If you are in the process of applying to medical school (or thinking of applying in the future,) we have created a Google map of where Midd grads have matriculated to medical school over the last three years. The map will help you see where alumni are located. Simply click on the map pin and it will tell you what school and how many alumni matriculated that year. Keep an eye on the map as we will be adding DO, dental and veterinary schools as well.
Check out the Google map here.
Are you preparing to apply to medical school? With the 2020 AMCAS application cycle underway as of May 1, AAMC is sharing information about the qualifications and motivations of applicants who applied and enrolled during the 2018 AMCAS application cycle. See the full infographic here.
UNE COM and their Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) chapter along with Pre-SOMA National are teaming up again to host ShaDO Week for prospective medical students.
Are you curious about osteopathic medicine? Then sign up for ShaDO Week! They have a group of first year medical students hosting prospective medical students on April 9th, 10th, and 11th. You will have the opportunity to attend classes, go to lunch, and chat with current medical students.
Interested? Registration closes April 3rd. Register here.
Shadowing is the act of following a professional as they do their typical work activities in a clinic or hospital setting. You might ask why this experience is so important? First, it may be the defining experience which tells you whether or not you want to be a physician. Shadowing gives you a very tangible sense of what life is like for a professional. Through working alongside a professional, you can gain unique insight into what happens in a day in the life of your career of choice. You get a sense of what it’s like working with patients, working with other health care professionals (nurses, PAs, and therapists), and what the challenges and rewards are of working in the profession. You’ll learn how a health professional organizes their day, allows time for the unexpected, stays current in the profession, integrates personal and professional life, and manage the financial aspects of their practice.
Shadowing can also be crucial for a second reason: Having clinical experience allows admissions committees know that you have some understanding of what you are getting into. It also shows admissions officers your commitment to a health career because you have taken initiative in learning about being a professional prior to applying to school.
The AAMC also has a handout on Guidelines for Clinical Shadowing Experiences.
If you have any questions, please schedule an appointment with one of the advisors.
Visit Maine from your computer. Check out the University of New England Virtual Info Sessions:
Mid-Atlantic Prospective Student Event: Medical Student Panel on Monday, March 4 from 12:15-1:15 pm (EST)
National Osteopathic Medicine (NOM) Week: OMN Demonstration on Tuesday, April 16 from 12:15-1:00 pm (EST)
How to Apply! Q&A with Graduate Admissions on Tuesday, May 8 from 12:15-1:15 pm (EST)
Gaining clinical experience is an important part of the medical school application. But to be a competitive medical school applicant, some have questioned if it’s necessary to shadow a doctor. It’s true that shadowing is great experience, as it exposes you to patient care in a clinical setting and gives you an idea of the day-to-day demands of a medical career. But as a pre-med student, you’re often balancing a rigorous academic schedule, along with extracurricular and personal responsibilities, so shadowing may not be a possibility. Click here for the full AAMC article on gaining experience without shadowing.
From the AAMC Premed Navigator:
You may have heard about the projected physician shortage of up to 121,000 in the United States by the year 2030. As the need for more doctors grows, so does the need for a more diverse physician workforce, especially for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI-AN) populations. The Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) and the AAMCreleased a joint report called Reshaping the Journey: American Indians and Alaska Natives in Medicine that brings attention to this critical issue in health care, and we encourage premeds to take a look.
The report highlights key data on the representation of AI-AN students in medical schools and effective practices to attract, support, and graduate AI-AN physicians. It also speaks to the importance of the integration of AI-AN culture into the curriculum and training to prepare all future physicians to provide culturally-responsive care. For matriculation to MD-granting institutions, there have been small increases in the number of matriculants reporting as American Indian and Alaska Native in combination with another race or ethnic group. Overall, though, the number of AI-AN medical students during the 2017-18 academic year was only 889 out of 91,391 total students, so there is still work to do.
Among the institutions that were highlighted in Reshaping the Journey, there were several notable efforts implemented across the medical education continuum — starting as early as elementary school and going through residency — to advance American Indian and Alaska Native representation in medicine. If you’re a student from the AI-AN community, we encourage you to look into participating in these programs that are making gains in producing AI-AN medical school graduates:
Other efforts include We are Healers, a nonprofit organization focused on encouraging American Indian youth to envision themselves as a health professional, whether that be a nurse, dentist, or physician. Compelling stories featuring Native American health professionals are captured via video.
High school students may consider the National Native American Youth Initiative led by the AAIP for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, ages 16-18. Lastly, the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) is a free, national summer program for freshman and sophomore college students interested in the health professions.
Take some time to read the report and research these programs to jumpstart your future career in medicine or simply learn about the importance of increasing diversity and inclusion in medicine.
