Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston.

The study, which was conducted to explorehow best to teach surgeons-in-training, involvedhigh school and college students who went headto head against resident physicians in robotic sur-gery simulations.

The findings showed that both high schoolsophomores who reported playing video games onaverage two hours per day and college studentswho reported playing four hours of video gamesdaily matched, and in some cases exceeded, theskills of the residents in exercises that measuredhow much tension the subjects put on their instru-ments, how precise their hand-eye coordinationwas, and how steady their grasping skills were whenperforming tasks such as suturing, passing a needle,or lifting surgical instruments with the robotic arm.

"The inspiration for this study first developedwhen I saw my son, an avid video game player,take the reins of a robotic surgery simulator at amedical convention," said Dr. Sami Kilic, leadauthor of the study and associate professor anddirector of minimally invasive gynecology in the

department of obstetrics and gynecology atUTMB. "With no formal training, he was imme-diately at ease with the technology and the typeof movements required to operate the robot."

Dr. Kilic points out that the findings suggest aneed for surgical training to adapt to future gener-ations of doctors who will arrive at medical schoolwith an affinity for emerging surgical techniques."Most physicians in practice today never learned

robotic surgery in medical school," explained Dr.Kilic. "However, as we see students with enhancedvisual-spatial experience and hand-eye coordina-tion that are a result of the technology savvy worldthey are immersed in, we should rethink how bestto teach this generation."

The findings were presented at the AmericanGynecologic Laparoscopists' Annual GlobalCongress on Minimally Invasive Gynecology.

Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston found that the skills gained from playing video games are similar to the abilities needed to successfully perform advanced robotic surgeries

Despite Worries,Students ShouldNot Avoid Primary Care

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RestrictedHours HelpResidents FeelRested, LowerConfidenceTreat PatientsLimitations on the number of hours in a week thatresidents can work has reduced fatigue among thegroup but may make them feel less confident when itcomes time to actually practice medicine, according toa study published in the Annals of Surgery.

In 2003, the maximum number of hours a residentwas allowed to work was 80 hours, down from the pre-vious limit of the 120-hour work week that hadbecome common during medical training.

For the study, researchers surveyed 216 orthopedicresidents before and after the work-hour rules wereput in place by the Accreditation Council for GraduateMedical Education. As a result of the work-hourchanges, residents reported feeling less fatigued.Unfortunately, however, residents also said they feltless confident in their preparedness to make clinicaldecisions under stress and lower satisfaction with theireducational experience.

$100 Million Fund toGive Free Ride toMultiple Students forMedical School

Paying for medical school just got a whole loteasier for more than 30 incoming students atUCLA's David Geffen School of Medicinethanks to a $100 million gift. The school'sbenefactor, David Geffen, a philanthropistand entertainment executive, has announcedthat his generous gift will be used to create ascholarship fund to pay for the entire cost ofmedical school, including tuition, room andboard, books and additional expenses.

"The costs of a world-class medical educa-tion should not deter our future innovators,doctors and scientists from the path they hopeto pursue," said Geffen. "We need the studentsat this world-class institution to be driven bydetermination and the desire to do their bestwork and not by the fear of crushing debt. I

hope in doing this that others will be inspiredto do the same."

Medical school students graduate with an aver-age debt of $170,000, according to theAssociation of American Medical Colleges.Moreover, research has suggested that worriesabout debt influence decisions on whether or nota student choose a higher-paying specialty overlower-paying positions in primary-care medicine.

Different from many scholarships offered tomedical students, the David Geffen MedicalScholarship Fund will be distributed to studentsbased on merit, not financial need and will providescholarships for up to 33 students beginning med-ical school in 2013. In addition, up to three of thescholarships are available for students pursuing ajoint MD-PhD degree.

Students at Miami University who plan to applyto medical school can now co-major in pre-med-icine in addition to their chosen major.

According to the school the new co-major,students who choose this additional track willbe required to take all courses that are required

by medical schools and that will be covered onthe MCAT. In addition, these pre-med co-majors will also be required to take a course intheir first-year where they plan their studiesand a medical school application preparationclass in their third year.

Miami UniversityAnnouncesBrand New Pre-Med Major

THELATEST

Area negatively affected by fatigue in 2003 Ability to learn 88.6% Overall resident satisfaction 71.4% Co-worker interactions 58.8% Overall resident well-being 57.1% Ability to provide psychosocial support 57.1% Quality of care 45.7% Patient safety 28.6%

Area negatively affected by fatigue in 2004-09Ability to learn 75.0%Overall resident satisfaction 68.9%Co-worker interactions 44.4%Overall resident well-being 63.0%Ability to provide psychosocial support 44.8%Quality of care 25.6%Patient safety 14.4%

Source: "Long-term Follow-Up on the Education Impact of ACGME DutyHour Limits," Annals of Surgery, published online Oct. 12.

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Misconceptions about medicalschools outside of the U.S. havewarped students' perceptions ontraveling abroad to study medicine

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Whether traveling halfway around the world ortaking a 7-hour flight to reach an offshore U.S.region, more students are leaving the countryto attend medical school abroad. And althoughMD programs outside of the United Statesmay not be the best fit for every premed stu-dent, there are a number of reasons why stu-dents choose this option. For a while now, mis-conceptions about medical schools outside ofthe U.S. have warped students' perceptions,making them uncomfortable with choosing thisalternative path to their medical education. Asyou probably already know, not everyone prac-ticing medicine in this country completes theirmedical education in this country. Indeed,renowned physician Deepak Chopra graduatedfrom an international medical school.

In the United States, nearly a quarter of thephysician work force was trained in a foreigncountry, according to the most recent datafrom the Association of American Medical

Colleges. So let's discuss some things that are,and are not true about attending medicalschool outside of the United States.

STUDENTS ATTEND MEDICALSCHOOL ABROAD BECAUSE THEYCAN'T GET INTO ONE IN THE U.S.NOT TRUE. Nowadays, students have moreoptions than ever when it comes to pursuing adegree in medicine. Today, a significantlygreater number of students are turning to med-ical schools outside of the U.S. to fulfill theirdreams of becoming a doctor. It is also worthmentioning that there are a number of studentswho are accepted by U.S. medical schools butultimately decide to enroll elsewhere aroundthe world. There are plenty of different rea-sons why students choose to attend a non-U.S.medical school. Some may not want to waitanother year to apply to medical school andtake advantage rolling admission offered by


bonvoyageWhat You Think You Know (but Don't) AboutMedical Schools Outside the United States

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some schools. Others simply like the idea ofhaving the opportunity to live on a beautifulisland somewhere while pursuing their medicaldegree. But those are not the only reasons.Students' decisions may also be guided by fac-tors like the cost of attendance, accelerated pro-grams, and non-competitive admission criteria.

HAVING A DEGREE FROM AMEDICAL SCHOOL OUTSIDE THEU.S. IS NOT AS GOOD AS ONEGRANTED BY A U.S. INSTITUTIONNOT TRUE. Students who attend medicalschool abroad still have to take the USMLEStep exams if they plan on returning to theU.S. to practice medicine. With overall passrates for the USMLE Step 1 among non-U.S.students being significantly lower than thosetrained in the U.S., it is easy to think thatinternational medical are not as good as theones in the ones in the U.S. Yes, it's true -exam pass rates differ considerably betweenUS and non-U.S. medical students. In 2011,

93% of US graduates passed their USMLEStep 1 first time, compared to 64% of non-US Graduates. But don't let that scare youbecause there are some very good non-U.S.medical schools that graduate students whoperform just as well, if not better, than theirU.S. counterparts. For example, studentsfrom Ross University School of Medicine,one of the biggest offshore medical schoolsin the Caribbean, achieved a 96% first-timepass rate on the USMLE Step 1. A recentpress release quoted dean and chancellor ofRoss University as saying "Our students'performance on USMLE Step 1 meets orexceeds the rate achieved by students in U.S.medical schools." St. George's University,another popular non-U.S. medical school,reported a 95% USMLE Step 1 pass rateamong their students. What it comes downto is that not all medical schools outside ofthe U.S. are created equal so DO YOURRESEARCH! It is important that not onlydo you find out what a school's pass ratesare but also their residency match numbers.

RESIDENCY MATCH RATES ARE LOWER

THAN U.S.-TRAINED GRADUATESTRUE. While residency match rates can be dras-tically lower among internationally-trained med-

ical students, the good news is that last year, itwas announced that of the number of U.S. citi-zen international medical graduates increased by218 over 2011, making it the ninth consecutiveyear that there has been an increase in the num-ber of U.S. citizens matching to first-year posi-tion. According to the 2012 Residency MatchReport published by the National ResidentMatching Program, the top eight specialtiesfilled by U.S. citizens and graduates of interna-tional medical schools were Internal Medicine,Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry,Obstetrics-Gynecology, Anesthesiology,Surgery, and Emergency Medicine.

APPLICANTS DO NOT NEED TO TAKE

THE MCAT TO GAIN ADMISSIONNOT TRUE. There are a number of medicalschools outside of the United States to do notrequire applicants to submit MCAT scores.However, to be regarded as competitive as U.S.medical schools, most reputable non-U.S. med-

ical schools require prospective students to sub-mit MCAT scores for admission. For other rea-sons having to do with compliance with govern-mental regulations, schools like AmericanUniversity of Antigua are changing their admis-sion criteria and will soon require MCAT scoresfrom all accepted students.

TUITION AVERAGES THE SAME AS

THE COST OF U.S. SCHOOLSTRUE. Amid growing concern about the cost ofmedical school, students are thinking more serious-ly about ways to lower the price tag attached to theirmedical education. Attending medical school out-side of the U.S., once a go to solution for many stu-dents, has become just as expensive as U.S. medicalschools. Traditionally, medical schools abroadoffered students the opportunity to obtain theirdegree at a significantly lower cost than their U.S.counterparts. However, times are changing and so isthe cost of attending medical school outside of theU.S. In a report which examined trends among for-eign medical schools, most of the tuition and feesreported by schools fell within the range of averagecost for U.S. medical schools and in some casesreached as high as $90,000 per year. According tothe AAMC Tuition and Student Fees Report for2012-2013, medical school tuition in the U.S. alonecan range from as little as $1,887 for residentsattending a public university like West Virginia

When considering non-U.S. medical schools it is important that not only do you find out what a school'spass rates are but also their residency match numbers.

The lifestyle magazine forpre-med students

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REASON #9: IN 2012, OUR GRADUATES ATTAINED RESIDENCIES IN 17 SPECIALTIES ACROSS THE US AND CANADA.The prospect of attaining a competitive residency is just one of the many reasons students choose American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) to ful� ll their dream of becoming a doctor.

AUC OFFERS STUDENTS: • Hands-on experience early in the curriculum.

• A supportive environment with faculty who are committed to teaching and student success.

• Clinical rotations at US and UK teaching hospitals.

Additionally, AUC is eligible to participate in the US Federal Direct Loan Program and � nancial aid is available to those who qualify.

FIND YOUR REASON AT AUCmed.edu.

Emily TommolinoClinical Student

For comprehensive consumer information visit aucmed.edu/consumer-info.html © 2012 Global Education International. All rights reserved.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER FOR AN OPEN HOUSE, VISIT AUCMED.EDU OR SCAN THIS QR CODE.

New York, NY — January 12Boston, MA — January 19

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School of Medicine to as high as $54,980 for non-residents attending a private university like TuftsUniversity School of Medicine.

LENGTH OF STUDY IS SHORTER THAT

MD PROGRAMS IN THE U.S. NOT TRUE. The length of study required to com-plete medical training can differ substantially fromschool to school. However, the majority of schoolsmodel their curriculum after ones offered by U.S.medical schools and require students to complete a4-year course of study. There are schools that dohowever offer medical students the chance to com-plete an accelerated course of study in as little asthree-and-a-half years. In some cases, studentsspend as few as 16 months on the school's campusand then return to the United States during theirthird and fourth years to complete clinical training.

A SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATION REVIEWS NON-UU.S.MEDICAL SCHOOLS

TRUE. With more than 2,300 medical schools in177 countries worldwide, it's no wonder that itwill take over 10 years to roll out the new under-taking announced by the EducationalCommission for Foreign Medical Graduates to

accredit the world's international medical schools.Until that time comes, students will have to relyon the next best thing, namely the work of theNational Committee on Foreign Medical

Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA).While the NCFMEA does not review or

accredit individual foreign medical schools, itdoes review the standards used by foreign coun-tries to accredit medical schools and determinewhether those standards are comparable to stan-dards used to accredit medical schools in theUnited States. Ultimately, the committee deter-mined that the following countries use accredita-tion standards comparable to those used by theLiaison Committee on Medical Education toevaluate U.S. medical schools: Australia, Canada,Cayman Islands, Czech Republic, Dominica,Dominican Republic, Grenada, Hungary, India,Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Nevis, Pakistan,Philippines, Poland, Saba, St. Maarten, SlovakRepublic, Sweden, Taiwan, and United Kingdom.

So, for those considering a foreign medicalschool, it is important check if that country'saccreditation standards for medical school arecomparable to U.S. standards.

For a list of international medical schools visitthe Web site for the Foundation forAdvancement of International MedicalEducation and Research at imed.faimer.org.

When consideringnon-U.S. medical

schools it is importantthat not only do you

find out what aschool's pass rates are

but also their residencymatch numbers.

For those considering a medical schooloutside the U.S., it is very important tocheck a country’s accreditation standardsfor medical schools.

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YOUR CALLING.THE COUNTRY’S NEED.

According to the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME), the US is facing an imminent physician shortage, specifi cally in primary care.

Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) is helping to meet this need by training physicians who are entering nearly every area of medicine, including

the critical demand in pediatrics, internal medicine and family medicine.

• RUSM provides clinical rotations at affi liated teaching hospitals in the US.

• RUSM graduates have attained more US residencies annually than those of any other medical school in the world over the last fi ve years.

• RUSM is eligible to participate in the US Federal Direct Loan Program; fi nancial aid is available to those who qualify.

For comprehensive consumer information visit www.RossU.edu/med-student-consumer-info 2013 Global Education International. All rights reserved.

NEW YORK, NY: January 5CHICAGO, IL: January 26LOS ANGELES, CA: January 26ATLANTA, GA: February 2BOSTON, MA: February 2MIAMI, FL: February 9WASHINGTON, DC: February 16ANN ARBOR, MI: February 16SAN FRANCISCO, CA: February 23

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YOU'VE READ THE HANDOUT from your college's advising office createdby an alumnus circa 1979, surfed the web only to find conflicting advicefrom supposed experts, and suffered silently as your physician-uncle gaveyou unsolicited help at the last few family reunions. You've heard it allbefore, right? Think again. After going through interviews myself as apre-med, I next found myself across the table conducting interviews as aHarvard faculty member. This insider's perspective, which I've sharedwhile assisting applicants as a professional medical admissions advisor forsix years, taught me firsthand that knowing how the system works fromthe inside can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection atyou dream school.

Everyone agrees on the importance of arriving on time and dressing pro-fessionally. But those who understand what is going on behind the scenes atelite institutions are in the best position to leverage that information to theiradvantage. The following are some tips to get you started:

ARE YOU THE ONE WHO WORKED WITHMOTHER TERESA?Most interviewers take the medical school admissions process seriously.They understand you have spent a lot of time, effort and money to showup on your interview day. But these same faculty members - as earnest asthey are - are interviewing scores of other applicants.

Treat every interview as though it were a "blind" one. It's your respon-sibility to distinguish yourself from all of the other candidates, and thebest way to do that is by showcasing your achievements.

Remember: The interview process is a persuasive one. Your role is toconvince medical schools that you deserve a slot at their institutions. Thebest way to persuade is with facts, just like a lawyer does when s/he is try-ing a case in front of a judge. Saying you are compassionate or hard-working is not convincing, and it doesn't distinguish you from the scoresof other people the interviewer is meeting. You need to prove your valueand your distinctiveness with your academic, clinical, research, communi-ty service, leadership, international, and teaching achievements.

