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Help is Here for
Pre-Medical Students in Pennsylvania!
PA AHEC SCHOLARS PROGRAM 2008 - 2009
APPLICATION DEADLINE
IS FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2009!
To
download a printable version of the PA AHEC Scholars
Program Application please click
HERE!
PA AHEC Scholars Program—
for Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Students
Northwest and Southcentral Pennsylvania Area Health Education Centers
present the PA AHEC Scholars Program:
The PA AHEC Scholars Program is designed to provide pre-medical and
pre-dental students professional development opportunities to prepare them
for medical school or dental school application and acceptance. Students
will be given the opportunity to build their resume and prepare a personal
statement and application that will be compelling to admissions committees
of Pennsylvania medical and dental schools. Please find additional
information below including a preliminary outline of the schedule.
Application Eligibility
Eligibility to Submit an Application (must meet all criteria):
1. Must be a Second Semester Freshman.
2. Must be a Pre-Medical or Pre-Dental Student in a
Pennsylvania College/University (“Pre-medical” is defined as
participating in a curriculum that can fulfill the course requirements for
entrance into medical or dental school).
3. Must be a resident of or attend school in one of the following 16 counties in the Southcentral PAAHEC region:
* Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Somerset, or York..
Or
One of the 15 counties in the Northwest PA AHEC region:
* Butler, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango, or Warren.
• Students in
one of the Northwest PA counties above – please visit the Northwest
PA AHEC website to get more information and your application!
Selection Criteria to the Program*
1. Preference for Students from an Underserved Area
or Disadvantaged Population
2. Academic Promise as a Pre-Med and Pre-Dental
Student
3. Demonstrated Commitment to Serving People
4. Extra-Curricular Activities
*Consideration is given to pre-medical students who are Pennsylvania
residents attending an out-of-state college/university if openings are
available.
Application deadline is Friday, April 24, 2009
Questions?
Call NW PA AHEC at 814-453-6551 or SC PA AHEC at 814-344-2222.
Student Information
PA AHEC Scholars Program Mission Statement
The PA AHEC Scholar’s Program exists to assist academically promising,
socio-economically disadvantaged students in their quest to obtain admission
to medical or dental school.
PA AHEC Scholars Program Vision Statement
The PA AHEC Scholars Program will encourage and assist college students from
traditionally underserved areas or disadvantaged populations of Pennsylvania
who show academic promise and a commitment to serving people to attend
medical school. Students who come from underserved areas or populations are
the most likely to return to those areas or populations to practice, and
therefore, should be encouraged. Disadvantaged populations, by definition,
lack the experiences and wherewithal of the general population. Such
assistance may take the form of advising, volunteer and shadowing
opportunities, developing professionalism, exposure to physicians and
professional environments, preparation for the MCAT or DAT, developing
specific personal goals, and financial assistance when and where possible.
Scholars are expected to be active participants in this process through
academic scholarship, personal development, and the completion of a health
related service project. Admissions committees of the Pennsylvania medical
schools and dental schools are aware of this program and take this exclusive
preparation into consideration during the admissions process.
The goal of the PA AHEC Scholars Program is to prepare students for the
medical or dental school application and acceptance. By participating in the
program, you will be given the opportunity to build your resume and prepare
a personal statement and application that will be compelling to admissions
committees of Pennsylvania medical schools.
Pre-Sophomore Year Opportunities; Scholars will:
• Gain a better understanding of medical school
curriculum requirements and timelines for testing and application processes.
• Begin shadowing with a physician or dentist in
your area. The South Central PA AHEC can help locate preceptors willing to
take students.
• Choose a Scholar Project to conduct.
Sophomore Year Opportunities; Scholars will:
• Actively shadow a physician or dental
preceptor.
• Attend Primary Care Day at Penn State
University College of Medicine (pre-med students only).
• Continue working on Scholar Project
Summer Between Sophomore & Junior Year Opportunities;
Scholars will:
• Continue shadowing experiences.
• Learn how to write an attractive resume.
• Take part in cultural competency training.
• Improve your interviewing skills.
• Complete your Scholar Project by December of
junior year by writing a paper and creating a poster about the project.
Junior Year Opportunities; Scholars will:
• Attend the one-week Primary Care Scholars
Program at the Penn State College of Medicine in May – if eligible
(pre-med students only). Dental students will have a pre-arranged visit at
University of Pittsburgh Dental School.
• Complete shadowing experiences.
• Prepare for Kaplan Course, MCATS, AMCAS,
AACOMAS or DAT(Financial assistance for testing and/or medical school
applications is anticipated for participants in the program).
Senior Year Opportunities; Scholars will:
• Practice for interviews.
• Participate in career counseling.
