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The Core 15
Have you taken a look at the AAMC’s 15 Core competencies? Divided into 4 broad categories – Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Thinking and Reasoning, and Science – the core competencies serve as a tool for how medical schools evaluate your application. They provide a basic framework for the skills and knowledge you should be learning from your life experiences and activities. To better explain the competencies and give real-life examples, the AAMC created the resource, Anatomy of an Applicant, which you can access here: https://students-residents.aamc. org/applying-medical-school/ preparing-med-school/anatomy- applicant/
February 2020
Click "Yes" to Med-Mar!
The Medical Minority Applicant Registry (Med-MAR) is a service specifically designed with you in mind. Electing to participate in the Med-MAR allows admissions officers concerned with increasing diversity at their medical school to be made aware of your biological background and MCAT scores. You can learn more on how to participate here: https://students-residents.aamc.org/ choosing-medical-career/article/medical -minority-applicant-registry-med-mar/
Have you applied for any of the summer programs from the last newsletter yet? Deadlines are fastly approaching so be sure to get those applications in! Below are some quick links for each of the programs previously mentioned: 1. Northeast Regional Alliance (NERA) MedPrep HCOP Academy Program www.neramedprep.org (Deadline: March 1st) 2. Summer Undergraduate Mentorship Program (SUMP) einstein.yu.edu/centers/hispanic-centers-of-excellence/opportunities.aspx (Deadline: March 2nd) 3. Exploring Health Careers Program https://sls.downstate.edu/ diversity_education/ diversity/pipeline_ programs.html (Deadline: March 2nd) Although the above programs begin in the summer, there are plenty of things that you can do before then to gain insight into the medical field. One great opportunity to take advantage of is shadowing. Shadowing entails being a physician's "shadow"; it requires you to follow he or she around as they go about their normal schedule such that you see what a day in the life of a physician consists of. If you were ever unsure about being a physician, shadowing can be a huge factor for making that decision. However, be mindful that different medical specialties necessitate different workdays so it's a good idea to shadow multiple doctors before coming to a decision. To get involved in shadowing, the best place to start is with your own physician. Not only could you potentially shadow him or her, you could also ask whether he or she has colleagues you can shadow. If you are interested in other specialties outside of primary care, start researching doctors in your area. There are great tips in Objective 1.8 in Unit 1 on how to write a professional email. Remember that you, too, can make it into medical school, and that it starts with experiences like these.
Finding shadowing opportunities
Monthly Newsletter
Consult the msar
Diversity in Medicine scholarship
Participate in Shpep
To Post-Bac or not to post-bac
Apply for the Fap
Preparing for medical school can be costly but it doesn’t have to be. The AAMC’s Fee Assistance Program (FAP) can not only grant you access to their MCAT practice bundle (e.g., question packs, full lengths, etc.), it can also cut the cost of the test itself, among many other benefits. So what do you have to do? Step 1: Go to this link to see if you qualify: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying- medical-school/article/eligibility/ Step 2: Have yours as well as your parents’ financial documents (e.g., Form 1040) on hand Step 3: Apply! Thinking about what schools to apply to? Want to know where your stats lie among the matriculants to a particular school? Consult the MSAR page! The MSAR is an online database that allows you to compare information, like median MCAT score and demographics on first-year students, across U.S. and Canadian medical schools. If you qualify for the FAP, then this is a free service; if not, then you can purchase access to the site for $28.00. To learn more on how to use and access this site, go to: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying- medical-school/applying-medical-school- process/medical-school-admission- requirements/ The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) is a summer program that provides college freshmen and sophomores the opportunity to explore health professions in an innovative way. If this sounds like something that you’d be interested in, then you should apply. The best part? It’s **free**! All student housing costs, meals and travel to and from the program site are covered. Students also receive a $600 stipend for completing the program. To learn more, visit: http://www.shpep.org/. You can find even more summer enrichment opportunities through this link from the AAMC: http://services. aamc.org/summerprograms Many students complete a post-baccalaureate program after graduation to support their transition to professional school; even more students do it as a way to increase their GPA and show the admissions committee that they can handle the academic rigor of medical school. How do you know whether a post-bacc program is right for you? The AAMC answers questions like these, as well as provides a database for finding post-bacc programs, on this site: https://students-residents.aamc.org/postbacc/
Looking for more summer opportunities that may better fit your interests and lifestyle? Refer back to Objective 2.10 in Unit 2 in order to access them.
