Lewis Associates Success Stories December 2009

Lewis Associates e-Newsletter
Volume 8 Issue 12
December 2009
Published by Lewis Associates. Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD., Editor
Email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com with your comments. Enjoy!

I attended the annual Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) meeting in Boston in early November. Highlights included a session about the holistic admissions review project whose goal is to achieve greater medical student diversity. So, what is "Diversity"? AAMC's definition is:

1. Diversity is a multi-dimensional concept. It not only includes race, ethnicity, and gender, but other dimensions like socioeconomic status, life experiences, languages spoken, etc.
2. Diversity is also an inherently institution-specific concept. The diversity interests of 1 school are likely to be different from another based on differences in institutional mission, educational goals, the kind of students a medical school wants to educate, and the kinds of physicians it wants to graduate. See the Q&A for more about how this may work in practice.

I also attended sessions about using the MCAT data in 2010 student selection, and the MCAT comprehensive review for 2014 change. The average scores from almost 76,000 examinees in 2009 are PS 8.3, VR 8.1, BS 8.1 and writing sample O; total 25.1. AAMC advises schools to rely on the total score.

See this month's Q&A for how well MCAT scores predict performance in medical school. What is new with the MCAT? What do you need to know about how MCAT scores are interpreted?

As a pre- health student, you MUST engage yourself in understanding what is happening in health policy as it unfolds in 2009. Read a daily or weekly online or print national news source. Have an opinion and be ready to back it up with facts! "I am too busy" is not an option for serious pre- health students!

Getting into medical, dental, pharmacy and the other health professions schools is getting HARDER!

As usually happens in an economic downturn, more people are attracted to stable careers like the health professions…competition is fierce!

Warning about student-run websites from Cornell Medical School Admissions staff:
"PLEASE do not encourage students to get information from web sites administered by other students. From time to time, I look up the studentdoctor.net site (for interview ratings) and I am appalled at the amount of misinformation there. Most of the information given there will hurt students more than help them."

Sick of rumors and false reports? Lewis Associates website has factual information that you can trust.

Nearly one in ten Americans ages 20 to 24 is unemployed. But, health care jobs remain an economic bright spot. The U.S. Department of Labor expects the health sector to add more than 1.4 million workers over the next ten years. Students in college and even high school can start preparing now for a rewarding health career.

Are you ready?

Our Track Record
Entering Class of 2009...96% acceptance
Entering Class of 2008...96% acceptance
Entering Class of 2007...97% acceptance
Entering Class of 2006...89% acceptance
Entering Class of 2005...100% acceptance
Entering Class of 2004...100% acceptance

We have restructured our Advising package so you can become competitive during the entire application process!

Our one year package addresses ALL preparation and application activities, no matter when they occur for you. We advise all applicants to begin preparation for their application process at least 18 months prior to expected matriculation . But, real preparation to become a strong, competitive applicant starts when you enter college (and even before!) So, get started NOW!

If you are interested in personalized advising from “The Best in the Business,” (quote by Dr. Patrick Linson, Harvard Medical School Alum who is the only Native American Radiation Oncologist on the planet!), call Lewis Associates today to schedule YOUR personal assessment. Dr. Lewis invests in you, so you may live up to your potential to be the best applicant you can be!

How to Communicate With Us

Phone: 805-226-9669 Fax: 805-226-9227
Mailing Address: 1885 Laguna del Campo, Templeton, CA 93465

Lewis Associates absorbs Long Distance Charges
All phone conferences are made from our office to you. Marcia, our Administrative Assistant, calls YOU at your appointment time.

Changes in Services

Where are you in your journey to a health profession?
In high school? Yes, we advise high school students, particularly, those interested in BA-MD programs!

Just starting college? This is a scary time. Everything is new…how do I meet all those new expectations?

Moving into your difficult upper division sciences as a college junior? Possibly, the "dreaded organic chemistry"…

Re-entering as an "older" non-traditional student? Re-establishing academic discipline…

We help prepare those of you submitting applications for medical and dental Residency programs, too!

Whatever niche you fit, we advise students just like you.

Are you REALLY ready to apply for the Class of 2011 or 2012?
How do you know?
Use our Personal Assessment--and you will be given your individual strategy and path to your future! Then, if you use our advising, we help implement your strategy! And if you start the ultimate Commitement Package within 6 months, we subtract your Personal Assesment Fee from the total. If it were easy to do, all applicants would be accepted...and, that is not the case.

