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Advisor Abstracts Online
Issue Year:
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1999
December
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December
Vol. 19, No. 4
1999
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Special
Theme:
Perspectives on Humanism and Advising
An Invitation to
Partnership with the Arnold P. Gold Foundation
Sandra
Gold, Ed.D. and Victoria B. White, M.A.
More Challenges
than Answers
Norma
Wagoner, Ph.D.
Preserving
Humanistic Interests in Medical Students
Leah J.
Dickstein, M.D.
Point-Counterpoint: (Re)Considering Non-Cognitive Factors:
Thinking About Non-“Cognitive”
Factors
Alan W.
Childs, Ph.D.
A Review of the
Research Literature on
Non-Cognitive Variables
Greg
Strayhorn, M.D., Ph.D., Roger Comeau, Ph.D., Joe Dogariu, Ph.D., Carol
Elam, Ed.D. and Karen Hamilton, Ph.D.
Discussions on
Humanism and Medicine:
Humanities in Dental Education: A Focus on Understanding the Child
Sophia A.
Balis, D.D.S. and James T. Rule, D.D.S., M.S.
Being in the
Present Moment: Developing the Capacity for Mindfulness in Medicine
Julie
Connelly, M.D.
Stories for a
Humanistic Medicine
Richard
Selzer, M.D. and Rita Charon, M.D.
Comfort with
Diversity
Robert E.
Cannon, Ph.D.
Book Review:
Letters to a Young Doctor
Richard
Selzer
Review by Theodore O’Tanyi, Ph.D.
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2000
March
June
September
December
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March
Vol. 20, No. 2
2000
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Special Theme:
Discussions of the MMEP
MMEP: Some Personal Observations
Doug
Merrill, Ph.D.
Overview of the Minority Medical Education Program Footsteps on the Path
Gina Shaw
MMEP: Commitments and Opportunities
Vanessa
Northington Gamble, M.D., Ph.D.
Effect of an Intensive Educational Program for Minority College Students
and Recent Graduates on the Probability of Acceptance to Medical School
Joel C.
Cantor, Sc.D., Lois Bergeisen, M.A. and Laurence C. Baker, Ph.D.
Context: Increasing
the number of minority physicians is a long-standing goal of professional
associations and government.
Objective: To
determine the effectiveness of an intensive summer educational program for
minority college students and recent graduates on the probability of
acceptance to medical school.
Design: Nonconcurrent
prospective cohort study based on data from medical school applications,
MCATs, and the Association of American Medical Colleges Student and
Applicant Information Management System.
Setting: Eight
U.S. medical schools or consortia of medical schools.
Participants: Underrepresented
minority (black, Mexican American, mainland Puerto Rican, and American
Indian) applicants to U.S. allopathic medical schools in 1997 (N=3830),
1996 (N=4654), and 1992 (N=3447).
Intervention: The
Minority Medical Education Program (MMEP), a six-week, residential summer
educational program focused on training in the sciences and improvement of
writing, verbal reasoning, studying, test taking, and presentation skills.
Main Outcome Measure: Probability
of acceptance to at least 1 medical school.
Results: In the
1997 medical school application cohort, 223 (49.3%) of 452 MMEP
participants were accepted compared with 1406 (41.6%) of 3378 minority
nonparticipants (P=.02). Positive and significant program effects
were also found in the 1996 (P=.01) and 1992 (P=.005)
cohorts and in multivariate analysis after adjusting for nonprogrammatic
factors likely to influence acceptance (P<.001). Program effects
were also observed in students who participated later and among those with
relatively high as well as low grades and test scores.
Conclusions: The
MMEP enhanced the probability of medical school acceptance among its
participants. Intensive summer education is a strategy that may help
improve diversity in the physician workforce. JAMA.
1998;280:772-776.
Financing Health
Professions Education:
Risky Practices and Unrealistic Expectations: Improving the Financial
Advising of Premedical Students
Daniel A.
Burr, Ph.D. and John F. Klein, Ph.D.
The
educational debt of medical school graduates has been growing rapidly at
a time when consumer credit is readily available to students and managed
care is making significant changes in physician reimbursement. This
combination of circumstances has given financial planning an
increasingly important role in the lives of medical students. The more
we understand about the financial practices and attitudes of our
students before they come to medical school, the better we can target
our financial advisement programs to address their needs during and
after their enrollment. Previous studies have analyzed factors
influencing medial student borrowing, the relationship between medical
student debt and career choice, and how medical student attitudes toward
educational debt and future income affect career choice. There have been
studies, based on focus group interviews, of the financial attitudes,
practices, and knowledge of students in general, but no study has
attempted to analyze these elements for the medical student subset,
which tends to be heavily indebted. The purpose of our study is to
assess the financial practices, expectations, and knowledge of medical
school applicants and to analyze them based on the demographic
characteristics of sex and ethnicity differences.
A
Primer on Federal Financial Aid for Dental Students
Anne
Wells, Ed.D.
In the eighteen
years that I have been involved in dental education, I have seen student
borrowing become a way of life. The average debt of a dental school
graduate has increased from around $20,000 in 1982 to nearly
$100,000 in 1999. Dental educators recognize that increasing student
loan debt has the potential to impact dental education in many ways.
Potential dental students must consider whether the cost of dental
education is worth the financial investment and the acquisition of
substantial debt. Dental school graduates must make practice
decisions reflective of their potential ability to repay student loans.
Dental educators are becoming increasingly concerned about the
availability of dental health care to disadvantaged populations, and
ethicists are considering how debt could compromise practice decisions of
heavily indebted practitioners.
Higher education
has entered the era of "pay as you go" consumerism.
Meanwhile, the cost of dental education, and all higher education,
continues to climb. Although the economy is strong and the dental
applicant pool is relatively plentiful, are we setting ourselves up for a
time when we cost ourselves out of business? Will only the wealthy
be able to afford a dental education? Will dental health care become
less widely available to disadvantaged populations?
A booming student
loan industry has emerged as the outgrowth of federal legislation
authorizing student financial aid. Student loans have become big
business for many banks and lenders. Companies that employ thousands
have been established to service student loans. University financial
aid offices have grown and expanded their scope as they try to keep up
with the explosion of federal regulations and the call for institutional
accountability.