If you think that being understated about your accomplishments in aninterview can't hurt you, consider Google. According to a 2012 New YorkTimes article, Google realized that part of the reason they had so fewwomen employees was that they were overlooking women who tended tobe more modest about their accomplishments in interviews. The inter-viewers judged the women applicants less accomplished, and the candi-dates did not get hired. (Google now asks interviewers to report appli-cants' answers in more detail in an attempt to reverse the problem.)

The bottom line is that you are not special unless you make yourselfspecial, and not distinguishing yourself with your achievements in a med-ical school interview is a lost opportunity that will hurt your candidacy.

SCHOOLS ARE PEOPLE TOO(ANDTHEYWANTTO BE LIKED)When I was at Harvard, we had a strong residency applicant about whomI was very enthused, But when we sat down to talk about the candidate'scredentials, one of my colleagues put the kibosh on the applicant'sprospects. As it turned out, the candidate had made it clear that he did not


GETTINGINAdvice and tips for becoming the most successful candidate for medical schools admissions

"Throughout the medical school application process, although you

hope that schools will like you, keep in mind that institutions want to

see that you are serious about them as well. ” {PAGE 24}

Insider Secrets to Medical SchoolInterview SuccessDr. Michelle Finkel, founder of Insider Medical Admissions,shares her advice and tips for students gearing up to preparefor one of the most important interviews of their lives

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GETTINGIN

want to leave California. "If he's not interest-ed in us, why should we be interested in him?"my colleague asked.

Throughout the medical school applicationprocess, although you hope that schools willlike you, keep in mind that institutions want tosee that you are serious about them as well.There is a psychological principle: People tendto like those who like them. Apply this idea toschools when you interview.

But how? You can't send the school aValentine's Day card, but you can be so familiarwith the institution that you convey to theinterviewer that you are enthused and sincereabout spending the next four years at that insti-tution. Know details about the school's curricu-lum, extra curricular opportunities, location,associated hospitals, and students. Have veryspecific questions to ask your interviewer thatdemonstrate your intimate knowledge of theschool and your belief that you could be a con-tributing member of the class.

DINE BUT DON'TWHINEIn an effort to attract desirable applicants, somemedical schools invite candidates to social eventsimmediately before or during the interview day.These events may include dinner, lunch, or anoptional hospital tour with students.

It's in your interest to attend these events: Theyshow schools that you are serious about theirprograms, afford you the opportunity to scoresocial points, and allow you to gain valuable infor-mation about students' satisfaction.

The trick here: Ensure you act professional-ly even if you are told that what you say will notaffect your candidacy or get back to admissions.Even if everyone has good intentions, informa-tion garnered from these events can make itsway to decision-makers. If you had a bad expe-rience at the interview day, have a significantother who doesn't want to move, or know yourfirst choice is a different school, these socialevents are not the time to reveal that informa-tion to current medical students.

Importantly, this rule is especially true forthose applicants who choose to stay at students'houses or dorms. Be friendly, but don't blab.

BUT HE PROMISED HE'D CALLIn the heat of the moment, interviewers maymake commitments they can't keep. Althoughflattery is nice, don't assume that any commentsabout your prospects are accurate, and certainlydon't make decisions (like foregoing an interviewat another institution) based on what you havebeen told about the strength of your candidacy.In most institutions, one interviewer does nothave the power to change the course of a candi-date's application.

THE SQUEAKYWHEEL OFTENREALLY DOES GET THE GREASEA few years ago I was advising a very strongapplicant. He had been rejected from a top med-ical school he was very interested in, and he feltthat he would have been a good fit at the institu-tion. He called the medical school and convincedthe person he spoke with that he deserved to bereconsidered. The school offered him an inter-view, and once he interviewed, he was offered aposition at the elite school!

In six years of professional advising, I haveonly seen this happen once, so this is very farfrom typical. However, the story reinforces thevalue of being assertive. After your interview,showing strong interest with well-crafted thankyou notes and a letter of intent reinforcing thedistinguishing characteristics of your candidacycan help. And if you are wait listed, a secondlook may also assist you (although it depends onthe school).

In any case, being passive about your candida-cy is not strategic.

STARS ARE MADE, NOT BORNWhen I was applying to medical school, I wasgraduating from Stanford with strong grades.I approached the interview process with con-fidence. But when I encountered facultymembers asking me aggressive questions, Ifumbled, doing the best I could. Although Ihad studied for months for the MCAT, I had-n't practiced interview skills even once beforeI went to visit medical schools.

You would never take the MCAT withoutpreparing, but the interview can be equally - ifnot more - important to your medical schoolcandidacy. Once you get your foot in the doorof your dream school, why would you riskinterviewing without preparation?

Ensure you find a trusted advisor who hasmedical interview experience. Sit down withthe person for one or two hours both toreview how to answer bread and butter ques-tions and to confidently formulate responseswhen you're thrown a curveball. Learn tocomfortably respond to questions aboutpotential weaknesses in your application sothat your lasting impression is one of polish.

You only have one chance to make a first impression.

DR. MMICHELLE FINKEL is the founder of Insider MedicalAdmissions. For help with your med school candidacy, contact Dr. Finkel directly at InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com."Like" her at Facebook.com/InsiderMedical.

The interview process is important and less standardized than you

might think. NOW THAT YOUKNOW HOW THE

SAUSAGE IS MADE,KEEP IN MIND...

Let your story show your glory.

Show them some love.

Assume what you say over abeer will get back to the nutty

professor.

No ring, no thing. Take guarantees of

admission with a grain of salt.

It's okay to be a shy person, just not a shy applicant.

Sweat now to be cool later(Practice, practice, practice).

www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com

www.Facebook.com/InsiderMedical

I am Bold, Brilliant,

and Beautiful.

I am a Scientist

Join a new cadre of scientists with the Brilliant and Beautiful Foundation

BBF supports the aspirations of women in scientific research and scientific

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got apps?WEBSTUFF

From tools for practicing doctors to those studying to become doctors,here are a few of the best apps for pre-meds and medical students

MEDICAL REFERENCE,DIAGNOSIS AND ANATOMICALSTUDY APPLICATIONSLet's start with the kinds of tools that apply specifically todoctors, medical interns and pre-med students. These appsrange in price from free to more than $200 per downloadbut all of them are guaranteed to give you as a medical stu-dent intensive, long lasting usefulness that can dramatical-ly augment your study and medical training abilities.

The Merck Manual App ($34.99)Where would any medical student be withoutthe Merck Manual at hand? This immensemanual, originally written over 100 years ago,has now leapt into the digital age of mobileapps. Now in its 19th edition, the manual, inapp form, provides its users with listings andclinical information on a vast variety of dis-eases. These can be searched by symptom,name, keyword or section. The Merck mobileapp also provides information for diagnosis,treatment and evaluation of all its listed dis-eases and conditions. Although it reads in avery dry format that is mostly text based, pop-ups provide photos and graphics on demand.As far as quality is concerned, this absolutelyvital mobile app gives you all the same detailand accuracy of the original text work but witha dynamic interface that dramatically expandsyour search options and the speed at which youfind information. Available on iTunes.

Medscape App (Free)One of the top medical apps for iPad anddownloaded more than half a million times,the Medscape app gets a solid approval ratingfrom its users. This extremely useful applica-tion lets its users look up reference informa-tion on thousands of different importantdrugs and in this regard is considered the pre-miere app in the field, better than its nearestcompetitors at the job.

Additional bonuses of Medscape include itsinteraction checker for drugs, news platformand the ability to be used in offline mode. Best

of all and to many peoples surprise, the appeven includes herbal medicines in its list of drugreferences, an unorthodox but very useful bonusfor an app designed for modern medicine.Available @ www.medscape.com/public/mobileapp

MicroMedEx (Free)This is another powerful pharmaceutical refer-ence app that provides its users with a vastwealth of data on different types of drugs, theiruses, toxicology and general teaching on idealusage. This app is also completely free and onlymarred by a constantly appearing popup thatasks users to buy into a premium version with adrug interaction ability bonus -a pointless offersince other completely free apps that offer thesame exist. MicroMedEx is highly underratedamongst medical reference apps and doesn'tdeserve it; the wealth of drug related informa-tion it provides is truly fleshed out and worththe time it takes to download this useful tool.Available on iTunes.

Skeletal System Pro ($14.99)The Skeletal System Pro app takes both doctorsand patients back to the very basics of medicineby giving them access to a deeply detailed inter-active cutaway for bone structure. However,despite the relative simplicity of the subject itcovers, this iPad tool is extremely useful for avast assortment of medical reference uses anddemonstrations that both medical students anddoctors can take advantage of during study situ-ations or patient consultations. Skeletal SystemPro gives not only crystal clear 3D images of theskeleton, it also shows cut aways of differentbones structures such as the skull. Ultimately,there is no better tool available for skeletalexamination outside of a real skeleton.Available on iTunes.

VisualDx (1 year subscriptionsranging from $49.99 to $279)VisualDX is a medical application designed tosolve diagnosis problems in an efficient and ©

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highly visual way. This iPad tool gives doctors andmedical interns access to a powerful series oftools that are designed to address illnesses withvisual symptoms in an easy to navigate categoryand symptom based series of classification sys-tems. With VisualDX, you are able to use threedifferent diagnostic tools: the differential builder,diagnosis search and Medication adverse effectsdatabase to seek out the most likely cause of thevisible symptoms in your patient. A highly graph-ical interface with different scenario, symptom,and anatomical factors lets you quickly shuntback and forth between images and their relevantinformation summaries to arrive at a diagnosismore quickly than would normally be possiblewithout the aid of thousands of images worth ofvisual identification tools. Finally, with the med-ication adverse effects database, you can alsocheck what drugs may cause what secondarysuperficial effects and eliminate drug inducedcauses more efficiently.

As much as this application is useful for doc-tors and geared towards them, it's also a fantasticmedical study tool that allows for diagnostic prac-tice that simulates live medical consultations.Available at www.visualdx.com

Radiology 2.0: One Night in the ED -iPad Version (Free)This light weight but very handy app lets youlearn how to read CT scans by practicing throughits interface. The app gives you crystal clearimages over an easy to use and highly friendlyinterface that allows finger controlled scrolling.Once the app has presented a CT image for you,it gives you time to analyze it and then providesyou with interpretive information that points outand highlights different findings and notabledetails you should have noticed. Overall, the app

is a great intro to reading CT scans despite a fewminor flaws such as a limited image selection andthe fact that it's designed only for CT practice anddoesn't include analysis of X rays, MRIs and ultrasound scanning methods. Available on iTunes.

GENERAL STUDY/WORK TOOLSIn addition to medical reference, diagnosis and demonstra-tion tools, there is a wealth of more general iPad appsavailable on the iTunes marketplace for medical studentswho, just like any other kind of student, need to study andorganize information effectively.

Evernote (Free)The unbeatable and extraordinarily usefulEvernote has shown itself to be helpful to moredifferent types of people than just about any otherinformation organization application on the mar-ket. With Evernote you can take notes, capturevideos, make audio files and copy snippets ofinformation from almost any web based or physi-cal source there is. All of these scattered pieces ofcollected data can then be synced across all yourdevices through your Evernote account and arealso fully searchable by keyword, tags you create ortext blocks (even inside images). You can also fullyintegrate sharing and saving notes with your emailaccount and social media accounts in Facebook,Twitter. As a medical student sifting through reamsof scattered study information both online andoffline, you can find a thousand different uses forEvernote and use it as an excellent little tool in sort-ing and collecting scattered bits of data for yourexams and papers, the app's features pretty muchspeak for themselves. Available @ evernote.com

Dropbox Mobile App (Free for first 2 GB)Almost everyone now knows what Dropbox isand using it as a student of any kind is a great way

of moving notes and information around whilealso keeping both safe from data loss due to thefailure of your iPad or any other device.

Dropbox lets you upload several gigabytesworth of files, images, video and text to its stor-age cloud and transfer them across any sort ofmobile device, laptop or PC/Mac computer.Accounts start at a free 2 GB and move up inpricing from there to Terabyte plus plans.

Medical students can use Dropbox to makesure they never lose their most valuable studyinfo, digital text books or essays while also beingable to access them on the fly from any devicewith web access.Available @ www.dropbox.com/mobile.

Flashcards Deluxe ($3.99 w/ freelite version)Finally we come to flash cards, the classical studytool used by students for centuries. Now, with theFlashcards Deluxe app, you can take themnemonic helpfulness of paper flashcards andcarry it with you into the digital world on youriPad. What Flashcards Deluxe lets you do is cre-ate a series of customized digital study cards withfacts, notes or quizzes on them. In addition tothese basic features, the app also gives you accessto more search, color coding, text to speech andsearchable, cross referenced information retrievaloptions. There are numerous other features toFlashcards Deluxe and a quick visit to the iTunesstore lists the whole range of them, all availablefor a tiny price. Medical students would be hardpressed to find a better app based study tool forall the information they need to absorb andremember. Available on iTunes .

SAMUEL CLEMENS has been writing about study tools for col-lege students for several years. Visit Gradesaver's website to seemore of the educational materials Sam recommends.

getpublished.write for usIf you consider yourself a good writer and would like a chance to have your article published in an issue of PreMedLife Magazine, we’re looking forstudent writers to submit articles. From your personal experiences as a pre-med student to living everyday life as a college student, we want to shareyour story with our readers. Or if you need an idea to write about - we’ve got tons of them. For more information about writing for PreMedLifeMagazine, visit our Web site at www.premedlife.com or email us at [email protected].

www.premedlife.com


INTERVIEW: BACK INTHE DAY

DOCTOR SUJAY KANSAGRA

SHARING PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR PREMEDS, MEDICAL STUDENTS, AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN

My inspiration to pursue a career in medicine came through regularclasses and as I went through school I was involved and mostly interestedin science and math. I was kind of an adventurer growing up - mixingchemicals, creating contraptions, so the overall pursuit of science inspiredme. My parents were very much supportive of everything I did and theywere supportive of my interest in science, they allowed me to take extra sci-ence classes. The motivation for me to pursue a career in science came earlyin life. Then basically, as I went through college I saw that it was a good fitfor me. I enjoyed working with people, I enjoyed the experiences that I hadin the health care field and that was motivation for me to continue pursuinga career in health care.

I remember my medical school interviews to be an overall positiveprocess. There was no one who tried to trip me up or throw me a hardballquestion. There are always people who say the process was a nightmare forthem, but I never had that experience. The questions were mostly from myapplication, about me, and about my motivation to become a doctor.

When it came to my medical school interview questions the easiestquestions were the ones I knew were coming like, why are you interestedin medicine and questions about my volunteering experiences. The hardquestion I remember was when one gentleman gave me a patient's narra-tive in which I would have to prescribe a treatment for the patient but theinsurance company wouldn't cover it and asked what I would do in thissituation, and so it kind of stumped me because I didn't have muchpatient experience and I didn't know what the options were in such a situ-ation. So I said I would try to explain to the patient that their insurancewasn't covering the medication and I would give them the options that Idid have and try to push them toward the direction that the insurancecompany would cover. What the interviewer told me is what I could do isargue with the insurance company and fight for my patient, and so that'ssomething that I didn't know much about back then when I was comingout of college but I clearly know that when it comes to patient care you

If you're a premed or medicalstudent on Twitter, you're

probably following Dr. SujayM. Kansagra, better known in

the Twitter world as Dr.K (@medschooladvice). We

were honored to have anopportunity to speak with

Dr. Kansagra who is a DukeMedical School graduate and

author of the popular bookEverything I Learned in Medical

School: Besides All the BookStuff. Dr. Kansagra was as

down-to-earth as his candidand true-to-life tweets make

him out to be. What were thepremed years like for this doc-

tor and author? What advicewould he give to those

pursuing a career in medicine?In our interview with him, we

spoke about his premed years,what motivated him as a pre-

med, and advice he has forpursuing a medical career.

