Preparing for Medical School - Page 31
a friend at another school to pose the same
question or problem there, or by contacting a
medical school admission office or a private
counseling service.
Some undergraduate schools, especially those
with large premedical populations,
may utilize the services of peer advisors and/or
mentors.
Peer advisors. Where
such a program exists, premedical advisors select
high-performing
upperclass students to serve in such a capacity.
They may be qualified to respond to
many common questions based on their own recent
experience. You should not, however,
use them as a replacement for your premedical
advisor. It is especially important to con-
sult with your advisor relative to the
selection of prospective medical schools, essay and
interview preparation, and other key elements
in the premedical experience.
Mentors. Many schools
appoint official student mentors. Should you decide to
make
use of a mentor, you need to select one with
care, in order to obtain the most benefit
from him or her. In making your choice, ask
successful upperclass students for their rec-
ommendations in terms of the mentor's
availability, knowledge, judgment, and compati-
bility.
Bottom Line
Where a premedical advisor is conscientious, he
or she can be of help to the student
body in a wide variety of ways, such
as:
· offering incoming freshmen with health
science career interests an in-depth orien-
tation to the school's advisory and guidance
programs. They have multiple func-
tions.
· providing information as to course and
other requirements for admission to U.S.
medical schools.
· counsel students on a one-on-one basis
about the advisability of pursuing a med-
ical career as well as an appropriate major
(and minor), and the appropriate pro-
gram of courses and best sequence for taking
them.
· assisting students having academic
difficulties with advice and information as to
the best services for help.
· conducting group seminars on
appropriate preparation for the MCAT examina-
tion, the AMCAS application, and medical school
interviews.
· counseling students individually as to
which schools to apply to, what choice to
make if they receive multiple acceptances, or
the best option if, unfortunately,
they fail to get into a medical
school.
· helping organize a premedical club or
honor society (such as Alpha Epsilon Delta)
to provide student-directed programs during the
academic year, featuring both
appropriate speakers and relevant
events.
· providing information on summer and
year-long volunteer and research opportu-
nities.
· distributing AMCAS medical school
applications and other materials as well as
maintaining a library of reference sources
including current relevant AAMC liter-
ature, medical school catalogs, and listings of
important Web sites.
· meeting with the premedical committee
to facilitate preparation of letters of rec-
ommendation and also arrange that they be sent
out in a timely fashion.
· providing students with moral and
psychological support during the stressful appli-
cation time until all responses from medical
school are in.
User Comments Add a comment…