There is no
specific career path to become a financial aid administrator. In
fact, many of us fell into this business quite by accident. Further,
the responsibilities of financial aid officers has grown from facilitating
the process of applying for and receiving financial aid to that of
financial planner and debt management specialist. As someone with
one foot in the financial aid office and the other foot in the dental
school admissions office, I offer this perspective. Journal of
Dent Ed, 62 (5)
(MD)2: Monetary Decisions for Medical Doctors
Daniel A.
Burr, Ph.D.
Advisor to Advisor:
The Med Vantage Program: A Unique Opportunity for Pre-Health Students
to Gain Clinic Experience
Charles
A. Fergusen, Ph.D. and Connie Nelson
Assessing Your Application Profile: A Workshop for Pre-Health Students
David A.
Verrier, Ph.D. and Gale Lang, M.S.W.
Successful careers are
not planned. They develop when students are prepared for opportunities
because they know their strengths, their method of work, and their values.
- Norma Wagoner, Ph.D.
One of the most common
challenges facing pre-health advisors is dealing with students who are not
realistic about their own developing credentials and the competitive
nature of gaining admission to health professions schools. Students are
often unrealistic about their credentials, and often do not understand the
complexity of issues which factor into the admissions process. Consider,
for instance, the following statements:
- "If there any
chance that I can get in this year, then I have to try."
- "My uncle (the
doctor) said he got a ‘C’ in organic chemistry and it didn’t hurt
him getting into medical school."
- "I was told that
all I need to get into medical school is good grades and MCATs."
- "I know that my
grades and MCATs are low, but won’t my leadership positions and
community volunteering make up for that?"
Do any of these statements
sound familiar? What is our role in providing a reality check for
students? Do we sometimes promote hope in students who are neither ready
to apply nor realistic about their chances? How can we help our students
realistically assess their application profile? How do we promote
self-esteem and self-worth in a context of realism?
. . . In this paper we
outline an assessment instrument and a workshop titled "Assessing
Your Application Profile" that we developed to address issues
surrounding unrealistic self-assessment in our students. As health
professions advisors, we believe our role is to empower our students to
make informed decisions about their careers and to provide guidance,
tools, and information which will enable them in this process.
Scholarship, Humanism, and the Young Physician
Ronald H.
Fishbein, M.D.
It is time to understand
the value of broad liberal education for those college students who aim to
be physicians, both because the medical curriculum is becoming more
humanistic (such a liberal education would support) and because three
enormous challenges confront physicians and educators alike: the
relentless tide of biomedical discoveries, the great financial burden that
medical care imposes, and the public’s desperate plea for physicians who
are more caring and communicative. A liberal education — meaning
a course of study that is largely unrestricted and that attempts to sample
the entire breadth of human knowledge — can help
the premedical student cultivate, ripen, and enrich fundamental
proficiencies such as accurate recording of observations, communicating
ideas well, dealing with human emotions and becoming sensitive to human
frailties, learning to listen and respond appropriately, learning to make
sound judgments, and cultivating empathy and compassion. These are all
skills that a liberal education can help the young student learn early
rather than late, skills that prepare the student for dealing later with
complex social, ethical and clinical issues as a physician.
A liberal education also
can help prepare the student to take advantage of other general
educational opportunities that are available in the small, closed
community of residency, such a learning to both assume and delegate
responsibility, to participate in rational debate while respecting the
opinions of others, and to exercise mature judgment, civility, empathy and
compassion.
While a liberal education
will not necessarily make the student a more technically proficient
doctor, for some it will be essential to awaken and sharpen those
essential skills that a physician needs to rise to the top of a profession
that never fails to recognize excellence and humanity. (Acad. Med.
1999;74:646-651)
Book Review: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
Anne Fadiman
Review by
Robert Cannon, Ph.D.
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June
Vol. 20, No. 3
2000
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Special Theme:
The PreMed Syndrome
A Survey on the
“Premedical Syndrome”
Robert M.
Sade, M.D., Glenn A. Fleming, Ph.D. and G. Robert Ross, Ph.D.
The Plight of Premedical Education: Myths and Misperceptions – Part I:
The “Premedical Syndrome”
Gert H.
Brieger, M.D., Ph.D.
“It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again!”: An Advisor Reflects on the Premedical
Syndrome and the Premedical Stereotype
Gail
Glicksman, Ph.D.
Research Articles:
Gauging Matriculants’ Experiences with Small-Group Learning:
Implications for Medical School Performance
Amy V. Blue,
Ph.D., Carol Elam, Ed.D. and Kimberly Stahlman, B.A.
Pre-Admission Medical Student Variables: Do They Predict Practice
Location and Specialty?
Erin L.
Graham, M.A., Steven J. Verhulst, Ph.D. and Erik J. Constance, M.D.
Committee Letter, Advisor or Letter Service? Results of the E-mail
Survey
Paul J.
Crosby, M.A.
Retrospective: Informal History of the Founding of CAAHP
Frank
Whitehouse, Jr., M.D.
Liaison Reports:
ADEA
Don Bloxham,
Ph.D.
AAVMC
Marilyn J.
Hoffman
Book Review:
PreMed: Who Makes It and Why?
Mary Ann Maguire
Review by
Cecilia Fox, Ph.D.
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September
Vol. 20, No.
4
2000
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Special
Theme:
Reflecting on Initiative 2000
NAAHP Initiative 2000: The Strategic Plan
Reflections on Initiative 2000
Douglas Wood,
D.O., Ph.D.
Initiative 2000:
A Response
Carol
Elam, Ed.D.
Updates from the Health Professions:
Allopathic
Medicine
Robert F.
Sabalis, Ph.D.
American Association of Medical Colleges
Dentistry
Richard
H. Carr, Jr., D.D.S.
American Dental Education Association
Nursing
JoAnne
Weiss, Ph.D., F.N.P.
Florida Atlantic University School of Nursing
Occupational
Therapy
Rosalie
J. Miller, Ph.D., O.T.R., F.A.O.T.A.
Nova Southeastern University Program in Occupational Therapy
Optometry
Edward
Johnston, O.D., M.P.A.