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My parents were very muchsupportive of everything I did

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INTERVIEW: BACK INTHE DAY

can always fight for your patient by going upagainst insurance companies. So that was a toughquestion because I didn't have any experiencewith that type of situation, but for the most parteverything else was straightforward.

To prepare for the MCAT I actually took aMCAT prep course, which I was very happy with.My sister is also in medicine and is two years older

than me, so I used her old MCAT material andstarted looking over the material pretty early to geta sense of the type of questions and content thatwould be on the exam to familiarize myself withthe whole test. Then I took the MCAT prepcourse which was about 2-3 months of going toclasses and taking practice test. The main thingfrom there was I used a set of books that the testprep company provided which were like lecturenotes and I read through those multiple times andtried to remember the important equations. It wasvery nicely, condensed amount of material that Ifelt I could get through and really truly dedicatemy time to the material. By reading through thosebooks I felt like almost every question on theMCAT when it came to the science section Icould relate back to something I learned in thosebooks and had some sense of how to answerthem, every questions except for like one or twoquestions. I also took tons and tons of practicetests. I took full-length practice tests a few week-ends in a row. I recommend trying to find a set ofmaterial to dedicate your time to and read itrepeatedly instead of trying to find every singlebook out there on the MCAT. Try to familiarizeyourself with the test itself.

During my pre-med years, I didn't have tosacrifice much. Granted it did involve studyingand a lot of hard work. I was lucky enough tohave a nice group of friends who also madesure I enjoyed my time in college and didn'tspend all of my time just sitting in the libraryreading. I think every premed goes throughthat, a little sacrifice has to be made becausegetting into medical school does involve a lot

of hard work. But for me, I always felt thatstudying wasn't always necessarily a chore, Ialmost kind of enjoyed the learning process. Itell a lot of my followers on Twitter, if peopleget into the mindset of enjoying studying andnot something that you're forcing yourself todo, then it makes your life much easier. I wasalso involved in a lot of extracurricular activi-ties that were enjoyable and so even though

there was a lot of studying I felt like I had apretty good college experience.

I tell my Twitter followers, we have this mindsetthat we feel that once this step is over, when we'veworked really hard to get into college things startcalming down a bit, and then when we're in col-lege we think I just have to work my butt off rightnow just so I could make it into medical schooland then I won't have to work as hard. And thenin medical school, the same thing, let me justwork really, really hard so I can get to residencythen I can start slowing down as far as studying.And then when you're a resident, you're like letme just work a little bit harder now so I canbecome a fellow. And then you're an attendingand as you're attending you're still working reallyhard. So I wish I would have known earlier thatevery step along the way you're taking time toenjoy what you're doing because the work neverreally ends, it's ongoing, and so you have to reallylearn how to enjoy life as you go, because you'regoing to realize that no matter what the next stepis, there's always going to be work that needs tobe done, so don't sacrifice too much.

I didn’t stress about the medical schooladmission process. The main thing I did wasstart everything early. Not only with the admissionprocess, but I also started early when preparingfor tests like the MCAT. I think the earlier youstart the less stress and anxiety you feel when itcomes to whatever it is that you're trying to tackle.So with the medical school admissions process, Istarted early, I knew where I wanted to apply, andI felt pretty comfortable about my MCAT scores,

I applied to schools based on what my MCATscores were like, and so I felt prepared and I thinkthat was the main thing to not feeling stressed.

The best advice I ever received as a college stu-dent was when I was told to explore my optionsand to not go through college only thinking I wasgoing to be premed. I think that was helpfulbecause I got a chance to explore other potential

career opportunities. A lot of people get into themindset that this is the most competitive thingand this is what I need to shoot for but you haveto make sure that during your college years yougive yourself a chance to explore and find whatyour true passions are.

My advice for pre-med students is to enjoy theroad! I tell people, the destination will never beworth it if you didn't enjoy the road. Don't feellike you're sacrificing all of your life and youryouth because you're only young once and thework never ends! So enjoy your time as you'regoing through the process.

My most challenging times as a pre-med werewhen the preparation for medical school took upa lot of my time. I spent a lot of time studyingfor the MCAT. I remember spring break andstudying for the MCAT alone. A lot of my friendswere out having fun and me and one of my otherpre-med buddies were studying for the MCAT.But overall I think the end result was really worththe sacrifice that I had to make. I tried to make anattitude out of whatever I was doing so I was alsokind of enjoying and not really feeling like study-ing for the MCAT was a punishment per se.Although it was tough sometimes, I had to stay uppretty late studying and work really hard, I thinkin the end everything worked out.

For the full interview where Dr. Kansagratalks about what he enjoys most about being a doctor,what issues pre-meds should be aware of, and more visitwww.premedlife.com.

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“My advice for pre-med students isto enjoy the road! I tell people, the

destination will never be worth itif you didn't enjoy the road.”

Dr. Kansagra’s Book

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The UC Davis Department of Surgery Pre-Medical Surgical Internship & Mentorship Program is a unique opportunity for pre-medical students to work with and be mentored by surgeons and physicians in the nationally recognized medical center.

This program is not volunteering, but the ability to experience what surgeons do everyday. You will be with thephysicians every step of their day when they are working and treating patients in the clinic, by the bedside, in the intensive care unit, Emergency Department, and right next to them in the operating room.

This program is open to all pre-medical students regardless of school attended or grade level (graduates andreturning students are welcome as well). This program seeks to foster a relationship between physicians andpre-medical students. There will be 3 cycles throughout the academic year that you can apply and participate.

For more information about the program: www.premedsurgery.org

Don’t just watch Grey’s Anatomy. Be a part of it!

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It’s never too early to start thinkingabout your letters of recommendation formedical school. Here are five easy waysto ruin your chances of getting great(not good) letters of recommendation.

IT IS NO SECRET that your academic perform-ance and MCAT scores are among the mostimportant factors in the medical school admis-sion decision. However, having stellar grades andimpressive test scores are not the sole decidingfactors in gaining admission to medical school.And while admission officers consider manyother factors, your letters of recommendation arealso an important factor when it comes to gettingin. In fact, after your GPA and MCAT scores, itholds greater importance than all other compo-nents of your application, holding more value inthe eyes of admission officers than factors likeyour personal statements, medical and clinicalwork experience, and leadership experience.

Letters of recommendation for medicalschool are kind of a big deal. Medical schooladmission officers say that non-academic data,such as interview scores and letters of recom-mendation, are the most important data fordeciding whom to accept into medical school,according to a survey published by theAssociation of American Medical Colleges. Thedecision of whether or not to offer a prospec-tive medical student a seat in the next incoming

class goes well beyond impressive grades andstellar MCAT scores.

Now that you know how important medicalschool letters of recommendation are to yourapplication, is there anything you can do to makesure the ones that are submitted on your behalfendorse you as the best medical school candidatepossible? Of course there is! Your goal is to makeit easy for your professors to write your letters ofrecommendation. Unfortunately, there are stu-dents who received good - not great - letters ofrecommendation. If you'd like to help yourpotential recommenders write the best letterspossible, steer clear of these five ways to ruinyour changes of getting a strong endorsement.

CHOOSE THE WRONG PEOPLE TO WRITE YOUR LETTERS Given that your letters of recommendation areentirely dependent on someone else so youshould be giving a lot of thought to who youwill ultimately choose. Regardless of what stageof the medical school application process youare at, if you haven't started to think about whoyou will want to write your letters of recom-

Are You Ruining YourChances of GettingGreat Letters ofRecommendation?

SmartmovesThink aboutwho will beyour bestadvocate.


mendation - you're late. Students are often sobusy studying for their classes or preparing forthe MCAT, that they forget a very crucial partof the application process - getting letters rec-ommendation. Remember, medical schooladmission officers are preparing to evaluate youas a possible student in their next class, andwant to know who you are as an individual.Having strong letters of recommendation canliterally be the deciding factor in whether or notyou get accepted into medical school. On theother hand, having a weak letter of recommen-dation could also put an end to your medicalschool dream.

It is also important to know that medicalschools may require different types of letters ofrecommendation so it is crucial that you devel-op relationships with individuals who fall intoone category or another. For example, JohnsHopkins University School of Medicinerequires a recommendation from the applicant'scollege premedical committee or an officiallydesignated premedical advisor. If the appli-cant’s college does not have a premedical advi-sor or premedical committee, two letters of rec-ommendation are required from science facultymembers in science departments who havetaught the applicant and one non-science facul-ty member who has also taught the applicant. Inaddition to the letters indicated, applicants withadvanced degrees and/or full time employmentare required to submit recommendations fromeach component of their education and majorwork experience.

Your job is to be strategic about the peopleyou choose to write your letters of recommenda-tion. You'll obviously want to choose individualswho you are truly confident will write a strongletter for you. If you have to question whether ornot an individual may have trouble speaking onyour strengths, capabilities, and motivation, thenthey're not the right choice. Shoot for individualswho will be able to speak highly of your academ-ic abilities, motivation to become a doctor, levelof maturity, and various accomplishments. Theindividuals who you should choose are those whowant to see you get accepted to medical schooland become a doctor just as much as you do. Andwhile you may have several individuals in mind,consider who has the ability to the most relevantinformation that medical school admission offi-cers will find most valuable. In the end you arelooking for people to essentially be your person-al advocate, you should also consider who mightbe in a position to best convince medical schooladmission officers of your abilities.

PERFORM POORLY IN CLASS OR AT WORKThe most surefire way to develop a good rela-tionship with an individual who could poten-tially become the writer of your letter of rec-ommendation is to do a great job! By excellingacademically in class or performing above aver-age at work, you are setting the stage for a pos-itive relationship with a potential future letterwriter. Medical school is considered to be oneof the most academically challenging paths ingraduate education and chances are, the personwho will write your medical school recommen-dation knows this too. By getting good gradesor performing job tasks well, you open the doorto allow you to take the next step to engagewith this person. For your classes, after you'velearned what a professor has taught and provenit by performing well on exams, your next job isto show your willingness to learn more. The keyto developing a positive relationship with a pro-fessor is by being an active participant in class.When you give a professor the opportunity toget to know you beyond just seeing you in classand a grade next to your name, you give themmore chances to pull from interactions to writeabout you on a more personal level. And insome ways, if you're able to connect with a pro-fessor while taking a larger lecture-style courserather than one taught in a smaller setting,kudos to you. Imagine that you are a medicalschool admission officer who reads a letter ofrecommendation written by a professor whoteaches one of the notoriously crowdedGeneral Chemistry or Intro to Bio course andtalks about a particular student who made animpression on him/her, wouldn't that be quiteimpressive? Performing well in your classes willalso give your premed advisor an indication ofyour academic level since they are not able toevaluate you in an actual class setting. And forthose of you who will need someone from yourplace of work to write a recommendation, goabove and beyond what you're asked. Show ini-tiative and remain committed to whateverassignment or project you work on - it willshow and pay off in the long run.

TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING BUT WANTING TO BECOME A DOCTORIf you've made the decision to become a doctoreveryone around you should know it. Theyshould not only know that you want to becomea doctor but also why you want to become adoctor. The path to becoming a doctor is not aneasy one and you must be committed and pas-

sionate about your decision to dedicate the restof your life to practicing medicine. When youtalk about becoming a doctor, it's importantthat you don't' come off as arrogant or obnox-ious about it but get across your true passionabout why you want to pursue a career in med-icine. By being able to express your commit-ment to wanting to become a doctor in a non-generic way, the people around you will under-stand how serious you are and will feel great ifthere's anything they can do to support you inanyway to help you pursue your dreams.

Let's imagine for a minute that you are an artprofessor and had a student who always talkedabout being, say an Ocularist (someone whopaints artificial eyes) and told you about whenthe first decided they wanted to be an Ocularist,why the find being an Ocularist so interesting,why they find painting eyes to be so awesome,and why they wanted to spend the rest of theirlife being an Ocularist. Then a few monthslater, they tell you that they're applying to oneof the top Ocularist training programs in thecountry needed a recommendation and wantedyou to write it? Wouldn't it be easy for you toaccept the request? Besides, you've heard somuch about their dream of painting artificialeyes on several occasions for the last fewmonths and they ended up receiving an "A" inyour class. The point it, when you talk aboutwanting to become a doctor to those aroundyou, including your professors and colleagues atwork, you give them the opportunity to get toknow you on a personal level, stripped of yoursmarts and other abilities.

ALLOW FOR ONLY A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO WRITE YOUR LETTERS Writing a recommendation is no easy task and thelast thing that you want to do is not give your rec-ommenders enough time to put together strong,thoughtful letters of recommendation for you.Once you've decided on who you'll be requestingyour letters of recommendation from, you mayactually sabotage your chances of getting a greatletter if you don't give them the time they need.Providing a comfortable time to write a letter ofrecommendation is an easy, but very crucial stepthat you must not overlook. You've put in the workand spent time allowing this person to get to knowyou, now make it all count for something. Peopleare busy and if you're requesting one from a pro-fessor, chances are you're not the only one, so givethem the respect and courtesy they deserve by pro-viding them with plenty of time to honor yourrequest. Generally, at least 4-6 weeks is an ideal

are you ruining your chances for getting great letters of recommendation?

amount of time to give your recommender to writeyour letter. If you want to blow your chances of get-ting the best recommendation possible and reallyannoy your recommender, go ahead and give themless than 2 weeks to prepare your letter. This is themost important application yet, don't blow it by mak-ing the simple mistake of not giving enough notice.

HOLD BACK ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELFIt may be easy to underestimate how difficult it is towrite a strong letter of recommendation that maygive you an advantage to gaining acceptance to med-ical school. In order for the people writing your let-ters of recommendation to vouch for you on thestrongest level, you'll want to give them all the infor-mation they'll need to successfully fulfill your request.Aside from the information they may already haveabout you or anything that you might have spoken tothem about, put together a comprehensive file thatwill give them the opportunity to speak on yourbehalf from as many different angles as possible.Here are a few items to include in your file:

Cover Letter. In your introductory note to theperson writing your letter of recommendation,

briefly remind them what the letter of recom-mendation is for and thank them for agreeing towrite the letter for you. Be sure to include yourcontact information so they can reach you if theyhave any questions or need additional informa-tion from you. Also give them information aboutyour deadline for receiving their letter.

Resume/CV. Prepare a resume of your academicand extracurricular accomplishments, honors andawards, relevant work experience, research or clinicalactivities, and hobbies. When listing your experi-ences, make sure to highlight duties and tasks thatshowcase relevant knowledge and skills, leadershipabilities, and other qualities that may help paint awell-rounded picture of you.

Essay. If you have completed your AMCAS essay orat least a draft, it may be a good idea to share it. Thiswill give them the opportunity to learn more aboutyou and your desire to become a doctor in ways theymay not already know. It may help give them agreater sense of why you are pursuing a career inmedicine and possibly give them a chance to make amore meaningful connection that would have other-wise been left uncovered.

Statement of Purpose. If you're not comfort-able providing a copy of your AMCAS essay, youmay want to consider putting together a short-ened version of what many other graduate andprofessional schools call a Statement of Purpose.You can use this document to give a general senseof the type of schools you are applying to andwhy you believe they would be best for you. Tryto write at least two compelling paragraphs sothat the person writing your recommendation canhave more than enough information to endorseyou in the strongest way possible.

Unofficial Transcript/MCAT ScoresProviding your unofficial transcript and MCATscores pretty much just confirms what the personwriting your letter of recommendation should alreadyknow about your academic capabilities. They will getthe opportunity to asses your overall achievement invarious courses, science and non-science, and if nec-essary remind them of the grade you received in theircourse. Giving the people writing your letters of rec-ommendation a chance to see your transcript and testscores provides evidence of your overall qualifica-tions for the study of medicine and solid ground forhelping them build up a case in your favor.

are you ruining your chances for getting great letters of recommendation?