Many whom we advise may not yet be ready, and need to develop some aspect of their background to become competitive. Best to apply when you are ready, be competitive, and do it ONLY ONCE!

Let's work together to make that one-time application successful…contacting us earlier is better so we can develop your strategy and address all those difficult problems…months or years prior to application. Why not set yourself up for success, rather than toy with the proposition of failure?

Testimonials
Gail Ruth, Todd Ruth's mother, Entering Class of 2010, Jefferson University Medical School
Just a short note here to let you know how appreciative we are of all the wonderful help you gave to our son, Todd. He just received his first 2 acceptances from his top choices, so we couldn't be more pleased.! You were instrumental in guiding him as to which courses to take and gave him invaluable help with his essays. Thanks once again for all your help and guidance.

David and Maureen Lee, Eric Lee's parents, Entering Class of 2009, Saint Louis University School of Medicine
June, 2009: "Dr. Lewis, We just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for all of your strategic guidance, wise counsel, encouragement, and mentoring to our son Eric on his journey to get into medical school. That is quite a process!! Eric definitely took the "road less traveled", majoring in philosophy, but he worked really hard to get his science prerequisites under his belt. He benefited so much from your experience, insight, and when needed, "tough love". You kept him on track, and we thank you. We think he will be an excellent physician. Perhaps some day we will meet. Again with gratitude, David and Maureen Lee."

Michael Nevarez, Entering Class of 2006, Harvard University School of Medicine, his first choice school
"Dr. Lewis was a wonderful guide and mentor as I embarked on a medical career a number of years after graduating from Cal Poly (graduated 2001, applied to med school in 2006). She gave an honest assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of my profile, and more importantly provided specific and personalized ways in which I could address my application and the process going forward. Her advice and experience was invaluable and I am very happy to have worked with her."

Margaret Jolley, Entering Class of 2008, UC San Diego School of Medicine, her first choice school
"I never would've made it without my weekly conference with the calm, experienced Dr. Lewis. She kept me sane. I am so grateful for her guidance, for her editing help, and for the confidence she instilled in me. She is a genuinely caring committed Mentor who takes pride in helping our dreams happen. I have urged every fellow student I know to call her. Let her help you, too!"

Austin Yoder, Entering Class of 2009, Accepted to Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences, Philadelphia Osteopathic-GA, West Virginia Osteopathic, Tennessee Osteopathic, and Kansas City Osteopathic
"I am utterly grateful to Dr. Lewis for all her help, guidance and mentorship through the application process. I owe a great deal of my success to date to her team."

Ariel Chairez, Entering Class 2004, Scholarship Awardee, University of Wisconsin Medical School
"Dr. Lewis, I would like to thank you for all of your help. Without your guidance, I would not have been accepted into medical school this year. I am extremely happy to have been accepted to one of the top medical schools in the country, and to have received a scholarship of $130,000. For any student who questions the value of your services, I can say that you have saved me $130,000 in tuition! Thank you."

John Fiszer (Lawyer), Entering Class of 2005, University Of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine
Dr. Lewis' note: John was an Assistant State's Prosecuting Attorney in Chicago, Illinois, when he contacted me in 2004. Finishing his 4th year of medical school, he said: "I am really enjoying med school, and I am thankful to Dr. Lewis for her help. Her methodical, disciplined approach to the med school application process, as well as her insight into the transition to med school were right on target."

Ali Warrick, Entering Class 2011 Advisee
"Dear Dr. Lewis,
I appreciate your help in my transfer process to UC Berkeley. You have been an integral part of the transition, and I would like to thank you for your time and efforts. I know that your work is very thorough and well thought out. In addition, I believe that you really care about your students, and believe in each student's "right fit" in a school. You lead many people toward a brighter future, and I would like to say, 'Thank You!' for your contribution toward my academic goals. This process has been much more enjoyable with your guidance. Thank you for being so good at what you do."