If you are a current or former Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) Post-Bac student, then you may be eligible for their Diversity in Medicine scholarship! In exchange for this scholarship, which covers tuition and fees of up to $42, 000 for an academic year, a student commits to working in an underserved area in New York after residency. For more information on how to become involved with AMSNY as well as the additional requirements to qualify, you can follow this link: https://amsny.org/initiatives/diversity-in-medicine/diversity- programs/diversity-in-medicine-scholarship/
So you've been called to interview for an internship but are unsure of how to prepare for it. What should you wear? How should you carry yourself? Unit 3 is filled with lots of tips and tricks on how to handle the interviewing process, so check it out if you need some help.
Thinking about studying for the MCAT? Well, there are a couple of things that you should know before you start! Buying a set of books from one MCAT prep company can be a good way to save money while building your knowledge of the concepts tested on the MCAT. However, different companies cater to different learning styles and needs, so it is good to know which set may be right for you. The three most popular companies are the Princeton Review, Examkrackers and Kaplan. Princeton Review: This set is good for nontraditional applicants and students who may have struggled in their science prerequisites. Designed to read like a textbook, PR breaks down each and every concept. However, a commonly noted con is that it may delve too deep into what is required for you to know for the test. https://www.princetonreview.com/ medical/mcat-test-prep Examkrackers: The most concise out of the 3 sets, EK is known to provide the bare bones of what you need to know for the MCAT. Because of this, it is thought to be really good for those who have a strong foundation in the sciences. However, due to its colorful animations and heavy emphasis on experimental analysis, many students tend to benefit from this resource. https://examkrackers.com/ Kaplan: A leader in test prep of all sorts, Kaplan tends to be the go-to for students studying for the MCAT. Carefully explaining the basics without boggling down the reader with so many details, it tends to be a highly coveted resource; however, depending on your needs and level at which you begin studying, it may not suit you the best. https://www.kaptest.com/study/ mcat/mcat-study-guide-and- schedule-3-months/ Other important resources: UWorld: Known to be a great resource for the USMLE Step exams (over 90% of medical students choose this company to prepare for them), UWorld recently made the jump into the MCAT realm with their expansive question bank. With almost 2,000 questions, detailed explanations for each one, and performance tracking, it is quickly becoming a popular resource for students wishing to perform very well on the test. https://www.uworld.com/ collegeprep/mcat/mcat.aspx Khan Academy: Did you know that the AAMC endorses using Khan Academy, a **free** resource, as a learning tool for the MCAT? Complete with 1,100 videos and 3,000 review questions on all 4 sections of the exam, Khan Academy is a good resource for becoming comfortable with the material tested on the MCAT, especially for those visual learners. You can access the entire collection here: https://www.khanacademy.org/ test-prep/mcat
MCAT Mastery
Important resources for acing this exam
The average student spends between 200-300 Hours studying for the mcat.
APPlication Timeline Early May: AMCAS application opens (in other words, the primary application you need to fill out for medical schools) For a detailed outline on how to fill out each section of the amcas, visit:https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical- school/applying-medical-school-process/applying-medical- school-amcas/how-apply-med-school-amcas/ Last week in may/Early june: 1st Day to submit your Amcas Application (submittinG Early is a big advantage but not at the expense of a poorly written primary application!) July: Secondaries Season (submitting the primary application is not enough; most schools require you to write essays separate from the personal statement in order for your application to be considered complete) Post-application submission: the waiting game (after your application has been marked complete, your work is done until it's time for interviews)
Benjamin Hartley, M.D.