State University of New York College of Optometry
Osteopathic
Medicine
Robert
Ruiz, M.A.
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
Pharmacy
Elisabeth
Johnston Ross, M.A.
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
Physical Therapy
Sherrill
Hayes, Ph.D., P.T.
University of Miami School of Medicine Division of Physical Therapy
Physician
Assistant
James
Fry, M.S., P.A.-C.
University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Program
Public Health
Vanessa
A. White, M.P.H.
Association of Schools of Public Health
Veterinary Medicine
James
Thompson, D.V.M., Ph.D. and Paul Nicoletti, D.V.M., M.S.
University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine
Poster Presentations from the National Meeting:
New Assessment
Tools
Cassandra
Flambouras
A Prescription
for Successful Advising about Health Professions
Carol
Crafts, Ph.D.
The Public and
Community Service Minor
Carol
Crafts, Ph.D.
One Perspective
of the NAAHP Meeting
Robert V.
Blystone, Ph.D.
Results from the
Advisor Survey 2000
John
Klein, Ph.D.
Book Review:
The Tennis Partner: A Doctor’s Story of Friendship and Loss
Abraham
Verghese
Review by Cecilia Fox
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December
Vol. 21, No. 1
2000
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Special Theme:
Osteopathic Medicine
Dean’s Column
Dorothy
Dobbins, Ph.D.
Osteopathic Medicine: Emphasis on Health Rather than Disease
Michael L.
Kuchera, D.O
Over one hundred
years after its introduction as a distinctively American approach to
health care, osteopathic medicine is now the fastest growing segment of
the U.S. healthcare field. Organized around a distinctive philosophy, it
is a complete system of health care delivery and disease prevention.
Why is the osteopathic profession so popular? This article focuses on four
aspects of the current popularity of this profession:
-
An emphasis
within osteopathic education on health
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The
perception of osteopathic medicine as an alternative approach to
health care
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A history of
osteopathic physicians practicing primary care
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The
profession's value-added perception approach to care using
"high-tech and high-touch"
-
Growing
international recognition of the profession and its potential
contributions
Back
to Main Abstracts Online page
Osteopathic
Manipulative Medicine: Optimizing Patient-Focused Health Care
Brian F.
Degenhardt, D.O.
As an osteopathic
physician who integrates osteopathic manipulative medicine into his
practice on a daily basis, I often spend a great deal of time explaining
the role of this treatment modality in health care. This article
describes the philosophy of osteopathic medicine, as well as how several
of its basic tenets make this practice of medicine a distinctive form of
health care in the United States.
Survey on Perceptions of Osteopathic Medicine
Lori Haxton,
M.A.
In 1999, the Kirksville College of Osteopathic
Medicine conducted three surveys through an independent agency, Central
Surveys, Inc. The surveys were conducted to obtain feedback from
three populations: (1) newly enrolled medical students, (2)
premedical advisors, and (3) premedical students. The college
president supported and financed the project. The purpose of the
project was to obtain information on marketing, image and name equity.
A number of survey questions were developed specifically to obtain
information on osteopathic medical advising from the entering medical
student, premedical student and premedical advisor perspective.
Survey content was developed by a committee made up of the college
president, assistant vice president of public relations and
communications, vice president and dean of students, and the director of
admissions with support from Central Surveys, Inc. This article
will focus on survey results as they relate to advising only.
Advisor to Advisor:
Pre-Medical Student Attrition at a Four-Year Liberal Arts College
Dan A.
Gerbens, Ed.D.
Interest in a career in medicine remains high among
entering college freshmen, even though in recent years the number of
medical school applicants has declined. The purpose of this study was to
investigate the attrition of pre-medical students during their four
years of undergraduate, "pre-med" education. Two classes of
pre-med students at Hope College were contacted after each semester of
their college career to determine whether they still considered
themselves to be pre-med students, and if not, why not. Results
indicated that the largest attrition of pre-med students occurred
following the first semester of college. The amount and difficulty of
the required science courses were most commonly cited as the reason for
abandoning medicine (pre-med) as a career direction.
NEW VISION on Health Professions
Bradley S.
Bowden, Ph.D. and Joan M. Bowden, M.S.
All health professions programs look for evidence
of an applicant's familiarity with and sincere interest in the health
profession to which he or she is seeking admission. In the 1998
summer issue of The Advisor, Dan Gerbens described two programs at Hope
College that provide college students with firsthand experience in the
health care system to gain insight into the practice of medicine, to
confirm their career choice and to build their resumes. It is
equally important for high school students to have this opportunity
prior to college, especially to have close and extensive contact with
the health care system, a diversity of health professions and the
opportunity to assess their own commitment to the health professions.
In New York State, BOCES districts (Board of Cooperative Education
Services) have sponsored NEW VISION Career Exploration programs that
provide high school seniors these opportunities in several different
professions. NEW VISION Health Professions programs will be
starting their tenth year in some BOCES districts. This article
describes the organization and the advantages of these programs.
Correlates of
MCAT Performance in a Postbaccalaureate Population of Premedical
Students
George
Delahunty, Ph.D.
The purpose of this study was to examine
correlations between traditional indicators of academic performance, SAT
scores and grade point averages, and MCAT scores in a population of
postbaccalaureate premedical students. Data was collected from
postbaccalaureate students at Goucher College from the academic years
1990-91 through 1994-95. A strong correlation exists between the total
MCAT score and the total SAT score whereas a modest correlation exists
between the total MCAT score and the postbaccalaureate GPA. The Physical
Sciences and Verbal Reasoning subsection of the MCAT correlated well
with the Math and Verbal subsection of the SAT. These data suggest that
SAT scores have significant value in helping to identify
postbaccalaureate candidates who can be successful medical school
applicants.
From the
Literature: Mastering the New Public Health
Noreen M.
Clark, Ph.D. and Elizabeth Weist, M.A., M.P.H.
The dramatic changes in
the field of public health are reverberating in schools of public health
in a number of ways, not the least of which is action by the deans of the
Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) to ensure that graduates
with master’s of public health degrees are competent to meet the current
challenges of practice.