Give the peoplewriting your lettersof recommendationall the informationthey need to vouchfor your potential tobe an outstandingmedical student andfuture doctor

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PREMED REALITY: ESSAY

YOUR FATHERWAS PICKED UP BY THESHERIFFTODAY.

“

“SPANISH MEDMAN is a premed studentfocused on rural primary care. In his spare

moments, he blogs his thoughts and the occasional premed cartoon at

spanishmedman.com

My mother's words hung in the air. In the fewminutes it took to drive home from school, my14-year-old world crumbled to pieces. I sat insilence and cried. Life was never the same again.

My father's poor choices sent him to prisonfor the next 13 years of his life before finallybeing deported to Mexico never to return tothe States.

LIFE DISINTEGRATESMy older sister was taken into foster care andmy older brother left home to go to the mili-tary. We quickly learned what life with anincarcerated parent was all about: we wereshunned by friends, church members, and thecommunity. If anyone noticed us at all, it wasto take pity on us. The stigma and shame ofhaving a parent in jail was more than we couldbear as our family story was plastered all overthe local small-town newspapers.

Occasionally we would meet someone whodid not realize that my father had been sentencedto prison. I would always lie and tell them that hewas out of town on business.

My mother tried to take us to visit my dad inprison once a month. I would stare at himthrough the Plexiglas window as he sat there inhis jumpsuit, a thousand aches welling up in myheart, knowing that he would never come homeagain. No matter what had happened, I was achild and he was my father, my security, my com-fort − all of that was gone.

Money grew scarcer and bills multiplied. Mymom juggled working the grave yard shift andgoing to nursing school during the day. She wasnever home. My little sister and I were left toourselves. I was angry and depressed.

EARLY YEARSEighteen years prior to my father's arrest andincarceration my parents had moved to SouthTexas from Guadalajara, Mexico. They begantheir family thirty miles from the US/Mexicanborder. Like all others in Rio Grande Valley, ourfamily was a fusion of two cultures and two lan-guages. Dinner time was filled with Tex-mexfood and Tex-mex language. I thought everyonespoke English and Spanish.

Home was an old mobile home on a few acreswith some cows and chickens. When my dadimmigrated to the U.S. the only job he could getwas cutting grass. Since he didn't have a vehiclehe would walk several miles to work and backhome. He never did very well, but we were ableto pay our bills and he was convinced life wouldbe better for us here in the States.

Though my parents tried hard to provide whatwe needed and make our family work, there werea lot of tumultuous times. Eventually all the con-flicts at home would escalate and set off a seriesof events we could not control.

NEARLY A STATISTICAfter my father was sentenced, I quickly began toexhibit all the classic signs of a child of an incar-cerated parent. My motivation in school beganto plummet. I had been accepted at a math andscience academy but eventually quit and returnedto high school.

It was hard to face my friends, school, and lifein general. Everyone seemed to be so happy whileI was so alone, afraid, and angry. My mother was

BySpanish

Medman

www.spanishmedman.com

busy trying to get her own life together and keep foodon the table for her remaining children.

CHANGEI tried to forget about my problems by drinking. Idrank alone and hid bottles around the house. Itwasn't until close to my 19th birthday that I finally hitrock bottom. I knew that if I didn't decide tochange my life that I would end up where my dadwas (and statistically, I had a seventy percent chanceof landing beside him).

I stopped drinking and became active in church,as well as outside of church spending positive timewith other young people who were also goingthrough a tough time. Becoming involved in the livesof others did more than I thought it would: itchanged me and fueled a passion for serving others.The longer I worked helping people, the farther mypast seemed from me.

This would later play an important part of mydecision to study medicine.

MEXICOWith new resolve, I finished an Associate's Degreeand travelled over six hundred miles south of the

border to Guadalajara, Mexico to study in a smallseminary. A year later a small church in a ruralpueblo in Mexico asked me to lead their little con-gregation of farmers and factory workers. The vil-lage was plagued by alcoholism. I was privileged tohelp many men who were struggling to be free fromaddiction. I ended up staying there for two years.

After graduating from seminary and getting mar-ried, my wife and I moved deeper into the interior ofMexico to work among an indigenous tribal people.We witnessed firsthand the incredible toll of pro-found poverty, poor hygiene, and malnutrition.

At times, our house was converted into a hospitalrecovery ward and our vehicle a makeshift ambu-lance doing late night shifts. I advocated for a youngindigenous little girl in the Mexican government hos-pitals and saw her turned away again and againbecause she was "just an Indian."

CRISIS COUNSELINGI moved our family to the States to manage aSpanish crisis counselor center at a local non-prof-it organization. I am privileged to guide peopleinto a position where they are able to face theirproblems and change their life for the better.

After five years of counseling people who werefacing marital infidelities, addictions, physical abuse,confessions of homicide, molestation, and othersimilar difficulties, I knew I needed to do more. Ibegan thinking more holistically about meeting peo-ple's long-term needs. Primary care medicine was thenatural choice.

MEDICINEToday, I am a premed student with a vision forrural primary care. I work to balance mydemanding day job, a family, church involvement,and school. It is challenging, but I would nothave it any other way.

After finishing my prerequisites this spring, Iplan to take the MCAT in June.

Sometimes, in a weak moment, I regret notstarting on the medical path sooner. But I realizethat the difficulties of life have forged in me thequalities that are necessary in a rural doctor.

I am convinced that the circumstances of lifeare not to be used as an excuse for anyone to doless than their potential. The struggles of lifehelp you set your priorities, sharpen your goals,and drive your passion.


Though my parents tried hard toprovide what we needed and make

our family work, there were a lotof tumultuous times. Eventually

all the conflicts at home wouldescalate and set off a series of

events we could not control.

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PERSONALSTORIES

Nth Dimensions is a non-profit organizationwhose mission is to promote comprehensive excellence of medical students, residents/fellowsand young physicians byincreasing their exposure toacademic and supplemental resources nec-essary to become successful health careproviders in the future. Oneof their biggest programs is theOrthopaedic SummerInternship Program, whichpairs 20 first year medicalstudents, each summer, withrenowned orthopaedic surgeons nationwide.

Nth Dimensions Recognizes SEAN SPENCE asthe 2012 Orthopaedic Summer Internship winner

After undergoing a stringent and competitive application process, Sean Spence, wasselected by Nth Dimensions to participate in a clinical and research summer intern-ship with one of the top medical centers in the nation, John Hopkins Hospital.

For eight weeks, Sean was able to see and live the life of an orthopaedic surgeon.As a first year medical student at University of South Florida Morsani College ofMedicine (USF MCOM), this was an opportunity that many others would dream for.

"It was an amazing experience," describes Sean. "I was able to take part in cadaverskills labs, scrub in on surgeries and work alongside other surgeons and residents."

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With no prior experience with internships ororthopaedics, Sean was nervous about his first dayand responsibilities. However, the orientationeased his nerves and reassured him that he wasready for the opportunity.

"During the orientation, we were told whatto expect, how to act and to always displayexcellence," explains Sean.

His orientation was held at the AmericanAcademy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)headquarters in Chicago. During the orienta-tion, he was able to watch multiple presentationsand hear from guest speakers including FirstVice President of AAOS Joshua Jacobs, MD.

On his first day at John Hopkins Hospital, Seanmet his internship preceptor, Dr. Michael Tricewho explained the activities he would be involvedwith for the course of the program.

"Dr. Trice was more than my supervisor," saysSean. "He was more like a mentor who gave meadvice on how to stand out as a M.D. candidate."

A typical day for Sean was waking up at 5:30a.m. to get to the hospital early. By 7 a.m. he wasdoing morning rounds with the attendant andother residents. The rest of the day would varybetween accompanying Dr. Trice on outpatientvisits, observing various techniques in surgeriesand participating in cadaver skill labs.

"During skill labs, we would induce fractureson cadaver arms with a drill or other tools," illus-trates Sean. "After, we would practice learnedtechniques to put the arm back together."

In addition to shadowing Dr. Trice, Sean wasalso able to help him analyze patient data fromone of his research projects entitled,"Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation andHigh Tibial Osteotomy: Patient BasedOutcomes." Sean spent weeks evaluating andinputting the data into their computer program.Additionally, he was able to use results from theresearch for his presentation to the NthDimensions team for his internship evaluation.

Nth Dimensions requires all interns to give apresentation on the research they worked onduring their program. The winning presentationhas the opportunity to present again at theupcoming AAOS national conference.

As with many students, public speaking wasone of Sean's phobias that he knew he wouldneed to overcome if he wanted to continue pur-suing this field. To prepare, he studied 15 articlesto make sure he was able to explain the procedure.

"I had to practice how to become comfortablein an uncomfortable situation," says Sean.

After giving his presentation, Sean sat in onthe other interns' presentations and observedtheir research posters. Even though he felt con-fident with his presentation, he felt everyoneelse had done an exceptional job too.

To his surprise, Sean's presentation won first prize! "I was just happy that I was giving a research

presentation that I had contributed on," herecalls. "I had no idea that I would be chosen asthe winner."

Because of his commitment and work ethic,Sean will have the opportunity to go back toChicago and present before hundreds of ortho-pedic surgeons from across the nation at the2013 AAOS conference.

Sean Spence is the manifestation of turningdiligence into achievement. At 26-years-old, hehas a resume that is more impressive than most40-year-olds. With the help of his summer intern-ship, Sean was able to recognize his passion fororthopaedics and the well being of people.

"This internship experience is something that Ican take with me forever," says Sean. "I couldn'thave asked for a better opportunity and it wouldn'thave been possible without Nth Dimensions."

If you are interested in internship opportunitiesor other Nth Dimensions programs, visit theirmain website at www.nthdimensions.org.

“As with many students, public speaking was one of Spence's

phobias that he knew he would need to overcome if he wanted

to continue pursuing this field. To prepare, he studied 15 articles

to make sure he was able to explain the procedure.”

The lifestyle magazine forpre-med students

Sign up for the

FREEdigital edition of

PPrreeMMeeddLLiiffee magazinewww.premedlife.com

Join us on

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APPLICATIONS TO MEDICAL

SCHOOL REACHED NEW

HEIGHTS IN 2012,setting the stage for amore competitive admission process thanever before. However,one group of studentsare not fazed by thenews of more applicantsvying for roughly thesame number of spots inmedical schools acrossthe country.

DECISIONtheearly

Nearly two months ahead of regular-admission deadlines, studentswho apply to medical school through what is formally known as theEarly Decision Program (EDP) make a binding promise to apply toonly one medical school and attend that school should they beoffered admission.

Chances are you already know a thing or two about admissionto medical school through the Early Decision program. Yet fewreally know that an Early Decision program can offer an applicantan advantage over the regular admission process. Even fewer real-ize just how much of an advantage it adds to the admissions game.If your credentials make your application strong to begin with,applying to medical school through the Early Decision programcan significantly improve your chances of getting into your top

choice. Despite an increase in number of student being enrolledat medical schools across the country in 2012, admission ratescould still be a bit discouraging. Among the medical schools withthe lowest acceptance rates, an average of 3.4 percent of appli-cants were accepted, according to the most recent data reportedby institutions to U.S. News in an annual survey. But even amongover 100 of the other medical schools that did not fall into thelowest acceptance group had, on average, an acceptance rate offewer than 9 percent.

But here's what you're probably not considering - those are theacceptance rates for students who apply through the regularadmission process. The good news for applicants who take theEarly Decision route is that the numbers look a whole lot better.

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For example, the University of New MexicoSchool of Medicine reports that approximately10-20% of applicants are accepted under theirearly decision program. And last year, 3 out ofthe 4 students who applied to the University ofToledo College of Medicine's ED program wereaccepted.

With an increase in the number of studentsapplying and enrollment rates reaching an all-time high in 2012, the competition to get intomedical school is not easing up a bit. Last year'smedical school applicants had strong academiccredentials, with an average undergraduate GPAof 3.54 and combined median MCAT score of29, according to the most data from theAssociation of American Medical Colleges. Sohere's the deal. If you had the chance to double,maybe even triple, your chances of getting intoyour dream school, would you take it? There area few key questions you'll need to ask yourselfbefore you decide if you're in a good enoughposition to apply to the early decision program atyour first-choice medical school:

WILL YOU BE ABLE TO PRESENT YOURSELFAS THE STRONGEST MEDICAL SCHOOLCANDIDATE POSSIBLE BY AUGUST OFYOUR APPLICATION YEAR?Applying to medical school requires, first andforemost, that an applicant plans accordingly tosubmit the strongest application package possi-ble. The important things to remember is thatyou never want to compromise what might beyour only chance to present yourself as the bestcandidate possible by rushing to apply to an earlydecision program by the August 1 deadline. Forthose seriously considering an early decision pro-gram, putting together the best application is allabout smart planning. As you already know, whenit comes to applying to medical school, the check-list may at times seem endless. Sit down and takesome time to determine how much time you willneed to prepare for and take the MCAT, to draftand complete your AMCAS essays, to request andreceive your letters of recommendation, andcomplete other components of the medicalschool application process. You want to make agreat impression on the admission officersreviewing your application, so be certain that youhave enough time to do that.

ARE YOU PREPARED TO EXPLAIN WHY YOUARE SO SURE THAT A PARTICULAR MEDICALSCHOOL IS UNEQUIVOCALLY THE BEST FITFOR YOU? When you decide to put all of your eggs into onebasket and decide to take, the risk of applying toonly one medical school your reason or reasonsfor doing so better not just be good, but great! Byapplying to an early decision program, you arehave a unique opportunity to express to admis-

sion officers that you know what you want andyou want it bad. So, if at the end of your thought-ful medical school search, you are able to presenta truly compelling reason that a particular schoolis where you want to be, you're in a good place.Aside from being a good fit in various ways, onecompelling reason for applying early decisioncould be if you wanted to apply to a medicalschool in the city or state where your militaryspouse or partner was stationed.

DO MULTIPLE PARTIES ENCOURAGE YOUAND SUPPORT YOUR DECISION TO APPLY TO AN EARLY DECISION PROGRAM? A pretty good indication that you should apply toan early decision program for your dream school isif you have people in your corner who are confi-dent in encouraging you to go ahead and move for-ward. Starting with the pre-medical or academicadvisor at your school, a stamp of approval fromsomeone who works with students and sees themthrough the process for a living is a good thing.Then, some schools require students who are con-sidering an early decision program to actually meetwith their admissions director before even applyingto the program. For example, the University ofChicago Pritzker School of Medicine says that dueto the unique nature of the early decision programand the abbreviated application timeline, prospec-tive applicants must arrange a meeting with theschool's Director of Admission prior to applying.Other programs advise that students make contactwith the school their considering, which shouldn'tbe so bad considering it is their "dream" school andshould they be willing to do whatever is in theirbest interest. If after meeting with a representativefrom the school you receive a nod, then applying toyour top-choice medical school is certainly the right decision.

ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE YOURCHANCE TO RECEIVE ATTRACTIVE INSTITUTIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS OR SUBSIDIZED LOANS OFFERED BY OTHER MEDICAL SCHOOLS?It's no secret that the price tag of a medical edu-cation continues to rise, and medical students andgraduates are worried about their debt loads.Close to eighty percent of medical school gradu-ates had over $100,000 in debt, and 36 percenthad racked up education-related debt of morethan $200,000 by the time graduation rolledaround. That's according to the latest data fromthe Association of American Medical Collegesand the American Association of Colleges ofOsteopathic Medicine. If financial aid is not aconcern or you've already secured a scholarshipfrom an outside source other than your earlydecision school, then you have nothing to worryabout when it comes to this department.However, if you are concerned about coveringthe cost of your medical education, when youapply to an early decision program there is noguarantee that you will receive the best financialaid package that you may be eligible to receiveoverall. And despite having the academic creden-tials needed to meet requirements for possiblyreceiving a merit-based scholarship, again, there isno guarantee that you will be on the receiving endof the financial aid award.