The PA AHEC Scholars Committee strongly believes it is important that you
experience medicine or dentistry firsthand to discover if you really want to
pursue this career field. Therefore, you are should try to participate in
shadowing experiences particularly in a rural setting as well as an urban
setting. The South Central PA AHEC will work with you to schedule your
shadowing experiences. The activities in this outline will be modified as
the program grows. If arrangements can be made you will participate in a
mentoring experience also.
What are Medical Schools Looking For?
There is no one right way to get into medical school. In fact, there are
many different ways to achieve this goal encompassing a wide variety of
majors, minors, activities and experiences. There are, however, some
important considerations that will directly affect your ability to achieve
your goal.
Academic Considerations
1. Pre-medical Core Curriculum, required by all medical schools:
2 semesters (or equivalent) of Biology with lab
2 semesters (or equivalent) of Introductory and/or Inorganic Chemistry with
lab
2 semesters (or equivalent) of Physics with lab
2 semesters (or equivalent) of Organic Chemistry with lab
2 semesters (or equivalent) of English (literature and composition)
Recommended and required by a few schools: Calculus and Biochemistry
2. Major: Any major is acceptable to medical schools;
pre-medical students do not have to major in a science. All students,
though, regardless of major, must take the pre-medical core curriculum.
3. GPA: Medical schools look at your BCPM (biology,
chemistry, physics and math) GPA as carefully as they look at your overall
GPA. In 2004, the mean GPA of students accepted to MD programs was 3.62 and
the mean BCPM was 3.62.
4. MCAT: The MCAT is the standardized test required for
all allopathic and osteopathic medical school applicants. Beginning in 2007,
the administration of the MCAT will be by computer at commercial test sites
across the country. All core coursework needs to be completed before taking
the test.
5. Research: Research is a highly valued, but not a
required experience. In the sciences, this may take the form of a summer
internship or an independent study in the lab. Public health and other
social science type internships are equally valuable.
Non-Academic Experiences
6. Extracurricular and Job Experiences: Ranging from
performing arts to community service; from religious activities to varsity
sports; from cultural awareness clubs to sororities and fraternities, these
activities help you to develop interpersonal skills, teamwork, leadership
potential, and time management skills. Many also allow you to demonstrate
your interest in serving your community. It is easy, however, to get
overextended with activities and you are encouraged to start slowly, adding
activities only as you are sure you have time for them. Medical schools will
be far more impressed by a student with serious commitment to one or two
activities than by a long list with little depth. Many students must work
for financial reasons and the medical school will recognize that someone who
works extensive hours is likely to have fewer activities.
7. Health Care Related Experience: It is important that
you experience medicine firsthand, to discover if you really want to spend
your life working with sick and injured people. It is also important that
you experience the various settings in which health care is practiced –
hospitals, clinics, and offices. The PA AHEC Scholars Program will help you
gain this experience. Experience working with people, though not
specifically in a medical setting, is also very valuable. This might include
volunteering as a Big Brother/Sister, tutoring children, volunteering for
Special Olympics, etc. Working with people whose ethnic, religious,
socio-economic, etc. background is different from your own is also very
valuable experience.
Personal Considerations
8. Letters of Recommendation: Before applying to medical
school, you will need to collect letters of recommendation from at least 3
faculty members. One should be from the science division, one outside of the
science division, and the third is up to you. You may also want to obtain
letters from health care professionals you have worked with. Keep this in
mind during your internship experiences.
9. Interview: All medical schools require an interview,
often two or three, with members of their faculty and, sometimes, medical
students on the admissions committee. In general, the more you have dealt
with people, the more comfortable you will be in an interview. So, if you
are on the shy sides, push yourself a bit socially and try to become more
comfortable talking with other people, especially strangers. Of course,
having had a variety of interesting experiences will help make you a more
interesting (and appealing) interviewee.
10. Academic and Disciplinary Violations: Medical school
applications ask if you have ever received an “institutional action,”
and, if you have, you will need to explain your actions. Institutional
actions typically include cheating and plagiarism, as well as violation of
the rules governing your behavior. If you abide by the rules and take
responsibility for your personal conduct, you should have nothing to worry
about.
11. Professional Behavior: Professionalism encompasses a
number of areas. One is your ability to treat other people appropriately; to
understand and honor different beliefs and traditions, to treat others with
respect and courtesy, and to be able to work as part of a group. A second
area is personal accountability. This includes knowing and adhering to
deadlines, arriving on time to appointments, canceling meetings if there is
an unavoidable conflict, in short, acting responsibly. Finally,
professionalism involves being informed about ethical issues and acting
honestly and with integrity. A medical professional is expected to be
altruistic; that is, to place the interests of individuals and society above
their own.
12. Ability to Care for Yourself: Medical and Dental
schools want students who can take care of themselves. This means knowing
how to relax in a healthy, responsible way. This means knowing your limits
and knowing when to seek help. This means maintaining a healthy life style
– eating healthy meals, sleeping a reasonable number of hours, getting
regular exercise, and having a social support system – family and friends
who will listen and help when times are rough.
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