The conceptual framework
at the center of this activity describes three domains — skills,
perspectives, and settings — in which alumni of
schools of public health may be required to demonstrate competency. ASPH
work in this area is grounded in previous national and professional
competency definitions and school- and department-specific competency
development; it is distinct from earlier work, however, because its focus
is on competency at the master’s level across the graduate schools of
public health.
The field of public health
is undergoing a transition that is making itself felt deep into the heart
of public health academe. The changing nature of people entering the field
of public health is, moreover, causing graduate schools of public health
to reconsider the way students are prepared for public health practice.
Liaison Report
David
Verrier
NAAHP Liaison to AACOM
Book Review:
The D.O.’s: Osteopathic Medicine in America
Norman
Gevitz
Review by Helen Pigage
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2001
March
June
September
December
|
March
Vol. 21, No.
2
2001
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Special Theme:
The Premedical Curriculum
Required or Not? That is the Question
Edward N. Trachtenberg,
Ph.D. and Jenette H. Wheeler, M.D.
It
appears from many recent communications to both the NAAHP and NEAAHP
listserves that advisors, and presumably their students, are seeking
better guidance in the area of curricular advising. Should
students be encouraged to go beyond the usual premedical science
requirements and take more sophisticated courses in the natural
sciences? Do these play a role in making a candidate more viable
for admission? Is there a significant difference between
candidates for the MD or DO and for those wishing to enroll jointly in a
PhD program? Has medicine changed so much in recent years that
students realistically will not be able to compete with their fellow
applicants unless they have background courses in such things as
biochemistry, molecular genetics, or physical chemistry. Are
“recommended” courses essentially “required” because enough
members of admissions committees will not support candidates who do not
present them? How flexible are medical schools in waiving
requirements, both in the sciences and in English and mathematics, if
they have been taken in nontraditional pathways or have been substituted
for? Do medical schools appreciate the importance of a liberal
arts background, or do they view it as a luxury? Should we require
that students learn Spanish? Should we gear our courses so as to
educate (or, perhaps a better word is, train) students to take
standardized exams? As we enter a new millennium, how should we
address all of these questions?
Johns Hopkins University and Its Role in the Development of Modern
Premedical Education
Ronald
Harrison Fishbein, M.D.
The Plight of Premedical Education, Myths and Misconceptions – Part II:
Science “versus” the Liberal Arts
Gert H.
Breiger, M.D., Ph.D.
For
decades it has been known that students who major in non-science
fields perform as well as science majors who go to medical
school. Yet the overwhelming
majority of future medical students still major in biology or chemistry,
and organic chemistry has come to be the defining premedical science
course. This article traces the history of the liberal arts tradition,
discusses its importance for medicine, and urges that readers think
about the medical college in the age of the university. The author believes
that the medical faculties should take a lead in helping to reshape
the premedical as well as the medical education of future doctors.
(Acad. Med. 1999;74:1217-1221)
Medicine: Art or Science?
Robert
Stach, Ph.D.
The question of
whether medicine is an art or a science is an important one to ask if
students are to be educated in undergraduate school as well as medical
school. If medicine is an
art, then the training that students receive may still be appropriate.
However, if medicine is a science, then students must be educated
and not merely trained. Training
and education are not the same thing.
Training mainly involves the transfer of knowledge (i.e.,
information) to students; whereas, education involves, in addition to
the transfer of knowledge, learning concepts and acquiring problem
solving skills. Medical
school training has not changed much over the past century; while there
has been new information and even new disciplines added to the
curriculum, there has not been a new pedagogy.
Students have a multitude of facts to memorize. They have done
this admirably, over the years, but they have less success with problem
solving, a skill they must have in their medical practice.
A physician brings together a variety of information and
observations about a patient’s symptoms and draws a conclusion about
the patient’s problem. To gain admission to medical school, a student
has to excel academically as measured by the undergraduate grade point
average and test scores, and have strong recommendations, service or
health experience, etc. Therefore,
one would assume that these students can think and readily solve
problems. Unfortunately,
a significant number of medical students cannot solve problems.
To address this, many medical schools now use a problem-based
learning approach, or something similar.
Yet, medical
students seem most
capable of regurgitation
and taking tests (e.g., MCATs) where they must be able to determine
which one of the four or five answers
correctly correlates with the information given in the questions.
In our society, we have come to believe that the ability to
regurgitate facts is an excellent sign of one’s capabilities.
But is this really true? Statements
by employers, both in the press and on the Internet, indicating
dissatisfaction with the quality of students graduating from our high
schools and colleges, suggest it is not.
Most of these comments relate to the inability of individuals to
problem solve (i.e., think). Does
this mean that merely learning facts and regurgitating them is
insufficient? In the past
10 years alone, we have had a burgeoning of biomedical information.
Thus, it seems more necessary to cram even more information into
the heads of medical students. Is
this the way to handle this increase in information?
The Importance of Premedical Coursework to Success in Medical School
Rebecca
E. Johnson, M.A. and Ellen R. Julian, Ph.D.
There
has been a great deal of discussion among the medical education community
and students about what premedical coursework is necessary for success in
medical school (Muller, 1980; Stimmel, Smith, and Kase, 1995; Elam,
Lenhoff, and Johnson, 1997). The debate has centered on the appropriate
balance between science and non-science courses in the premedical
curriculum. There seems to be a consensus that having an undergraduate
non-science major does not negatively affect a student’s academic
performance in medical school and residency selection (Dickman, et.al.,
1980; Canaday and Lancaster, 1986; Hall and Stocks, 1995; Smith, 1998).
Most medical school applicants however, still major in a biological or
physical science as undergraduates.
In 1984, the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)
published a report that recommended humanities and social sciences be
included in any premedical curriculum (Muller, 1984).
Since medical students have to deal with the consequences of their
premedical education decisions, it seemed appropriate to ask them about
what was necessary for success in medical school.
Therefore,
this paper describes a research project that investigated what
undergraduate courses were important to success in medical school and what
a desirable balance between science and the non-science courses in the
premedical curriculum might be, according to medical students and
residents.
A
Retrospective Look at Premedical Students’ Majors
Peter S.
Van Houten, Ph.D.