Gold Zone deadline*: April 22 Silver Zone deadline**: May 6 Bronze Zone deadline***: May 13
No two medical applicants are the same, and neither are their stories. Whether you’ve wanted to become a physician for a long time or decided to pursue medicine in the past semester, the AAMC has a website geared towards equipping you with all that you need to become a competitive applicant. Called Aspiring Docs, this resource tells you how to acquire medical experience before you apply to medical school as well as what medical admissions officers look for in an application. To learn more, visit: https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical -career/medical-careers/aspiring-docs/ No two medical applicants are the same, and neither are their stories. Whether you’ve wanted to become a physician for a long time or decided to pursue medicine in the past semester, the AAMC has a website geared towards equipping you with all that you need to become a competitive applicant. Called Aspiring Docs, this resource tells you how to acquire medical experience before you apply to medical school as well as what medical admissions officers look for in an application. To learn more, visit: https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical-career/medical-careers/aspiring-docs/ No two medical applicants are the same, and neither are their stories. Whether you’ve wanted to become a physician for a long time or decided to pursue medicine in the past semester, the AAMC has a website geared towards equipping you with all that you need to become a competitive applicant. Called Aspiring Docs, this resource tells you how to acquire medical experience before you apply to medical school as well as what medical admissions officers look for in an application. To learn more, visit: https://students-residents.aamc.org/choosing-medical-career/medical-careers/aspiring-docs/
Medicine, like most things, requires teamwork. It;s important to know your limitations and when to ask for help. To refresh yourself on the values and beliefs that make a good physician, revisit Objective 2.12 in Unit 2 .
May 15
Get Inspired!
May 21
For more information, you may contact primesmentorship@gmail.com or reach out to:
MAY 2020 MCAT DATEs
Gold Zone deadline*: April 10 Silver Zone deadline**: April 24 Bronze Zone deadline***: May 1
Gold Zone deadline*: Aug. 8 Silver Zone deadline**: Aug. 22 Bronze Zone deadline***: Aug. 29
ceh2003@med.cornell.edu
Gold Zone deadline*: April 17 Silver Zone deadline**: May 1 Bronze Zone deadline***: May 8
*Gold: last date to reschedule at the lower rate **Silver: last date to reschedule an exam ***Bronze: last date to cancel an exam To learn more, visit: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical- school/article/mcat-testing-calendar-score-release-dates/
brh9058@nyp.org
Take advantage of what this organization has to offer!
Gold Zone deadline*: April 16 Silver Zone deadline**: April 30 Bronze Zone deadline***: May 7
Anki: Anki is another **free** resource; you can think of it like electronic flashcards, except that it relies on an algorithm to show you the next card based on the level of priority that you assign to each card. It tends to be a great resource for remembering formulas, metabolic pathways, etc. To learn how to use Anki, you can watch this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K2StK7e3ww Have you heard about our partners, Mentoring in Medicine (MIM)? Designed to equip disadvantaged students with the tools they need to successfully apply to medical school, MIM hosts a myriad of programs for students of all levels to participate in. One of the most popular options is the Medical Pathway Program (MPP); more than 88% of students who applied to this program were accepted to medical school. To learn more about MIM and their program offerings, you can visit: http://medicalmentor.org/
Gold Zone deadline*: April 30 Silver Zone deadline**: May 14 Bronze Zone deadline***: May 21
May 16
May 9
Mentoring in medicine (MIM)
It is very possible that you may come into contact with someone who has an unconscious bias during the interviewing process. Although this can be hard to recognize, make sure to stun your interviewer with interesting facts about yourself! Unsure of what I mean? Refer back to Objective 3.1 in Unit 3 for some ideas.
May 29
CAITlin Hoffman, M.D.