WILL YOU BE FULLY PREPARED TO TAKE THEMCAT NO LATER THAN JUNE OF YOURAPPLICATION YEAR? If your current MCAT study plan puts you tak-ing the test sometime between July andSeptember, you will not receive your scores backin time to make the August deadline to submityour early decision application. As one of themost important factors in admission decisions,your MCAT score is critical to making you acompetitive candidate and thus deserves yourfull commitment to prepare. If it means begin-ning your MCAT prep a few weeks earlier thanplanned, then make the necessary changes. Butdon't take the risk if you have to shortchange orrush your MCAT preparation in anyway to meetthe early decision application deadline. It isimportant that you are comfortable with theamount of time you spend studying for one ofthe most important tests yet and rushing to takethe MCAT before you're fully ready could back-fire and jeopardize your chances of admissionto your top-pick medical school, or any medicalschool for that matter.

So, if you can confidently answer yes to all fiveof the above questions, then it would definitelybe in your favor to apply to the early decisionprogram if your top-pick medical school offersthe option to do so.

THEOTHEROPTIONWith an increase in thenumber of students applying and enrollmentrates reaching an all-timehigh in 2012, the competition to get intomedical school is not easing up a bit. Last year'smedical school applicantshad strong academic cre-dentials, with an averageundergraduate GPA of3.54 and combined median MCAT score of 29.






Times are changing as more and more pre-medicalstudents are beginning to realize and exercise theiroption to study broad. But making plans to studyabroad can be little trickier if you are a pre-medstudent. Early planning is the key to pulling off asuccessful trip without screwing up your plans forapplying to medical school. So here's the deal.Begin talking to your pre-medical advisor to deter-mine the best academic schedule that you shouldplan out before going abroad. Chances are therehave been several pre-med students who havealready participated in study abroad programs andfound success in the plan they charted. When con-sulting your pre-medical advisor, the earlier the bet-ter - most successful pre-med students who studyabroad meet with their advisor during their fresh-man or sophomore year.

If you plan on taking courses, regardless ofwhether or not it is health-related or not, youshould first make sure that the course is consid-ered an official study abroad program as definedby the American Medical College ApplicationService (AMCAS) - that is if you even intend onentering your credits on your medical schoolapplication. In order for AMCAS to consideryour foreign coursework, the study abroad pro-gram should be sponsored by and credits trans-ferred to a U.S. or Canadian institution. Underthe "Study Abroad Coursework" section of the2013 AMCAS Instruction Manual students canfind further details if they participated in a studyabroad program or will be including courseworkattempted anywhere other than at an institutionin the U.S. or Canada on their application.Furthermore, there are a number of study abroadprograms for which AMCAS will only acceptcredit if successfully transferred to and acceptedby a U.S. or Canadian sponsoring institution,including, but not limited to: (CIEE) Council onInternational Educational Exchange, (CEA)Cultural Experiences Abroad, (IES) InternationalEducation of Students, (ISA) InternationalStudies Abroad, and (DIS) Danish Institute forStudy Abroad Program.

The MCAT is administered at 18 locations out-side of the United States including, Australia,Hong Kong, Cyprus, France, Germany, Guam,India, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Philippines,Puerto Rico, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa,Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the U.S. VirginIslands. Even if you feel like you are a top-notchstudent with an airtight study plan and your test-taking skills are strong enough to sit for the

MCAT in an international space, do you reallywant to take that chance? Most medical schooladmission officers consider an applicant's MCATscores to be one of the most important factors intheir decision-making process. Your performanceon the MCAT is extremely important and youshould only take it under the most ideal condi-tions possible.

While most medical schools recognize the bene-fits of studying abroad and admission officerslike to see applicants who have gain the valuableexperience of life outside of the country, theyalso tend to prefer applicants to complete theirmedical school prerequisite courses at their homecollege or university and not through an interna-tional program. For required premedical coursesincluding, Introductory Biology, GeneralChemistry, Organic Chemistry, and GeneralPhysics, admission committees may find it chal-lenging to evaluate the coursework offered at var-ious foreign institutions. As a result, most med-ical schools do not allow applicants to use pre-medical coursework taken abroad to fulfill theprerequisite course requirement for their pro-grams. Therefore it is not recommended that youtake your core prerequisite courses while studyingabroad. However, some medical schools doaccept science prerequisite courses completedabroad. For example, SUNY Downstate Collegeof Medicine requires students who have com-pleted science prerequisites aboard to submit acourse by course evaluation from a nationalagency to enable the admissions committee toevaluate the coursework and put into U.S. aca-demic equivalents.

Circling back to the importance of early plan-ning, when making the decision to study abroad- timing is everything! Let's say that in your jun-ior year, you decide that you want to join yourroommate who is planning a study abroad tripto Hong Kong for the Spring semester. Haveyou completed your medical school prerequi-sites? If no, are you okay with finishing yourcoursework during your senior year? Or, what ifyou study abroad during your senior year andare not available if invited for medical schoolinterviews back in the U.S.? Most pre-medicaladvisors highly recommend that in the interestof the medical school admissions process, pre-med students interested in studying abroadshould do so during the summer following theirsophomore year. In addition, by planning tostudy abroad before they begin their junior year,pre-med students should therefore not disrupttheir scheduled prerequisite coursework.

GOODADVICE

5Things EveryPremed ShouldKnow BeforeStudying Abroad

REGARDLESS OF YOUR MAJOR, LIVING ANDSTUDYING INTERNATIONALLY CAN BEVALUABLE TO ANY STUDENT, and for pre-meds studying abroad, the experience can beone of the best things you could ever doduring college. The unique, firsthand experi-ence is the perfect way to gain exposure todiverse health practices, learn about differ-ent health care beliefs and practices, andimportantly, to participate in health carerelated volunteer projects. As future healthcare professionals, studying abroad providesan ideal setting to become a well-roundedstudent with broad and diverse experiences.However, before you get all excited aboutyour international academic stint, there aresome important details that you'll want tolearn to have the most successful experiencepossible. So here are a few valuable thingsyou should know to help you plan your pre-med studies abroad.

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START THINKING ABOUT STUDYING ABROAD1

NOT ALL STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS ARE CREATED EQUAL2

TAKING THE MCAT ABROAD IS ANOPTION, BUT NOT ENCOURAGED3

MOST MED SCHOOLS DO NOT ACCEPT PRE-MED COURSES TAKEN ABROAD 4

POOR PLANNING CAN SABOTAGEYOUR ADMISSION TO SCHOOL5

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PRE-MEDSUMMER PROGRAMS20

13

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Little Rock, Arkansas June 3 - August 9, 2013 10 Weeks

PROGRAM NAME LOCATION DATE DURATION

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Los Angeles, California June 23-August 3, 2013 6 WeeksSummer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP)

Seaver Undergraduate Research in Biology at Pepperdine University Malibu, California May 12 - July 27, 2013 10 Weeks


Summer research program geared specifically to Stipend Email [email protected] FEBRUARY 15, 2013undergraduate students who are interested in Room + Board seaver.pepperdine.edu/surbpursing a career in biological research, science Travel Costseducation, environmental science or biotechnology.Over the summer, students will pursue individualresearch seminars in one of five research areas students may elect to study.

The UCLA SMDEP will serve as a model learning Meals Phone (310) 825-9573 MARCH 1, 2013community in which students examine health care Stipend Email [email protected] in medically underserved communities. Housing www.medsch.ucla.edu/smdep

Through a research project, problem-based learning cases, lectures, clinical experiences, and small-group discussions, students will also improve their learning skills and increase their science knowledge. The program targets educationally and financially disadvantaged community college students.

Paid summer research fellowships are available for $3000 Stipend Phone(501) 686-8895 MARCH 15, 2013undergraduate students who will be juniors or pharmtox.uams.edu/surfseniors by the fall semester. Selected students willwork on a project relevant to human health in a laboratory of a faculty member at either the University of Arkansas, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, or the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The Biomedical Research fellowships are designed for students with a solid background in science who wish to be part of an ongoing research project, develop their technical skills and are interested in pursuing a research career.

DESCRIPTION PERKS PROGRAM INFO APPLICATION DEADLINE


UCLA Pre-Medical Enrichment Program (PREP) Los Angeles, California June 19 - July 31, 2013 7 Weeks


UCLA Re-Application Program (RAP) Los Angeles, California June 19-July 31, 2013 11 Months Summer Session7 Weeks + Academic Session9 Months

Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy Duarte, California May-July 2013 10 WeeksorJune-August 2013

UCSD Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) San Diego, California June 24 - August 16, 2013 12 WeeksSummer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)

2013 PREMED SUMMER PROGRAMS

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Duarte, California May-August 2013 10 WeeksContinuing Umbrella of Research Experience (CURE) Program June-August 2013

June-September 2013

Stanford Summer Research Program (SSRP) Stanford, California June 22 - August 24, 2013 8 Weeks


PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

Program designed to provide premedical and Travel Allowance Phone(310) 825-3575 MARCH 1, 2013predental students from disadvantaged background www.medstudent.ucla.eduwith a means of strengthening their ability andreadiness to study medicine or dentistry. Students will work at a rigorous pace with a highly focused scope to prepare for the MCAT and DAT.Participants will engage in an extensive and lively classroom review of Biology, Chemistry,Physics, and Verbal Reasoning. Participants are also assigned to observe practicing physicians,dentists, and medical researchers performing thetypical functions of their professions.

Comprehensive, structured re-application program Stipend Phone(310) 825-3575 TBA (priority deadline)designed to assist students from disadvantaged www.medstudent.ucla.edubackground who have been unsuccessful in gaining admission to any U.S. medical school. The program begins with an intensive 8-week summer session,focused upon prerequisite science review and MCAT preparation. An individualized academic-year program that consists of a science curriculum will follow.

Program gives promising students with an interest $4,000 Stipend Email: [email protected] MARCH 14, 2013in research and health science careers practical www.cityofhope.org/educationexperience and helps them develop important skills for their futures. Our instructors are world-renowned physicians and scientists who guide students in their research, while helping them develop their critical thinking skills. Weekly seminars allow students to present research findings to their peers, a good primer for what graduate and postdoctoral students do.

Program is designed to engage the scientific $4,000 Stipend www.cityofhope.org/education CONTACT PROGRAMcuriosity of promising young high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented populations who are interested in cancer research as a career.

Program for motivated undergraduate students $4,800 Stipend Email: (800) 925-8704 FEBRUARY 1, 2013interested in seeking future training in a combined Housing mstp.ucsd.edu/surfMD/PhD program. Principle focus is an Travel Allowance8-week research project conducted in the laboratoryof a faculty member in the biomedical sciences.

Program offers undergraduates who want to $3,500 Stipend Email: [email protected] CONTACT PROGRAMprepare for and enter Ph.D programs in the ssrp.stanford.edusciences an opportunity to work with Stanford's distinguished faculty and work in one ofStanford's state-of-the-art research facilities.Participants will work with a faculty member and a lab mentor to craft a research project.The program culminates with a research symposium, where students present individual talks and posters on their summer projects in front of the faculty, lab mentors, and University administrators.



Graduate Experience for Multicultural Students (GEMS) Denver, Colorado June 3- August 9 2013 10 Weeksat the University of Colorado - Denver School of Medicine


Summer Student Research Fellowship at Hartford Hospital Hartford, Connecticut June 3-August 9, 2013 10 Weeks

Yale University Summer Medical/Dental Education Program (SMDEP) New Haven, Connecticut June-July 2013 6 Weeks

College Summer Fellowship Program at UConn School of Medicine Farmington, Connecticut TBA 10 Weeks


Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation Internship Program Ridgefield, Connecticut TBA TBA

College Enrichment Program (CEP) at the University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut May - July 2013 6 Weeks


PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

Program offers a unique clinical research $1,500+ Award [email protected] FEBRUARY 13, 2013opportunity for college students pursuing careers in www.harthosp.orgmedicine. Fellowship is designed exclusively for pre-medical students completing either their junior or senior year in college. It offers the student an introduction to research methodology, patient treatment, and ethical issues in medicine as well as exposure to a broad spectrum of health care providers within a large community teaching hospital.

Program for highly motivated college students who Stipend (203) 785-7545 MARCH 1, 2013are considering a career in medicine. The Program Food Email: [email protected] students to a problem-based learning model Housing www.smdep.org/progsites/yale.htmof science education that is similar to that used in Travel Allowancemedical school.

Research & Development: Throughout the summer, (202) 798-9988interns will have the opportunity to work us.boehringer-ingelheim.com/career

side-by-side with top researchers in their field.Medical: Interns within the medical department have the opportunity to assist on both early and late phase clinical trails. Whether the project entails enrolling participants into a clinical trail or measuring and analyzing trail results, interns work with leading doctors and researchers to assure that all Boehringer Ingelheim products meet all requirements set forth by the FDA.

The program addresses the needs of University of (505) 277-5321Connecticut freshmen and sophomores. The [email protected] is designed to provide sound development of scientific and mathematical skills. The program consists of courses in individual programs of study in: Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Calculus, and Physics. The program will consist of 30 hours per week of formal lecture, laboratory, directed study,and clinical experiences addressing the needs ofcollege freshman or sophomores.

The program is designed to offer undergraduates $2,500-$3,000 (860) 679-2487 MARCH 15, 2013who are completing their sophomore, or preferably Stipend Email: [email protected] junior year of college, and plant to purse a Housing www.medicine.uchc.educareer as a MD, DMD, MD/PhD, or DMD/PhD.Once a student is accepted to the program and has selected and found a faculty sponsor in which to do research, the student will meet with the faculty sponsor in June and develop a research protocol and suitable project description. The student will commit approximately 30+ hours per week for the project and will work with the faculty sponsor or his/her designates.

Selected GEMS interns will enroll in a research $4,000 Stipend (303) 724-6084 FEBRUARY 15, 2013internship course, Topics in Biomedical Science and Travel Allowance Email: [email protected]. The course will be conducted by www.ucdenver.edu/academicsdistinguished research faculty and will consist oflectures, demonstrations, and laboratory research assignments with a mentor.



Summer Medical/Dental Education Program (SMDEP) Washington, DC June-July 2013 6 Weeksat Howard University


Georgetown Summer Medical Institute (GSMI) Washington, DC TBA Varies

Pre-Medical Summer Enrichment Program (PSEP) Tampa, Florida TBA 6 Weeksat The University of South Florida

Minority Students Health Careers Motivation Program Miami, Florida June-July 2013 7 Weeks


Health P.A.S.S. Program Des Moines, Iowa July 2013 4 Weeks


PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

The program is designed to provide an educational Stipend (202) 806-0378 MARCH 1, 2013experience of exceptional quality that will strengthen Housing [email protected] overall academic preparation of under- Meals www.smdep.org/progsitesrepresented minority, disadvantaged, and low-income students who express interest in admission to medical or dental school.

The program, combined with the informative and (202) 806-0378 CONTACT PROGRAMsupportive environment at Georgetown University [email protected] of Medicine, will provide preparation and som.georgetown.edu/prospectivestudentsinsight for individuals exploring the calling ofmedicine as a career, and those making-up medical school course.

Tuition: $3,862 (5 Credits) for Human Gross Anatomy and Human Physiology; $3,090 (4 Credits) for Medical Histology (Microscopic Anatomy) and Medical Biochemistry. Tuition includes the use ofcourse textbooks and lab fees (for Anatomy).

The program is designed for highly motivated $1,500 Grant (813) 974-4707 CONTACT PROGRAMstudents who are preparing for medical school or physical therapy school. The program is designed to enhance the competitiveness of talented minority and disadvantaged students for admission into medical school and serves as a recruitment tool to USF COM Medicine. The program includes a review of conceptsin biology, general and organic chemistry, and physics.

Participants will work closely with faculty in areas ofreading skills, test taking skills, etc. Participants are also pared with physicians in the local community to have an opportunity to develop an appreciation of the "real world of medicine" through weekly clinical experiences.