Throughout my 35 years as
a pre-medical advisor I often heard the comment from students and parents
that, “I hear medical schools are more interested in non-science majors
than they used to be.” “Used to be,” when considered over 35 years,
covers a great deal of time and should provide us with some evidence to
support or refute this seemingly widely held belief concerning the value
of a non-science major in the application process. As this remark
has been made so often and over so many years, I became interested in
determining if there was any basis in fact for it, and if so, was there
evidence to indicate that premeds were responding to it and thus
increasing the number of medical school applicants from non-science
majors. Surely, one could imagine, if the word got out to premeds that
their chances for acceptance were better as non-science majors, a
considerable number would act accordingly and major in something other
than a typical premed major such as biology or chemistry. We know that
premeds do a rather good job of “keeping their ears to the ground,”
i.e., being attentive to rumors.
Armed
with copies of Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) starting
in 1966-67, the year I began advising with the naive notion that all
premeds at Berkeley were zoology majors, I undertook an examination of
evidence on the majors of US medical school applicants and their
acceptance rates. It appears that MSAR did not begin to publish
comprehensive data on the major of applicants until the 1972-73 class.
Over the years, the format and content of what we now know as Table 4B in
MSAR — Acceptance to Medical School by Undergraduate Major — has
changed somewhat, making absolute comparisons impossible. Nevertheless,
the basic structure has remained much the same, thus allowing
adequate comparisons to be made. Data for the 1982-83 entering class were
not available. My data end
with the 1999-2000 entering class. Thus,
the data I examined cover a period of 27 years, a great deal of “used to
be.”
The Mount Sinai Humanities and Medicine Program: An Alternative Pathway
to Medical School
Mary R.
Rifkin, Kenneth D. Smith, Barry D. Stimmel, Alex Stagnaro-Green and
Nathan G. Kase
The Pre-Medical Education Enhancement Project (PEEP) – A Call for Action
Miles J.
Schwartz, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.C.
In
undertaking any consideration of issues involving medical education it
is more than appropriate to reflect on the views of Sir William Osler.
In 1906, Dr Osler commented:
"The hardest conviction to get into the mind of the beginner
is that the education upon which he is engaged is not a college course,
not a medical course, but a life course, for which the work of a few
years under teachers is but a preparation." The phrase
"life course" serves to introduce the very issues I wish to
address. We are concerned about two interlocking educational
challenges as a part of the premedical experience: preparation for
(1) a life in medicine, and (2) a life wherein medicine is a substrate
for a wide variety of intellectual, social and physical activities.
From the Literature:
Attributes of Graduating Students: Entry-Level and Beyond
David A.
Heath, O.D., Ed.M.
This
issue of Optometric Education contains an ASCO report entitled
“Attributes of Students Graduating from Schools and Colleges of
Optometry.” This report
represents the conclusion of a multi-year effort by ASCO member
institutions to define and communicate the core outcomes of Doctor of
Optometry degree programs in the United States.
The report was accepted unanimously by the
ASCO Board of Directors at their annual meeting
on June 20, 2000. This
important effort by ASCO: (1)
provides a common basis for curriculum planning and assessment at each
of the schools and colleges of optometry; (2) assists optometric
organizations in carrying out their functions as they relate to
entry-level competency and post-graduate education; and (3) provides a
clear understanding of the outcomes of an optometric education to
non-optometrists and
external agencies. Each of
the other health care professionals has similar documents.
(Optometric Education 26:1, Fall 2000)
Attributes of Students Graduating from Schools and Colleges of Optometry
David
Heath, O.D., Ed.M., Kent M. Daum, O.D., Ph.D., Anthony F. DiStefano, O.D.,
M.P.H., Charles L. Haine, O.D., M.S. and Steven H. Schwartz, O.D., Ph.D.
Doctors
of Optometry
(American Optometric Association definition)
Doctors
of optometry are independent primary health care providers who examine,
diagnose, treat and manage diseases and disorders of the visual system,
the eye and associated structures as well as diagnose related systemic
conditions.
Optometry
— A Responsible Profession
Endorsed
by the American Optometric Association (1996) and The Association of
Schools and Colleges of Optometry (1996)
The
profession of optometry fulfills the vision and eye care needs of the
public through clinical care, research and education, all of which enhance
the quality of life. The
scope of optometric knowledge and practice includes the prevention,
examination and evaluation, diagnosis, rehabilitation, treatment and
management of disorders, dysfunctions, and diseases of the visual system,
the eye and associated structures; and the evaluation and diagnosis of
related systemic conditions.
Optometric
practice is dynamic, with the emphasis on patient care services at the
general practice level. Responding
to the changing needs of society, the profession must have access to all
methods and modalities of contemporary practice.
Entry-level
competencies include the professional attitudes, skills and knowledge to
ensure safe and effective patient care outcomes and to support life-long
learning. The maintenance of
continuing competencies and professional growth must be ensured by
continuing learning and assessment, and thereby it sustains the integrity
of professional licensure. Additional
education and training provide advanced practice skills and knowledge in
specialized areas beyond those requisite at entry.
(Optometric Education 26:1, Fall 2000)
Book Review: Time to Heal: American Medical Education from the Turn of
the Century to the Era of Managed Care
Kenneth
M. Ludmerer
Review by Robert Cannon, Ph.D.
Liaison Report
Saundra
Herndon Oyewole, Ph.D.
|
June
Vol. 21, No. 3
2001
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|
Special
Theme:
Letters of Evaluation
Dealing with
Negative Information: A Dilemma for Premedical Advisors and Admissions
Officers
Carol L.
Elam, Ed.D., Dwights Davis, M.D. and
Saundra Herndon
Oyewole, Ph.D.
The Dishonest Dean’s Letter: An Analysis of
532 Dean’s Letters from 99 U.S. Medical Schools
Michael Edmond, M.D., M.P.H.,
Margaret Roberson, M.D. and Nael Hasan, M.D.
A Reason to Reconsider
Ronald Harrison Fishbein, M.D.
Letters of Evaluation, AMCAS 2002 and the
Electronic Age
Lori Provost
Special Theme: The Premed Curriculum –
Continuing the Dialogue
Changes in the Medical School Curriculum
Deborah German, M.D.