S, Entering Class 2008, accepted with full scholarship to Mayo Medical School
"I cannot thank Dr. Lewis enough for her support and invaluable advice. When I came to her, I was apprehensive about the formidable task of applying to medical school especially with my past academic and personal hardships. She helped me see that overcoming these difficulties was a testament to my strength, dedication, and diligence. One of the most surprising outcomes of our relationship was that she was effective in helping me develop a more positive self-image and conquer many of my insecurities. Without her guidance and letter of evaluation, I would not have been able to earn an acceptance to Mayo Medical School, which granted me a merit scholarship that covers almost all of my tuition. I truly appreciate all of her help. She went above and beyond her role as an Advisor by becoming a Mentor to me. She is absolutely the best in the business!"

Be Competitive
In order to be a competitive Class of 2011 or 2012 applicant, you need to submit a quality application as evaluated by your clinical, service and other experiences and your GPA-MCAT/DAT/GRE, etc. profile in a timely fashion. This requires a well thought-out strategy to carry you through the difficult year-long application process. If you use Dr. Lewis' advising, we begin preparation early in the year BEFORE submission of your application!

EARLY is always better, removes much of the pressure, and allows time to solve unforeseen problems and challenges.

What are your chances?
If you want to change your career, or reach your present career goal, but do not know how to begin, or how to jump over all those hurdles, Lewis Associates will advise you and implement strategies to change your life. Dr. Lewis is thorough and professional.

Getting Started
Read on our website about getting your Personal Assessment done, then phone or email us to get started! Dr. Lewis spends, on average, 7 hours developing an effective strategy of taking you from where you are to where you want to be. Added Benefit: We will subtract the cost of your Personal Assesment from an Ultimate Commitment Package if you choose it within 6 months.

You may be like our other Lewis Associates Advisees -- highly motivated and intelligent -- but needing focus, guidance and specific technical expertise. Dr. Lewis solves problems for her Advisees and finds opportunities for them. Or, you may wish to use hourly advising to solve one specific problem.

Dr. Lewis is a trained Biologist, having taught and directed her own research programs for many years at two universities. She earned two postdoctoral fellowships (one at NIH), received the 1990 NACADA Outstanding Institutional Advising Program in the U.S. and directed her own Health Careers Opportunity Program grant for 6 years, bringing $1 million to her university while helping hundreds of disadvantaged students enter health professions.

If you are serious about making your dreams to become a physician, dentist, physician assistant, veterinarian, optometrist, podiatrist, naturopathic physician, or pharmacist a reality--Dr. Lewis can help you. We have made the difference for more than 800 alumni now training or practicing in medicine over the last 23 years.

Dr. Lewis teaches Professionalism, Leadership, and Quality, and sets high standards for her Advisees.

Lewis Associates will save you money and heartache on your preparation and application process.

Contact the Health Career experts! For more information email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com. Call 805-226-9669 to set up your first appointment.

AMA looks for ways to trim rising student debt
The Association will work to increase medical school funding, reduce tuition costs and ease students' loan repayment obligations.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/06/29/prsi0629.htm

Med school enrollment up, but residency slots remain flat
A lack of growth in residencies could help fuel a physician shortage, AAMC officials say.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/11/09/prse1111.htm

Disruptive behavior by doctors, nurses persists a year after crackdown
A survey of physician and nurse executives raises questions on how to implement zero-tolerance policies required by the Joint Commission.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/11/16/prl11116.htm

Some specialists will see extra cuts in Medicare pay
Specialties involving heavy use of MRI and CT imaging will see particularly large reductions, prompting worry that some practices will close.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/11/16/gvl21116.htm

Liability reform demos must have patient safety element
It's not clear how closely projects must focus on medical errors in order to qualify for some of the $25 million in federal grants.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/11/09/gvsa1109.htm

California licensing backlog keeping doctors from starting jobs
The state medical society has sued, saying three-day furloughs each month are causing the medical board's delays in issuing licenses.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/11/09/prsb1109.htm

What commentators are saying about the Senate's public plan option
Even before the House bill was introduced, the Senate was asserting that the public insurance option was not dead.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/11/09/edsa1109.htm

Health care spending for middle-age Americans booming
Experts say increased use of services, expanded screening, technical advances and more in-office procedures are driving costs.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/11/09/bisa1109.htm

House bill would end antitrust exemption for health plans
But at least one Republican said the law would unfairly put small health insurance companies at a disadvantage by ending collaboration.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/11/02/gvsd1103.htm

University of Central Florida Med School Welcomes First Class With White Coats
The students will receive full scholarships for all four years of their medical education.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/09/07/prsb0907.htm