The program is designed to be a mini first-year $400 Stipend (305) 284-3187 LATE MARCH 2013medical education experience that exposes Housing www6.miami.eduparticipants to classroom instruction in select basic Mealsscience courses in the medical education curriculum Travel Allowanceand offers physician-shadowing opportunities. Great attention isplaced on identifying and removing any barriers that may prevent a participant from being a competitive medical school applicant. Workshops develop skills for preparing strong admissions and financial aid applications.

The program is for promising college sophomores Travel Stipend (800) 240-2767 x 1709 FEBRUARY 2013and juniors to prepare for and enhance their chances Meals www.dmu.edu/healthpassof getting into medical school and other health Materialsprofessions programs. Health P.A.S.S. will provide Housingparticipants with well-rounded perspectives on what it's like to be a medical school student in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine and surgery, physical therapy, and physician assistant studies. In the program's courses, clinical opportunities and practical exposure, students will gain the confidence that they can achieve a degree and career in any of Des Moines University's four clinical areas- and the knowledge they need to get started.




Professional Education Preparation Program (PEPP) Lexington, Kentucky June-July 2013 4 Weeksat The University of Kentucky

MCAT-DAT Review Summer Workshop Louisville, Kentucky May 28 - June 25, 2013 4 Weeksat the University of Louisville School of Medicine

Buck for Brains Summer Research Program Lexington, Kentucky Varies 8 Weeksat the University of Kentucky

Frontier Nursing Service Courier Program Wendover, Kentucky TBA 6- 8 weeks

Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research Bethesda, Maryland mid-May-June 2013 8 WeeksNational Institutes of Health (NIH) Baltimore, Maryland

Frederick, Maryland


Summer Internship Program Baltimore, Maryland May 26 - August 3, 2013 10 Weeksat Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

College Summer Enrichment Program Worcester, Massachusetts May-June, 2013 4 Weeksat the University of Massachusetts Medical School


PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

The program provides academic enrichment in Housing (859) 257-1968 MARCH 2013chemistry and biology, as well as clinical experiences, Meals [email protected] and dental experiential activities, laboratory www.uky.eduexperiences, seminars, demonstrations, and clinical site visits.Free MCAT review workshop for eligible students 502) 852-8109 MARCH 1, 2013

louisville.edu/medschool

The program provides undergraduates at the $3,500 Stipend (859) 257-6322 APRIL 15, 2013University of Kentucky with hands-on [email protected] in academic research, working www.research.uky.edualongside "Bucks for Brains" faculty. Students are placed in research settings ranging from plant biochemistry to computer science to American history.

The program provides a type of internship for $500 Stipend (606) 672-2317 CONTACT PROGRAMyoung women and men who had a desire to go into [email protected] medical field. For young women and men who www.frontiernursing.orgare interested in the healthcare field, the Courier

Program provides limited opportunities to shadow healthcare professionals including: family nurse practitioners, physicians, nurse-midwives at FNS rural healthcare centers, at Mary Breckinridge Hospital and Home Health Agency.

The program is designed to provide an independent Stipend [email protected] MARCH 1, 2013research experience in biomedical and/or public www.jhsph.eduhealth research to undergraduate students under the direct mentoring of established Johns Hopkins researchers. During the program interns work one-on-one with faculty on research projects in their field of interest and attend a health science seminar series.

The program provides experience in research $3,000 Stipend [email protected] FEBRUARY 1, 2013laboratories to students of diverse backgrounds, Housing

including underrepresented minority students and students from economically disadvantaged and underserved backgrounds. The purpose of thisexposure to biomedical and/or public health

research is to encourage students to consider careers in science, medicine and public health.

A tuition-free four-week residential program for Stipend (508) 856-2707 MARCH 2013undergraduate sophomores and juniors interested Housing www.umassmed.eduin entering the health professions. The goals of Travel Allowancethe program are to help participants improve their qualifications and competitive standing for admission to professional, graduate and/or medical school. The program includes enrichment activities to enhance participants' academic and communication skills. Sessions include the professional school application process with emphasis on medical school admissions and financing professional school. Seminars on biomedical research and cultural contemporary health issues are also provided. Additionally,the SEP offers participants the opportunity tointeract with medical students, scientists, physicians,

and other health care professionals




Four Directions Summer Research Program Boston, Massachusetts June 10 - August 8, 2013 8 Weeksat Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital

Siteman Cancer Center Summer Opportunity Program St. Louis, Missouri May 28 - August 2, 2013 10 Weeks

Biomedical Research Apprenticeship Program (BioMed RAP) St. Louis, Missouri TBA 10 Weeksat Washington University in St. Louis


University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, Nebraska June - July 2013 8 WeeksSummer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP)

Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program Newark, New Jersey TBA 10 Weeksat the Eppley Cancer Research Institute


PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

The focus of activity during the summer is Travel Allowance (617) 525-7644 FEBRUARY 13, 2013 @ 11PMparticipation in a basic science research project. Housing [email protected] are assigned a medical school faculty Living Stipend www.fdsrp.orgmentor who will work closely with the student to ensure completion of a project over the 8-week summer period. Additional program goals include: Experience cutting edge research at a leading medical school, understand the medical school application process, exposure to Native American health care issues, integrate Native traditions including talking circles,networking with Native American students and faculty

Program provides opportunities for undergraduate, $3,500 Stipend (314) 454-8439 MARCH 1, 2013pre-med and medical students enrolled at [email protected] University or other accredited universities www.siteman.wustl.eduto work on cancer research projects during the summer. Opportunities range from basic laboratory research to clinical research to prevention/control and population research.

As a BioMedRAP/CD-BioRAP participant, Stipend (314) 362-7963 JANUARY 31, 2013students will conduct independent research with Travel Allowance [email protected] faculty mentors, work in a cutting Housingedge science and technology environment, gain exposure to some of the nation's finest biomedicalinvestigators and an extensive variety of research

topics, receive individualized career counseling and develop your career interests, participate in workshops,seminars and journal clubs, build a social network with student peers and faculty, and prepare to apply to the best Ph.D. and M.D. /Ph.D. programs in the United States

The program is designed to identify, recruit, and Meals (800) 701-9665 MARCH 1, 2013assist future dentists and doctors through a Travel Assistance [email protected] six-week summer experience for Stipend www.smdep.orgtalented freshman and sophomores. The overall Housinggoal of the program is to provide each scholar the navigation tools necessary to reach their current and future goals. NMC's primary focus on core academicsis a springboard for students in their pursuit of a

career as a physician or dentist. What makes this program unique is its emphasis on small-group learning. Instruction includes areas, such as health disparities, medical ethics, and public health.

Students in the summer program work for 10 wks $4,000 Stipend [email protected] MARCH 1, 2013doing hands-on research in Eppley Institute Housing www.unmc.edu/eppley/summer.htmlaboratories. Students get to try research, learn

techniques and new concepts, and work with professional researchers, all while earning a competitive summer salary. Virtually all of our former summer students have been successful in gaining acceptance to graduate and professional schools.



UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical and New Jersey Dental Schools Newark, New Jersey June-July 2013 6 WeeksSummer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP)


Biomedical Careers Program (BCP) at Robert Wood Medical School Piscataway, New Jersey June - July 2013 6 Weeks

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons New York, New York June-July 2013 6 WeeksSummer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP)

Gateways to the Laboratory Summer Program New York, New York June - August 2013 10 Weeksat Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan-Kettering



PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

Program serves to advance our institution's core Stipend (973) 972-3762 MARCH 1, 2013mission of meeting society's current and future Housing [email protected] care needs by preparing individuals under- Meals www.smdep.orgrepresented in medicine and dentistry, and doing so while championing cultural competency and humanism in all aspects of education. SMDEP reaffirms our continued commitment to andinvolvement in pipeline initiatives and will allow

our two institutions to attain even greater diversity.SMDEP will also allow us to continue strengthening the academic portfolios of these college students so that they are competitive candidates for medicine.

Academic enrichment program for undergraduate Tuition Free (732) 235-4558 MARCH 2013students interested in careers in the health [email protected]. The program targets undergraduates rwjms.umdnj.eduwho are economically and/or educationally disadvantaged. BCP offers an intensive six-week summer program to serve students at all stages ofundergraduate education. Students take part in a variety of science enrichment and healthcare-oriented activities.

The program provides students seriously interested Meals (212) 305-4157 MARCH 1, 2013in applying to medical or dental school with a well- Travel Assistance [email protected], integrated approach to learning, focusing on Stipend www.smdep.org/progsitesthe basic science curriculum needed to apply to Housingmedical or dental school. Students engage in intenselabs, learning-skills, and career development courses

during the six weeks of the program, while attending weekly clinical rotations and seminars. The program strives to help students enhance and improve their chances of becoming successful applicants and students at the medical/dental schools of their choice.

The program was established for underrepresented $4,300 Stipend (212) 746-6023 FEBRUARY 1, 2013minority and disadvantaged college students who Travel expenses [email protected] to pursue the combined MD-PhD degree. www.med.cornell.eduOver the summer, students will: Work independently on a research project. Students will present and participate in weekly journal clubs. Participate in a hands-on tour of the Gross Anatomy Lab. Sit for a Mock MCAT exam. Partake in a Lab Techniques Workshop and Clinical Skills Workshop. Participate in Career Development Workshops. Scrub into surgeries at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.Give an oral, written and poster presentation ofyour research in front of your family, friends and colleagues. Have on going mentorship by your "Big Sib" (a current MD-PhD student) as well as weekly meetings with the Program's leadership.



Summer Undergraduate Mentorship Program Bronx, New York June-July 2012 6 weeksat Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University


Montefiore Medical Center's Health Opportunities Program Bronx, New York July - August 2012 6 Weeks(Monte-HOP)

Project Asian Health Education and Development (AHEAD) New York, New York June - August 2012 8 Weeks

The Travelers Summer Research Fellowship Program New York, New York June - August 2012 8 Weeksfor Premedical Students at Weill Cornell Medical College

Project Healthcare at NYU Langone Medical Center New York, New York June - August 2012 10 Weeks



PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

The program will be comprised of a six-hour per $1,000 Stipend (718) 430-2792 MARCH 2013week commitment to a shadowing experience Transportation [email protected] an assigned mentor and fourteen hours per Meals www.einstein.yu.edu/hcoeweek of lecture attendance. These fourteen hours will be distributed into the following three core curriculum components: six hours clinical didactic,six hours medical informatics, and two hours ofMCAT preparation and test taking strategies.Students are also expected to conduct a research project while in the program.

The program is designed to promote, educate, (718) 920-4678 APRIL 2013and encourage underserved youth to purse careers [email protected] the health fields. Students will gain valuable www.einstein.yu.edu/hcoeknowledge and professional skills throughinteractive workshops, mentorship by physicians,

observation of physician-patient interactions,lecture activities and independent learning.

The program is designed to provide training and Meals (212) 379-6988 ext. 619 FEBRUARY 2013experience for college students who are interested in Travel Assistance www.cbwchc.orgpursuing a career in the health care field. The Stipendprogram consists of a practical field placement, Housingseminars and workshops, and participation in the development and completion of a community health project. Students explore various health careers, and gain an understanding of the dynamics of the New York Asian American community and of current health issues impacting the health status ofAsian Americans in the United States.

The program is designed to give 25 premedical $140/Wk (212) 746-1057 FEBRUARY 1 2013students deeper insights into the field of medicine, Housing www.med.cornell.eduincluding issues that greatly affect the health of Travel Expenses fortraditionally underserved groups. Through the students who live someexperiences of laboratory or clinical research, the distance from NYstudents learn how one purses a specific research problem under the supervision of a faculty member,thus providing an early education into basic research techniques that could be applicable to any area ofmedicine.

Project Healthcare is an innovative volunteer program (212) 562-3041 JANUARY 2013for enthusiastic and inspired college and post- [email protected] students. Created by the Bellevue emergency.med.nyu.eduHospital Center Emergency Department, PHC allows students an opportunity to experience and many different aspects of healthcare. The program

is comprised of several weekly rotations which are based in the Emergency Department. It offers the committed student a unique healthcare experience,which is intended to furnish a wealth of knowledge about the numerous options for a career in healthcare.



Summer Scientific Work Program (SSWP) at Franklin Hospital Valley Stream, New York TBA 4 weeks


ACCESS Summer Research Program at Cornell University New York, New York TBA 10 weeks

AGEP Summer Research Institute (SRI) Stony Brook, New York TBA 10 Weeksat SUNY Stony Brook University

Bronx-Westchester Area Health Education Center Bronx, New York May/July 2013 Varies



PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

The program is designed to help college students [email protected] FEBRUARY 15, 2013decide whether or not a career in medicine is right http://www.northshorelij.comfor them. This renowned program offers students

the opportunity to complete a four-week summer internship where they have the chance to observe and ask questions in order to learn more about the medical field. Throughout these four weeks, accepted students rotate through various departments in order to gain a well rounded experience of the hospital..Some of these departments include the operating room, emergency room, radiology, geriatrics, laboratory,psychiatry as well as the rehabilitation unit. Participants also have numerous opportunities to go on rounds with doctors, observe physicians in their private offices and attend hospital conferences.

The Access program of Weill Cornell Graduate $3,000 Stipend (212) 746-6565 FEBRUARY 1, 2013School of Medical Sciences is a summer internship Up to $300 for [email protected] that trains underserved college students in travel expenses weill.cornell.eduthe biomedical sciences Interns gain hands-on Housingexperience in a biomedical research laboratory and are encouraged to apply to PhD programs. Selected students are placed in laboratories at the Weill Cornell Medical College under the mentorship of experienced faculty members. n addition to the laboratory experience,students attend lectures and discussions aimed at enhancing their understanding of the current status ofbiomedical research, the pathways available for entering research careers, and the range of available career opportunities. Students also participate in weekly journal clubs, attend workshops that teach them how to prepare for interviews and seminars, and take part in social activities.

The program is an intensive residential research $3,500 Stipend (631) 632-1387 FEBRUARY 2013internship program for underrepresented minority Round-trip airfare [email protected] majoring in science, technology, Housing www.stonybrook.edu/agepengineering, or mathematics. Students will get a Mealsunique opportunity to work on independent research projects in cutting-edge laboratories under the direction of Stony Brook University faculty.

Health Careers Internship Program (HCIP): This (718) 590-1110 VARIESprogram allows students aspiring toward a career in www.bwahec.org/programsthe health professions the opportunity to work in a health care setting and interact regularly with health professionals. Students must be Junior or Senior in college. Summer Health Internship Program (SHIP):The program provides a six-week summer placement opportunity for junior/senior high school, and freshman/sophomore college students who have expressed an interest in the health field. Students are exposed to a variety of careers in the health fields as well as to health issues affecting their communities.



MD/PhD Summer Undergraduate Research Program Omaha, Nebraska TBA 10 Weeksat University of Nebraska Medical Center


Summer Program for Future Doctors at East Carolina University Greenville, North Carolina TBA 8 Weeks

Science Enrichment Preparation (SEP) Program Chapel Hill, North Carolina TBA 8 Weeksat the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Indians into Medicine Program at the University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota TBA 6 Weeks



PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

The program is designed to provide appropriate $3,000 Stipend (402) 559-8242 MARCH 1, 2013experience and training to enable students to [email protected] competitive for admission to the school's www.unmc.eduMD/PhD Scholars Program. Benefits of the program include, gaining research training and experience that will make them more competitive for medical school, graduate school, other summer research programs, and MD/PhD program,exploring personal motivation for a career in medicine and biomedical research, meeting the UNMC faculty, participating in a student poster session.

The program is an intensive, challenging, Housing (252) 744-2500 CONTACT PROGRAMeducational summer program that allows Travel Stipend [email protected] to experience the pedagogical style www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/ascc/SPFD.cfmand demands of the medical school curriculum.The Summer Program for Future Doctors is a great opportunity for participants to strengthen their basic science knowledge base, enhance their critical thinking skills, gain a better understanding of the application and admissions process, and exhibit their abilities to successfully handle the academic, social, and emotional demands ofmedical school.