Advising Pre-Health Professions Students in
the Liberal Arts Tradition: Appreciating and Valuing the Undergraduate
Experience
Kerry L. Cheesman, Ph.D.
Continuing the Discussion of the Premed
Curriculum – More, Less, the Same or Different?
Robert E. Cannon, Ph.D.
From the Literature: Attributes of Students
Graduating from Schools and Colleges of Optometry
David A. Heath, O.D., Ed.M., Kent
M. Daum, O.D., Ph.D., Anthony F. DiStefano, O.D., M.P.H., Charles L.
Haine, O.D., M.S. and Steven H. Schwartz, O.D., Ph.D.
Book Review: Second Opinions: Stories of
Intuition and Choice in the Changing World of Medicine
Jerome Groopman, M.D.
Review by Peter S. Van Houten, Ph.D.
|
September
Vol. 21, No. 4
2001
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|
Updates
from the Health Professions
Allopathic Medicine
Robert F.
Sabalis, Ph.D.
Associate Vice president, Section for Student Programs
Association of American Medical Colleges
Osteopathic Medicine
Robert F.
Ruiz, M.A.
Vice President of Applications Services
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
Optometry
Mark K.
Colip, O.D.
Dean for Student Affairs, Illinois College of Optometry, Chicago
Pharmacy
Elisabeth
Johnson-Ross, M.A.
Director of Student Affairs
American Association of Colleges of Pharamcy
Physician
Assistant
Jim Fry,
P.A.-C.
Liaison from the Association of Physician Assistant Programs
UK Physician Assistant Program, Morehead State University
Public Health
Elizabeth
Weist, M.A., M.P.H.
Director of Education and Practice Programs
Association of Schools of Public Health
Veterinary
Medicine
John
Roane, Ph.D.
VMCAS Director
Special Report:
Evaluation of a Centralized Application Service for Podiatric Medical
School
Anthony
McNevin, C.A.E. and Donald Pollack, Ph.D.
Viewpoints:
The Premedical
Studies Seminar
S.T. Dye,
Ph.D., R.T. Kasuya, Ph.D. and D.H. Sakai, Ph.D.
Academic
Requirements to Medical School: A Retrospective Look
Peter S.
Van Houten, Ph.D.
The State of
Premedical Advising 2001: A Physician’s Perspective
Ronald
Kapp, Ph.D.
Liaison Reports:
AACPM
David E.
Pennington, Ph.D.
AACP
Suzanne
K. Murphy, Ph.D.
Book Review: The Scalpel and the Silver Bear
Lori
Alvord
Review by Robert Cannon, Ph.D.
|
December
Vol. 22, No. 1
2001
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|
Special Theme:
Introducing AAMC
Introducing the Division of Student
and Education Services
Robert F.
Sabalis, Ph.D.
Postbac Primer
Carol
Baffi-Dugan, M.A., M.Ed. and Gale Lang, M.S.S.
Key Questions to Ask About Postbac Programs
Gale Lang,
M.S.S.
Introducing the
Section for the Medical College Admissions Test
Ellen
Julian, Ph.D.
The MCAT Science Content Review Part I: Report on the Medical School
Survey of Science Content
Pat Etienne,
Ph.D.
Introducing the Section for Student Services
Pam
Cranston, Ph.D.
Time, Tide and the AMCAS
Robert
Blystone, Ph.D.
Primum Non Nocere: Factors Compounding an Already Difficult Situation
Ronald
Harrison Fishbein, M.D.
Spotlight on a Health Profession:
Graduate
Programs in Nursing: A Rose By Any Other Name
Linda
Pellico, R.N., M.S.N., C.S., C.C.R.N. and Paula Milone-Nuzzo, R.N.,
Ph.D., F.A.A.N.
Research Articles:
Predicting the Science GPA of Non-Traditional Postbaccalaureate
Premedical Students: An Investigation of the Validity of the DCAT
Paul Henry,
Ph.D. and Linda Herrold, M.A.
Liaison Report: AAMC-COA
Ken Moore,
Ph.D.
President, NAAHP
|
2002
March
June
September
December
|
March
Vol. 22, No. 2
2002
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Special
Theme:
Advising and Supporting
Underrepresented Minority Students
Sustaining Minorities in Prehealth Advising Programs Challenges and
Strategies for Success
Saundra
Herndon Oyewole, Ph.D.
Dramatic
racial and ethnic changes in the demographics of the United States make
increasing the diversity of the health professions workforce a pragmatic
as well as a moral imperative. Yet, despite years of concerted effort,
African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans continue to be
underrepresented in the health professions (COME, 1998; AADS, 2000; AAMC,
2000a,b). Addressing this persistent problem requires proactive, systemic
approaches at all levels of the educational process. Whether the metaphor
used is the “pipeline” or Bowen and Bok’s Shape of the River (13
Owen & Bok, 1998), the educational system loses many minority students
during the undergraduate years.
This is especially the case for minority students who enter
colleges and universities expressing an interest in the health
professions, regardless of their intellectual abilities (Bowen & Bok,
1998; CB, 1999; Gandara, 1999). Attention
to the undergraduate years of academic preparation and personal growth is,
therefore, essential
to achieving
the goal of a health
professions workforce that reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of
this country. The pervasive
inequities in education that leave many underrepresented minority students
ill prepared for the rigors of advanced education have been well
documented. These inequities severely limit the pool of students entering
colleges and universities (NCES, 1998; NSF, 2000). Therefore, it is
imperative that under-graduate institutions provide the programmatic and
personal support necessary to ensure the persistence of minority students
to the baccalaureate. With
respect to the health professions, effective undergraduate prehealth
advising programs play a unique and important role in the successful
advancement of under-represented minorities to careers in the health
professions.
Understanding
the root causes of the underrepresentation of minorities in the health
professions will facilitate the development of effective strategies for
remedying the problem. For
example, poor academic performance in science and math courses often
impedes the advancement of minority students to health professions
schools. Because the factors
influencing their performance in rigorous science and mathematics courses
are complex, the solutions must be equally creative and multifaceted to
have an impact. Several studies on the persistence of minority students to
the baccalaureate in all majors, particularly in science and math,
illuminate the complexity.
Minority Affairs Committee On the Move
David
Verrier, Ph.D. and Saundra Herndon Oyewole, Ph.D.
The
current academic year has proven to be active and productive for NAAHP’s
Committee on Minority Affairs. We have formed an active and invested
Committee of advisors and liaison members, have secured grant funding for
the upcoming national conference, and are in the process of building some
very important liaison relationships with relevant professional
associations. Let us give you a little background before we share
more about what is planned.
What is the Problem?
The
problem of decreasing numbers of underrepresented minority students (URMs)
— African-Americans,
Hispanics and Native Americans — who are recruited and retained in the
pursuit of careers in the health professions continues to be an issue in
medical education in the United States (see AAMC report “Minority
Graduates of U.S. Medical Schools: Trends, 1950-1998”). Medical
Schools and the AAMC have worked toward increasing the size of the URM
applicant population and improving the credentials and retention of these
students in the applicant pool. Project 3000 by 2000, while
increasing somewhat the numbers of URM students, did not achieve the goal
of 3000 accepted students in the medical school class matriculating in
2000. Most educators are aware of the inequality in teaching and
schooling for URMs in
this country
and how
opportunity is often rationed to minority students. This is a
pipeline problem that often begins in pre-school and extends into the
college experience.
Related to this, there
is a compelling need for cultural competence among health professions
advisors. Cultural competency permits individuals to respond with respect
and empathy to people of all cultures, classes, races, religions and
ethnic backgrounds in a manner that recognizes, affirms and values the
worth of individuals, families, and communities. It is generally
assumed that health professions advisors can more sensitively and
optimally advise underrepresented students across cultural lines by
examining their knowledge, attitudes, skills, and protocols in advising.
The Role of Health Professions Advisors
Health
professions advisors in colleges and universities can play an integral
role in the recruitment and retention of URMs into health careers.
Ideally, advisors can provide access to resources and opportunities for
URMs as well as provide encouragement and support throughout the
educational process. They often serve as gatekeepers, facilitating
the candidacy of minority applicants to health professions schools.
It is recognized, however, that health professions advisors can either
positively or negatively impact access, opportunities, persistence,
and the ultimate success of URMs. Advisors, like all people, are
susceptible to attitudes and practices of racial and ethnic stereotyping,
specifically those that unintentionally have a negative impact on the
confidence and persistence of URMs.
Millenial Challenges: Insights on Minority Student Persistence in
Health-Related Academics
Carlos
Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Excerpts
from the
Report of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Ad Hoc
Committee on Affirmative Action and Diversity
The
AACP Ad Hoc Committee on Affirmative Action and Diversity felt the need to
establish why it is so important to pharmacy education that students from
all racial and ethnic groups be well represented in the nation’s
colleges and schools of pharmacy. Committee
members determined that there is a unique element to the practice of
pharmacy that requires diversity to achieve the goals of professional
pharmacy practice. First
and foremost, pharmacists are health care providers responsible for
achieving positive health outcomes for all patients, regardless of
background. Pharmacists are placed in a more diverse environment today
than in the past. Pharmacists,
in contemporary practice, need to possess communication skills
unprecedented in the history of pharmaceutical care.
Additionally, pharmacists are required to work in a closer
relationship with patients and other health professionals than ever in
order to achieve the goals of pharmaceutical care.
This is primarily a result of the rapidly changing demographic
composition of the United States. As the new millennium begins, ethnic
minorities comprise an estimated 27% of the U.S. population.
Reliable estimates indicate that their numbers will increase to 37%
in the year 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau, 1999). The increasing numbers of
minority persons will continue to create social and political changes
throughout society. This will occur particularly in health care, where
pressure on financing and delivery systems to close the gap in health
status between minorities and the majority population can only increase.
Moreover, because minorities are underrepresented in all health
professions, including pharmacy, pressures should intensify to achieve
greater representation of minorities in the health care workforce.
URM Enrollment at U.S. Dental Schools – A Call to Action
Jeanne C.
Sinkford, D.D.S., Ph.D., Sonja Harrison, B.A. and Richard W. Valachovic,
D.M.D., M.P.H.
Excerpts from the Report of the American Association of Colleges of
Pharmacy (AACP) Ad Hoc Committee on Affirmative Action and Diversity
The SNMA:
Mentoring the Health Professions of Tomorrow
Aderonke
O. Omotade
MMEP Student
Perceptions of the Pathway to Medical Education
Pamela G.
Ferry, M.H.S. and William A. Thompson, Ph.D.
Purpose:
To gain a greater understanding of the perceptions of
underrepresented minority premedical students regarding premedical
preparation and the medical school admissions process.
Method:
A 36-item questionnaire was administered to 116 undergraduate
premedical students attending a summer enrichment program.
Responses for most questions were scored on a Likert-type scale.
Results:
Respondents reported high utilization of premedical advising
services and rated these services as helpful.
However, the majority of respondents overestimated both the
competition for medical school admissions and the representation of
minority students in the medical school population. Respondents had a
realistic perception of the importance of quantitative factors (grades,
MCAT scores) and more qualitative/humantarian factors (communication
skills, community service) in medical school admissions and tended to rate
themselves as above average as medical school candidates based on these
factors. Areas in which respondents reported lower levels of preparation
include research experience and medically-related reading.
Conclusion:
The findings suggest several avenues in which premedical advisors
and/or enrichment program could assist minority premedical students in
preparing for medical school admissions. These include providing a list of
information resources, recommended reading lists, and up-to-date data on
admissions trends, especially for minority applicants.
Why Xavier University Remains No. 1
Pearl
Stewart
Promoting Multiculturalism
Connie
O’Hara
How do we promote
and develop a diverse, culturally competent workforce of physicians to
meet the needs of our changing society?
This issue was explored by 37 health professions advisors and
numerous administrators from eight different medical schools at the
sixth annual joint meeting of the Philadelphia LAN on January 4, 2002.
The event, hosted by Drs. Carol Terregino and David Seiden at
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s Camden campus, featured a keynote
presentation, a panel of medical school administrators, and small group
discussions on the issue of diversity.