The SEP Program is an honors-level academic (919) 966-2264 FEBRUARY 15, 2013enrichment program for disadvantaged undergraduate nchcap.unc.edu/sep.phpstudents (rising sophomores and juniors) who seek admissions into graduate/health professional programs.Students will engage in more than 150 hours ofclassroom instruction in physics, organic chemistry,human physiology and quantitative skills/biostatistics,attend classes and seminars in reading speed and comprehension, test-taking strategies, essay writing,and interview techniques, visit local health facilities and network with health care professionals, and shadow a working professional in your health field of interest.

2 programs. Pathway at UND: This program is for Stipend (701) 777-3037 MARCH 31, 2013tribal community college students planning to Travel Stipend www.med.und.edu/inmedtransfer to UND in health care or pre-health curricula. Pathway courses are taught by Universityinstructors, and are designed to prepare participantsfor advanced courses in the areas of anatomy,

physioogy, biology and physics. Pathway also includes a learning skills component to promote successfullearning styles and study habits. Pathway students are

eligible to apply for one-year tuition waivers at UND.Med Prep at UND: This program is for American Indian college upperclassmen and graduates who are preparing for medical school coursework. The program is divided into two major components:pre-medical students preparing to take or retake the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and students entering medical school.



Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland, Ohio June - July 2013 6 WeeksSummer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP)


Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine Athens, Ohio June 11 to July 17, 2013 6 WeeksSummer Scholars Program

MedStarz Program at the University of Toledo College of Medicine Toldeo, OH July 2013 1 Week

Research, Observation, Service, and Education (R.O.S.E) Program Cincinnati, Ohio Mid June - Early August 2013 8-10 Weeksat the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Chester Summer Scholars Program Cleveland, Ohio June - August 2013 10 Weeks

Pre-Professional Internship Program Cincinnati, Ohio TBA 1- 2 Weeksat Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine



PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

The program is designed to identify, recruit, and Meals (216) 368-0529 MARCH 1, 2013assist in preparing as many highly talented, Travel Assistance [email protected], and hard-working minority and Stipend www.smdep.orgeconomically disadvantaged students as possible Housingfor careers in dentistry and medicine. We hope to imbue our students with the confidence and skills necessary to allow them to return to school better prepared to perform well in more rigorous basic science and math classes.

Summer Scholars participants prepare for the Room + Board (800) 345-1560 MARCH 1, 2013challenges and rewards of medical school. Stipend [email protected] applicants are selected each year to Program Materialswww.oucom.ohiou.eduparticipate in this rigorous six-week program Round-Trip designed to give you an intensive and realistic Travel Expensesintroduction to the first-year curriculum at

OU-COM. In addition to traditional medical school curricula taught by medical college faculty,graduate students and upper-class medical students,the program focuses on case-based problem solving and small-group/team work.

The program provides students exposure to Housing (419) 383-4229 MARCH 1, 2013medicine and will include experiences that Travel Allowance [email protected] sessions on navigating the medical www.utoledo.eduschool application process, introduction to the Problem Based Learning (PBL) model in small group sessions, hands on experience in the gross anatomy lab, clinical lectures on medical topics,diversity and cultural competency exercises, and contact with physicians in the clinical setting.

The R.O.S.E. program is part internship, part early 3,000 Stipend (513) 558-5581 FEBRUARY 1, 2013acceptance to medical school, and part mentorship ROSE students [email protected]. The purpose of the program is to provide have conditional www.med.uc.edu/rose/index.htmlstimulating experiences and contact with academic acceptance to themedical faculty for high ability, intellectually curious Cincinnati Collegepre-medical college students. of Medicine

The program awards 15 collegiate undergraduate 2,000 Stipend (216) 778-5940 FEBRUARY 2013students the opportunity to spend the summer in Free Parking [email protected] laboratory research at MetroHealth Supplies and www.metrohealth.orgMedical Center. The program is an opportunity equpment arefor pre-medical and scientifically-oriented students providedto explore the potential for a career in medical research or academic medicine.

The Pre-Professional Internship Program at the (216) 916-7488 TBAOhio College of Podiatric Medicine (OCPM) is [email protected] to provide insight into the many facets www.ocpm.eduof podiatric medicine and the education involved with obtaining the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Degree.



Summer Premedical Enrichment Program (SPEP) Cincinnati, Ohio June - July 2013 6 Weeksat the University of Cincinnati


Summer Premedical Academic Enrichment Program (SPAEP) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania June - July 2013 8 Weeksat the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Pre-med Enrichment Program Philadelphia, Pennsylvania May - August 2013 10 Weeksat the University of Pennsylvania Health System

Pre-Med Program at St. Mary Healthcare Center Langhorne, Pennsylvania Begins May 2013 TBA

Summer Pre-Med Program at Doylestown Hospital Doylestown, Pennsylvania Late-May - August 2013 10 Weeks



PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

Residential program for 18 college juniors, seniors, (513) 558-7212 MARCH 1, 2013and postbaccalaureate premedical students. Students [email protected] intensive exposure to medicine as a career comdo-wcnlb.uc.eduthrough t ours, speakers, seminars, and shadowing.Students are exposed to the medical school experience and the academic curriculum through a noncredit course in cardiophysiology, extensive interaction with medical students and faculty, and detailed guidance through the medical school application process. Emphasis is on strengthening critical thinking/problem solving skills, increasing self-awareness, and making each participant a competitive medical school applicant.

This program, open to high school graduates and $1,000 Stipend (412) 648-8987 CONTACT PROGRAMcollege students, is designed specifically to prepare Transportation www.medschool.pitt.eduand support students who wish to pursue careers Housingin the field of medicine. Spend seven weeks in MealsLevel I, strengthening your academic skills and learning more about careers in medicine. Or,spend eight weeks immersed and engaged in the work of physician-scientists including laboratory research and MCAT preparation through Level II.Both programs will enhance your skills and knowledge in science, writing and public speaking.You'll discover a challenging and stimulating program in the environment of a major academic medical center.

The aim of this program is to prepare minority $2,500 Stipend (215) 898-3980 CONTACT PROGRAMstudents for careers in academic medicine or [email protected] positions of leadership in medicine. www.uphs.upenn.eduStudents will be engaged in a program of research,clinical observations, classroom exercises and teaching observations, designed to stimulate their interest in academic medicine. In addition, the students will be engaged in the following: activities pertaining to the medical school application process and medical school admissions; classroom instructions and simulated testing to prepare the students for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

This program is for students who have complete Conditional (215) 710-2096 CONTACT PROGRAMtheir second year of college with a GPA of at least acceptance to the [email protected] in a course of study that qualifies them for UC COM www.stmaryhealthcare.org

$3,000 Stipend

The program is designed for college students (215) 354-2204 CONTACT PROGRAMwho have complete their junior year and are www.dh.org/body.cfm?id=616pursing academic programs leading to medical school. Doylestown Hospital physicians assist with the program, which includes lectures and "hands-on" volunteer work on patient floors and in many departments.



Mini-Med Spring Break at Drexel University College of Medicine Philadelphia, Pennsylvania March/April 2013 Choose from 7 1-week sessions


Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy (VSSA) Nashville, Tennessee June - August 2013 TBA

Oncology Education (POE) Program Memphis, Tennessee Mid-June - August 2013 Varies

Dialysis Clinic, Inc. Collegiate Nashville, Tennessee June 1 - July 30, 2013 8 WeeksMedical Summer Internship Program



PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

Participants will experience a medical education as (215) 762-6800 MARCH 2013seen through the eyes of 3rd and 4th year medical [email protected] during their clinical rotations in the hospital www.drexelmed.eduand clinical practices. The experience can enlighten participants about a career in medicine, whether they're about to enter medical school or are just beginning the application process. Participants will accompany the teaching team and 3rd and 4th year medical students on hospital rounds and be part ofdiscussions between physician, patient, and medical students. Throughout the five-day program,participants will also see patients in clinical practice,attend department lectures, or go into the operating room. Participants will have the opportunity to talk with 3rd and 4th year medical students about their experiences preparing for medical school, what their first two years were like and what it's like now that they're out of the classroom and in the hospital.

Tuition: $1500

The program offers biomedical research $2,500-$4,000 (615) 343-2573 CONTACT PROGRAMopportunities to undergraduates who want to Stipend [email protected] a career in biomedical sciences. There are medschool.mc.vanderbilt.edu/ssatwo major tracks within the VSSA; the Basic Science Programs for undergraduates interested in careers in research, and the Undergraduate Clinical Research Internship Program for undergraduates who wish to pursue a career in medicine. Participation in any one of the Summer Science Academy programs is a valuable learning experience that enhances a student's skills and makes him or her more competitive for acceptance to frontline graduate programs.

The POE program offers a unique opportunity $4,000 (901) 595-2488 FEBRUARY 1, 2013for students preparing for careers in the Housing [email protected] sciences, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, www.stjude.org/poepsychology, or public health to gain biomedical and oncology research experience. The POE program provides a short-term training experience (internship) in either laboratory research or clinical research. Students participating in the Pediatric Oncology Education program will receive training in a superb academic environment created by the interaction of committed basic scientists, research-oriented physicians, and postdoctoral fellows.

This program is a summer internship for (615) 327-8814 FEBRUARY 2013pre-medical students in the clinical area of organ http://www.dciinc.orgtransplantation. The internship includes shadowing physicians on rounds in the hospital, observing and assisting in an outpatient/clinic facility, and observing transplant and transplant-related surgical operations.



Michael E. DeBakey Summer Surgery Program Houston, Texas Mid-June- August 2013 8 Weeksat Baylor College of Medicine


The University of Texas Dental Branch and Medical School at Houston Houston, Texas May-June 2013 6 WeeksSummer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP)

Health Career Opportunities Program (HCOP) Houston, Texas TBA 6 Weeksat The University of Houston College of Optometry

Physiology Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE) San Antonio, Texas June - July 2013 8 Weeks

Scholars Program in Organic Chemistry Dallas, Texas TBA 10 Weeksat University of Texas - Southwestern Medical Center



PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE

The Michael E. DeBakey Summer Surgery Program [email protected] JANUARY 2013offers the pre-medical student a glimpse of a career in www.debakeydepartmentofsurgery.orgsurgery long before they will ever pick up a scalpel for the first time. During the eight weeks, students become familiar with the hospital environment, the operating room, and the lifestyle of a surgeon. They are expected to become an integral part of their surgical teams by participating in rounds, surgery,and conferences.

The program seeks motivated students from a Stipend (713) 500-4532 MARCH 1, 2013variety of backgrounds including those who are Travel Assitance [email protected] or underserved that are interested Meals www.smdep.org/progsites/houston.htmin pursuing a career in dentistry and medicine, Housingincluding those who have an interest in serving the

underserved. The mission of SMDEP is to assist students in enhancing their knowledge, skills, and attitudes to make them more competitive and to improve their chances of becoming successful applicants to a medical or dental school of their choice. SMDEP scholars will experience academic enrichment in five core areas: microbiology, anatomy and physiology, pre-calculus/calculus, physics, and organic chemistry. Students will have clinical experiences in such areas as emergency medicine,family practice, internal medicine, restorative dentistry,and oral surgery.

The program involves specific activities (713) 743-2047 CONTACT PROGRAMdesigned to enhance qualifications for entry to [email protected] professional program including preparation www.opt.uh.edu/students/undergradfor the Optometry Admission Test (OAT),counseling regarding the admission and application process, academic counseling, time management training, and test-taking/skills.

This research program designed for highly $3,000 Stipend (210) 567-4324 MARCH 2013motivated college undergraduate students with a [email protected] interest in experimental research careers in www.physiology.uthscsa.edubiomedical science. Undergraduates will have the opportunity to receive hands-on experience in on-going research projects under the direction of a faculty member as well as work with postdoctoral fellows and graduate students.

The goals of the program are to improve college $1,000 Stipend (214) 648-7517 TBAstudents' performance in organic chemistry and to [email protected] these students with exposure to clinical www.utsouthwestern.edu/utswmedicine. The SPOC program will be conducted on the UT Southwestern campus in Dallas and has two components: 1) a 10 week course in Organic Chemistry and 2) clinical preceptorships with practicing physicians at UT Southwestern or in one of our affiliated clinical sites.


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the anti-freshman 15

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A six-week

pre-clinical

opportunity

for students to

experience a

wholistic

community

health

outreach

among low-

income refugee

and immigrant

families.

Community Health Immersion

PRE-MEDICAL STUDENTS Explore your calling in whole-person health

ministry among the poor.

This residential program places students (rising college seniors or recent college graduates) in a Christian health outreach in a low-income immigrant community from June 2 – July 12, 2013.

Live in a low-income apartment community alongside immi-grant & refugee families and live on food stamps.

Facilitate health education trainings and other outreaches.

Serve as a bridge between Siloam Family Health Center and local ministries.

Reflect on a Biblical theology of health care.

Shadow medical providers and participate in house-calls.

Cost is $1,935 to cover room and

board for six weeks. We will

help you fundraise much like a

foreign medical mission trip.

Apply at:

www.SiloamInstitute.org

W W W . S I L O A M I N S T I T U T E . O R G Si loam Inst i tu te of Fai th, Heal th and Cul tu re • Nashvi l le, TN

A P PL IC AT ION D E ADL IN E January 28, 2013


The University of Maryland School of Medicinemay be the oldest public medical school but itseems to be keeping pace with providing an envi-ronment that is wholly dedicated to giving stu-dents the opportunity to achieve nothing lessthan a successful career in medicine.

From offering multiple combined degree pro-grams to giving incoming first year students sixweeks to preview what medical school is like, theUniversity of Maryland School of Medicinelooks to set the stage for the best experience astudent can have.

From the very beginning, students are intro-duced to what it takes to become a physician andwhat their job will be as a medical student alongthe way. The school even issues laptops to allincoming students and has a special Web sitecalled Medscope, for all students.

According to the school's Web site, students comefrom various backgrounds and bring a breadth ofexperiences, including music majors, biomedicalengineers, mothers, teachers, athletes, and even stu-dents changing careers after ten years. In the name ofacademic development, the University of MarylandSchool of Medicine offers students a variety of serv-

ices and programs like academic development work-shops, peer tutorials, board preparation, and wait forit - a medical "Jeopardy" type tournament. In aneffort to continually improve its students perform-ance, the school also has implemented several initia-tives designed to enhance student learning.

A few of the initiatives listed on the schoolsWeb site include: Utilizing formal personalityassessment tools, such as the Meyers-Briggs Typeindicator, to identify learning styles and variationsin performance; identifying learners as passive oractive and the effect on success in medical school;identifying possible predictors of success on theUSMLE Step 1; analyzing student performance onstandardized patient encounters over time; and for-mulating mission based management and the edu-cation mission, a methodology.

Overall, the University of Maryland School ofMedicine strives to give its students the most solidfoundation for not only succeeding through medicalschool but as they move forward to become tomor-row's leaders in the world of medicine.

For more information about the University of MarylandSchool of Medicine, visit www.medschool.umaryland.edu.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLANDSCHOOLOFMEDICINEBaltimore, Maryland |medschool.umaryland.edu

DEGREES OFFERED:MD/PhDMD/DDSMD/MPH

MD/MS BioengineeringMD/MS Public Policy

MD/MS EpidemiologyMD/MS Clinical ResearchMD/MS Health Services

AdministrationMD/MBA

# OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED4,673

# OF APPLICANTS INTERVIEWED585

# OF ACCEPTANCES OFFERED336

APPLICANT AGE RANGE21-35 years old

AVERAGE GPA SCIENCE3.70

AVERAGE GPA OVERALL3.74

TUITIONResident: $14,093.50

Non-Resident: $25,918.00

quickfacts

SCHOOLSPOTLITEGet a glimpse into what one medical school in the U.S. has to offer prospective students

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Pathologists are a unique group of physicians who do not see patients direct-ly, but help other physicians when the time comes to study and diagnose apatient's disease or medical condition. As a result, pathologists get the oppor-tunity to interact and collaborate with clinicians in all areas of medicine. Thereare actually two branches of pathology: anatomic and clinical pathology.Anatomic pathology is the branch that is devoted to the diagnosis of diseasesthrough the examination and interpretation of tissues and cells. Unlikeanatomic pathology where diagnoses may only rely on naked-eye examina-tions, clinical pathology is built on the study of laboratory medicine.