Insider Tips: Navigating the Medical School Admissions Process
Lolita
Wood-Hill
Liaison Report: MAS-GSA
Saundra
Herndon Oyewole, Ph.D.
Book Review: Premedical Advisor’s Reference Manual (7th
edition)
Review by
Marliss Strange
|
June
Vol. 22, No.
3
2002
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Special Theme:
Liberal Arts and Preparing
for the Health Professions
Becoming a Physician: The Value of a
Liberal Arts Education in Preparing for a Career in Medicine
Laurence A.
Sevett, M.D.
Health
Professions Advising at Liberal Arts Colleges: An Integrated Approach
David A.
Verrier, Ph.D. and Alan W. Childs, Ph.D.
The Precarious
Position of the Medical Humanities in the Medical Curriculum
Lester D.
Friedman, Ph.D.
More on Standardized Tests:
The MCAT Science
Content Review Part II: Education in Preparing for a Career in Medicine
Patricia
Etienne, Ph.D. and Ellen Julian, Ph.D.
Composite ACT
Scores as a Predictor of MCAT Scores and of the Likelihood of Acceptance
to Medical School
Stan Eisen,
Ph.D.
Predicting
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) Scores Using Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) Scores
S.Q. Lafi,
Ph.D., J.B. Kaneene, Ph.D. and J.B. Tasker, Ph.D.
Viewpoints:
The Healer
Within
Susan
Nelson, Ph.D.
Getting
Acquainted or Reacquainted with the Premedical Advisor’s Reference
Manual
Edward N.
Trachtenberg, Ph.D., Editor, and Wendy A. Praisner, Associate Editor
Introduction to
the Health Professions – A Course Designed for the “Pre-Med” Student
Karla M.
Bruntzel, Ph.D., A.T.C. and Douglas Fickess, Ph.D.
Book Review:
Death to Dust: What Happens to Dead Bodies?
Kenneth J.
Iverson, Ph.D.
Review by Cecilia Fox, Occidental College
|
September
Vol. 22, No.
4
2002
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Updates
from the Health Professions
2002 National Meeting
Keynote Address:
Communication:
The Four Points of the Health Professions Advisor’s Compass
Robert F.
Sabalis, Ph.D., AAMC Associate Vice President
Updates from the Health Professions:
Allopathic
Medicine
Robert
Sabalis, Ph.D.
Chiropractic
Medicine
William H.
Dallas, D.C.
Dentistry
Richard H.
Carr, Jr., D.D.S.
Naturopathic
Medicine
Paul Mittman,
N.D.
Nursing
Ellen-Marie
Whelan, R.N., N.P., Ph.D.
Occupational
Therapy
Guy L.
McCormack, Ph.D., O.T.R., F.A.O.T.A.
Optometry
James M.
Caldwell, O.D.
Osteopathic
Medicine
Linda Heun,
Ph.D.
Pharmacy
Elisabeth J.
Ross, M.A.
Physician
Assistant
Jim Fry,
P.A.-C.
Physical Therapy
Susan S.
Deusinger, P.T., Ph.D.
Podiatric
Medicine
Marlene Reid
Public Health
Allison
Foster, M.B.A.
Application Services:
AMCAS
Pam
Cranston, Ph.D.
AACOMAS
Robert F.
Ruiz, Ph.D.
AACPMAS
Marlene Reid
CASPA
David Asprey
PharmCAS
Elisabeth J.
Ross, M.A.
VMCAS
John E.
Roane, Jr.
Advisor Fair Entries:
Professional School Applications Procedures Website
Beverly B.
Childress
Junior/Senior
Health Professions Workshop
Angela S.
Cole and Lee Abrahamsen, Ph.D.
In House MCAT
Review Sessions
Thomas A.
Davis, Ph.D.
Health Science
Shadowing Course
Thomas A.
Davis, Ph.D.
The Center for
Life Sciences – Health Professions Advising Tools
Chrystal
Kelly and Jim Zakely
Health
Professions Advising at the U.S. Air Force Academy
Helen K.
Pigage, D.A. and Deborah L. Hall, Ph.D.
Career
Preparation Seminar for Health Professions
Gail
Robinson, Ph.D.
A Simplified
Approach to Mock Interviews
Timothy A.
Sherwood, Ph.D.
Study Abroad
Course for Premed Students
Michael
Ulrich, Ph.D.
Health Professions Advising Issues:
Effective Communication Skills and the Medical/Dental School Interview
Barry S.
Anton, Ph.D.
Curricular
Changes at Medical Schools and Premedical School Requirements
Carol
Baffi-Dugan, M.A., M.Ed.
Foreign Medical
Schools from the Premedical Advisor Point of View
Paul J.
McLoughlin II, M.Ed., William Harvey, Ph.D. and Anthony P. Smulders,
Ph.D.
International Education and the Premedical Experience
Jeremiah L.
Putnam, Ph.D.
Book Review: The Human Side of Medicine
Laurence A.
Savett, M.D.
Review by Ronald H. Fishbein, M.D.
|
December
Vol. 23, No. 1
2002
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Special Theme:
Veterinary Medicine
What is Required to be a Competitive
Veterinary School Applicant?
Ronnie G.
Elmore, D.V.M., M.S., D.A.C.T.
Associate Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University
Grades Are Not
Enough
C.B.
Chastain, D.V.M. and Kathy Seay, College of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Missouri
Subjective
Criteria as the Sole Method of Selecting Veterinary Candidates at a U.S.
Veterinary Medical School
Sherry L.
McConnell, D.V.M., M.S. and Lori R. Kogan, M.S., College of Veterinary
Medicine, Colorado State University
Choosing a
Veterinary College: A Survey of Entering Students at Cornell’s College
of Veterinary Medicine
Kathleen M.
Quinlan, Ph.D. and Katherine M. Edmondson, College of Veterinary
Medicine, Cornell University
Team Management
and Student Support
Joan E.
Pfaller, Ph.D. and Janver D. Krehbiel, D.V.M., Ph.D., Michigan State
University
Becoming a
Veterinarian
Jane
Westberg, Ph.D., University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Advisor to
Advisor: What We Teach
Impact of a First Year Introduction to the Health Professions Course on
Student Retention and GPA
| |