For students who enjoy areas of internal medicine like family medicine,pediatrics, and ob/gyn, pathology is the prefect specialty that allows for abreak from the confines of these traditional areas of internal medicine.Those who pursue careers in pathology generally enjoy the process of usingthe basis of fundamental sciences to solve disease-related problems andchallenges by relying on a mix of knowledge and information from multi-ple areas, including but not limited to anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology,pharmacology, and physiology. So how do pathologists spend their days?Well, paperwork, participation in professional organizations, clinical reading,and supervisory and administrative work take up a significant amount of theirtime, according to a recent survey.

How long will it take to become a pathologist?

Undergraduate (4 Years) (to obtain bachelor's degree)

Medical School (4 Years) (to obtain MD or DO degree)

Residency (3-4 years) Combined training for anatomic pathology andclinical pathology takes 4 years, training for anatomic pathology alone or for

clinical pathology alone requires three years each. In addition, for those look-ing to practice in one of the sub-specialty areas, an extra year of training isrequired, except for neuropathology which requires two additional years oftraining. resident in urology with appropriate clinical responsibility undersupervision. Pediatric urology sub-specialty requires an additional year oftraining

What characteristics are good to have when choosingPathology?The ability to work independently, problem-solving and reasoning skills,having an inquisitive nature, and welcoming challenges are key traits forthose considering a career in pathology.

What do Pathologists say they enjoy about their specialty?

Working and interacting with others in various fields of medicineLearning new things and collaborating in a challenging environmentHaving a fairly regular schedule that allows for a work-life balance

What do pathologists earn?According to the 2012 Medscape Pathologist Compensation Report, patholo-gist earned a mean income of $221,000 - about the middle of the field in earn-ings among all physicians who were surveyed. Moreover, about 1 in 5 pathol-ogists earned more than $300,000, while 17% earned $100,000 or less.

What are some sub-specialty areas of pathology?Blood banking/Transfusion medicine, Chemical Pathology, Cytopathology,Dermatopathology, Forensic Pathology, Hematology, Medical Microbiology,Molecular Genetic Pathology, Neuropathology, and Pediatric Pathology.

ESPECIALLYTHISSPECIALTYLearn more about various specialties and what it will take to pursue a certain paths

What sets pathology apart from other specialties is the ability to determine a symptom with the naked eye

PATHOLOGIST

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What is the Program?The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Heart Lung and Blood Institute is sponsoring a summer research program at Michigan State University for undergraduate students. The goal of this program is to provide hands-on research exposure and graduate or professional school preparation opportunities for individuals who are from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research. The National Institutes of Health has specific criteria for acceptance into the program.

Where Does the Training Take Place?Students participating in this 12-week program will work on a research project under the mentorship of leading biomedical researchers in the fields of cardiovascular and airway diseases at Michigan State University. The research experience will be supplemented with seminars, workshops, and networking and presentation opportunities.

What are the Program Dates?The program runs from May 13 through August 4, 2013 with some flexibility a orded to non-MSU students with regard to the dates of the program.

Is This a Compensated Opportunity?A stipend of $4,800 is provided for the 12-week program with additional funds available for program-related expenses (conference travel, etc.). U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required. The stipend is considered income, and will be taxed accordingly.

How Do I Apply?Applications are due on Monday, February 4, 2013. For more information and application materials go to http://cvm.msu.edu/research/undergraduate-student-summer-research-program-in-biomedical-sciences or contact Dr. Susan Ewart 517-884-2005 or Dr. Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan 517-884-5351 or [email protected] .

Undergraduate Student Summer Research Programin Biomedical Sciences

EXPLORE A CAREER IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

PREPARE FOR GRADUATE, MEDICAL, OR VETERINARY SCHOOL

ENJOY A GREAT-PAYING SUMMER JOB


THEGOODSOur pick of items that will add some flair to your pre-medical life and perhaps put a smile on your face

Wake Up Call iPhone DockThis smartphone dock complementsmost gadgets and is designed to mimica classic clock radio when you rest aniPhone on its ledge.

Science Project Pillows Science Project Pillows use brilliant textbookdiagram designs to remind you to never stoplearning about anatomy, geology or botany.

Every Moment Counts Clock The face on this clock reminds you of variousactivity with a collection of icons, including aset of silverware for lunch at noon, a cup andsaucer that serve up coffee at three, and a cir-cus strong-man that inspires your 7 PM stopat the gym.

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Organ-ized Kitchen Cutting BoardThis chopping block features the dissection diagramof a man in classic, medical school style.

Literal BookendsStack your magazines, textbooks or favorite novelsbetween these unique bookends.

Draw-On Wash-Off PillowcasesThese pillowcases are also washable sketchpads,ready for personalizing with your own designs,inspirations and notes.






INTHESTACKSBooks we think that those aspiring to become doctors might be interested in reading

WHEN THE AIR HITS YOUR BRAIN: TALES FROMNEUROSURGERY by Frank, Jr. VertosickIn his account of what it is like to be a neurosurgeon, Dr. Frank,Jr. Vertosick gives readers an inside look at what his daily life is likeand shares some of the most riveting experiences of his career.From his beginnings as a medical student to his last year of resi-dency, Dr. Vertosick draws from his experiences with not onlywhat it was like working with attending staff and residents but alsohis patients. For anyone who is curious about neurosurgery and areconsidering a future in the field, Dr. Vertosick provides a greatdepiction of the ups, downs, and everyday life.

EVERY PATIENT TELLS A STORY: MEDICALMYSTERIES AND THE ART OF DIAGNOSIS by Lisa SandersAs the title suggest, Dr. Lisa Sanders writes about how doctorshandle the dilemmas and challenges that come with diagnosingpatients. Drawing from various medical cases, Dr. Sanders sharesher outlook on what an experience can be for not only the physi-cian but their patients as well. In one case, Dr. Sanders discuss-es a patient who becomes frustrated by her doctor's failure todiagnose her fever and rash, and turns to Google in search of ananswer to her symptoms and actually finds the correct answer.Dr. Sanders further explores the growing practice of using theInternet and shares how the physicians can sometimes turn tothe web to help in diagnosing patients. Readers will come awaywith a new appreciation for the overwhelming complexity of thehuman body and the doctors who face its challenges.

THINGS I DIDN'T LEARN IN MEDICAL SCHOOL:TOUGH LESSONS FROM A LIFETIME OF PRACTICE by Gary L FanningAfter working as physician for 45 years and seeing nearly 50,000patients, Dr. Fanning shares the lessons he learned over the course ofhis career in medicine. After receiving his medical degree from SUNYUpstate Medical Center, Dr. Fanning completed his training in anes-thesiology and served in the Army before he settled down in Iowawhere he stayed for 20 years. An enlightening read for not only pre-meds, but for anyone thinking about entering a career in health care,Dr. Fanning's real-life stories have something for everyone. From les-sons about politics and legal issues in medicine to writing legibly andwashing your hands, Dr. Fanning manages to cover a lot of ground.

MONDAY MORNINGS: A NOVELby Sanjay GuptaIn a novel about a side of medicine not known to many on the out-side, CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta gives readers aglimpse at what is known as Morbidity and mortality (M&M) confer-ences. For those pursuing careers in medicine, or anyone just curiousabout the lesser discussed aspect of medicine, M&M are traditional,recurring conferences held by medical teams at academic medicalcenters, most large private medical and surgical practices, and othermedical centers. Although the book is fiction, it reads like a real-lifemedical drama and this is an easy-to-read, revealing and insightfulpiece of work.


Health | Wellness | Fitness | Nutrition | Mind & Bodynewsbites

Caffeine lowers mortality rate for certain typesof cancer, say researchers from the AmericanCancer Society.

In a study published in the American Journalof Epidemiology, researchers reported that theamount of caffeinated coffee consumed wasassociated with reduced mortality rates inpatients with oral/pharyngeal cancer.

For the study, researchers followed close to1 million adults who were free of cancer whenthe study began. During the 26 year study peri-od, researchers reported that 868 of the studyparticipants died from oral/pharyngeal cancer.

The results of the study revealed that for bothmen and women, the more cups a person drankeach day, the lower their risk of death.Specifically, those who drank more than fourcups of caffeinated coffee per day wereapproximately half as likely to die from thosetypes of cancers those who did not.

"Coffee is one of the most widely consumedbeverage in the world, and contains a variety ofantioxidants, polyphenols, and other biological-ly active compounds that may help to protectagainst development or progression of can-cers," said lead author Janet Hildebrand."Although it is less common in the UnitedStates, oral/pharyngeal cancer is among the tenmost common cancers in the world. Our find-ing strengthens the evidence of a possible pro-tective effect of caffeinated coffee in the etiol-ogy and/or progression of cancers of themouth and pharynx. It may be of considerableinterest to investigate whether coffee consump-tion can lead to a better prognosis afteroral/pharyngeal cancer diagnosis."

New StudyHighlightsCaffeineBenefits

College students may perform better if motivat-ed by incentives, according to two studies led byMDRC, a social policy research group based inNew York.

For the first study, which was conducted duringthe 2004 school year at two community colleges inNew Orleans, nearly 500 students each semesterreceived $250 when they enrolled, $250 aftermidterms and $500 when they completed theircourses. However, in order to receive the money theyhad to maintain no less than a grade average of "C".

The results of the study revealed that the stu-dents not only enrolled in more courses, but alsoperformed better academically in future semes-ters than a control group of students who didnot receive the same incentives.

"The evaluation found that tying financial aidto academic performance can generate large pos-itive effects - some of the largest MDRC hasfound in its higher education studies," theauthors of the studies said in a report after itsfirst study.

In 2008, the second study involved 5,600 adultstudents at about dozen two- and four-year col-leges who were provided with performance-based scholarships for two semesters. The pro-gram awarded students $1,800 for an academicyear if the student received at least 12 credits andearned a "C" or higher.

Consequently, the researchers found similarresults to their first study. "The money gave thema reward for staying engaged and succeeding andmore importantly keeps them connected to thenext semester," said Roy Church, President ofone of the schools involved in the study. "Themechanism keeps them moving forward to theireducational goal because adult students have a lotof complexities in their lives and it is hard to stayon track long enough to complete a degree."

Cash Motivates Students to Perform Better

BETTERLIFEBETTERYOULatest news and information on taking care of yourself as a busy student living the pre-med life

Results from this new study add to thegrowing body of evidence that supports

the benefits of coffee

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Engaging in social media activities may raise self-esteem butencourages unhealthy snacking, according to a study published inthe Journal of Consumer Research.

Led by Keith Wilcox of Columbia University and Andrew T.Stephen of the University of Pittsburgh, the study was designed totest whether a positive experience of social media networking withclose friends increased levels of self-esteem but lowered self-control.For the study, the researchers conducted five experiments examiningnot only the effects of social networks on these two factors but alsolooked at lifestyle factors that may indicate lower self-control, includ-ing body mass index (BMI) and credit card debts.

The findings revealed that self-esteem is boosted when individu-als focus on social networking with close friends rather than justacquaintances. Unfortunately, however, this increase in self esteemleads to a result in lower self-control. Specifically, the authors suggestthat spending more time engaging on social network with closefriends is associated with a higher BMI and higher levels of creditcard debt. "Using online social networks such as Facebook hasbecome part of the daily routine of hundreds of millions of peoplearound the world," the researchers concluded. "However, little isknow about the psychological effects of such use.

Social MediaActivity, Self-Control Linked

People who exercise on a regular basismay live longer those who are less active,according to a study published in theAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The study, led by Ian Janssen, an asso-ciate professor from Queens'sUniversity in Ontario, looked atAmerican health statistics from 1990 to2006, including data on death rates andsurveys about physical activity.

Researchers found that Caucasianwomen who were physically active at20 years old were expected to live threeyears longer than others. For African-American women, researchers reportedthat those who had at least two and ahalf hours of moderate activity a weekwere expected to live nearly six extrayears. Furthermore, Caucasian menwho were active at 20 years old were

expected to live over two years morecompared to their counterparts.Unfortunately, however, theresearchers said that Hispanics evaluat-ed in their study did not benefit frombeing more active. And for older peo-ple, the study estimated that Caucasianmen and women added 1.2 and 1.6years, respectively, to their lives if theywere active at age 80.

"Hispanics appeared to gain nothingin terms of life span from physical activ-ity, although that could be because thesurveys weren't properly designed to askquestions appropriate to their culture,"Janssen explained. "The findings also arelimited because it's possible that some-thing other than activity - such as ahealthful diet - boosted life spans inthose who live longer."

Another Study ShowsBenefits of Exercise on Life Expectancy

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COLLEGE101Some final thoughts on getting through your days as a college student

According to the experts, nearly 90% of all new year’s resolutions fail! But don’tlet that statistic share you from wanting to change your bad ways. By identifyingyour bad ways you have already made the first step to becoming better. The nextstep is actually changing your behavior. This will take a lot of willpower and self-motivation on your part but if you haven’t already heard the saying − “if there’sa will, there’s a way.” And that’s no lie. Whatever changes you are trying to make,

take it one day at a time. Look at every situation you are presented with and seewhat you can learn and take away to help you move forward with successfullyfulfilling your resolutions. See what changes you can make and see what worksfor you and what doesn’t. Life is a collection of trials and errors and until youfigure out what works best for you, continue moving forward with onlythoughts of positivity.

resolutionsnew year’s

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Student Innovators Program | Summer 2013US University Students: June 10 to August 2 , 2013

Non-US University Students & US High School Students: June 17 to August 9, 2013

READ MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM HERE:

http://www.childrensnational.org/education/other-programs/sheikh-zayed-institute/student-innovators-summer-program.aspx

Are you interested in medicine and in biomedical innovation? Would you like to observe surgeries or shadow physicians while at the same time working on an exciting research project in one of the best children’s hospitals in the United States? If so, the unique 8-week Student Innovators Summer Program may be for you!

•Learnaboutthetheoryandpracticeofinnovation •Joinagroupof15-20studentsfromaroundtheworld •Discovertheworldofpediatricmedicine

The Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Medical Center invites all interested graduate, medical, undergraduate, and advanced high school students to apply.

Hear from past Student Innovators....

Even though I was not directly involved with laboratory research, the project I worked on benefitedmeinmorewaysthanIcanexpress.Ihavewalkedawaywithmorefrommytime at SZI than I had ever thought possible. Thank you! – Grace, MBA, Howard University PhD Student

This program definitely gave me more than I would have gotten at an institution such as NIH, a popular choice for students at my school. I didn’t learn just about doing the lab work and writing the report, but also how to choose the best ideas, how to get a patent, sharing my work with other researchers and evenhowtogetmyfinalpaperpublished. – Charmi, Montgomery Blair HS Senior

Shadowingphysiciansandobservingsurgeries,alongwithmyresearchproject,weredefinitelyavery educational and incredible experience that made me more determined to pursue a medical degree after my graduation. – Noura, Khalifa University Senior (UAE)

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. FINAL DEADLINE FOR SUMMER 2013:

January 31, 2013

After graduation, take a stand against poverty by joining AmeriCorps VISTA—Volunteers in Service to America. You’ll put your passion to work to help those in need, and you’ll gain experience you can’t find in other kinds of entry-level jobs. You’ll also receive:

HLiving allowance H$4,725 for tuition or student loans HHealth care HMoving expenses

37 million Americans live in poverty. Take a stand. Join AmeriCorps VISTA.

800-942-2677(TTY 800-833-3722)

January/February 2013 - PreMedLife Magazine

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