NHSC Loan Repayment Program-Spread the Word!
Having doubled in size, the National Health Service Corps' (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program is now available to far more health care professional applicants.
http://www.aacom.org/resources/ome/2009-11/Pages/nhsc.aspx

National Area Health Education Center Organization (NAO)
Supports and advances the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) network in improving the health of individuals and communities by transforming health care through education.
http://www.nationalahec.org/Directory/AHECDirectory.asp

Courier Program of the Frontier Nursing Service
Provides an opportunity to volunteering in a rural community in eastern Kentucky.
http://www.frontiernursing.org/

Health Professions Advanced Summer Scholars Program
Enhance your chances of getting into medical school and other health professions programs.
http://www.dmu.edu/healthpass

Christopher L. Sherman, DO, Entering Class of 2001, Midwestern University, Orthopedic Surgery Residency at Riverside County Regional Medical Center.

It has been said that Michael Jordan’s basketball career was as prosperous as it was because he never sustained a career-threatening or season-ending injury. Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame expectations were jeopardized last year with an anterior cruciate ligament tear. Tommy John’s elbow surgery, in which the ulnar collateral ligament is reconstructed using a tendonous autograft from contralateral elbow, wrist, or hamstring, has been credited with the performance maintenance of pitchers John Smoltz and Kerry Wood.

The roots of my desire to be an orthopaedic surgeon were not fed by a particular doctor’s heroic efforts, but rather by a combination of my fascination with sports and my family. Sports, both as a participant and observer, have been a large part of my life. As a high school student, the improbability of participation at the professional level hit home, thus altering my future focus to academics. As I followed my favorite athletic teams, I saw that players were on the “disabled list” for various injuries. I consulted encyclopedias and textbooks to determine the nature of a torn ACL or a rotator cuff strain.

Furthermore, my desire to be a physician also stems from my family background. My father, an accountant, trained me to think analytically, while my mother’s teaching career has contributed to my strong communication skills. The virtues of hard work, initiative, and a sense of community responsibility were instilled in me at an early age. These advantages, in addition to my enthusiasm for physiology and interest in sports injuries, focused my efforts to become a doctor.

My desire to issue reliable diagnoses for such injuries began with my undergraduate education at the University of Arizona. I then attended San Diego State University to earn a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology. My program prepared me for medical school by continuing to help develop a professional demeanor and baseline understanding of pathology, statistics, and research methods. Through guidance from Dr. Cynthia Lewis and CUHRE, I was introduced to osteopathy and I was able to successfully gain entry into medical school.

After completing my Master’s degree at SDSU, I matriculated to Midwestern University (AZCOM), an Osteopathic medical school in Arizona. I was attracted to Osteopathic medicine because of its focus on the musculoskeletal system that is often skimmed over at allopathic medical schools. As a result, I felt Osteopathy and Orthopedic Surgery were a perfect marriage that would help me become the best Orthopaedic surgeon possible. Upon completion of the classroom portion of medical school, I entered the clinical setting and excelled. The leadership, communication, and teamwork skills learned from years of lifeguarding, my undergraduate education, and guidance from Dr. Lewis, were beneficial for my patient interactions and work with colleagues.

My orthopaedic rotations exceeded my expectations. I love the mechanical nature of orthopaedics and the direct physical contribution to a patient’s health. I found this to be very cohesive with the osteopathic philosophy instilled into me early in medical school. Although my experience in the surgical realm was limited to more simple tasks at that time, I felt confident I could acquire the technical skills to become a successful surgeon.

I currently am finishing my residency in orthopaedic surgery at Riverside County Regional Medical Center and will be starting my fellowship in orthopaedic trauma surgery with the University of California, San Diego Medical Center in August of 2010. At present, I am also attempting to secure a fellowship position in adult reconstructive surgery and develop the skills necessary to provide those services. My intent is to use these skills to develop a practice catering to the trauma and post- traumatic patient that is centered on sound principle, committed to achieving exceptional results, and focused on emerging trends and technologies that may lead to these ends. On a more personal level, my greatest aspirations for the future are simply to excel, teach, and inspire.

I will likely never have the opportunity to be the team doctor to the Philadelphia Eagles, perform an arthroscopic procedure on LeBron James, or resurrect Bo Jackson’s career. However, with the aging of the “baby boomers” and as more violent accidents become increasingly prevalent, the need for well-rounded orthopaedic trauma and adult reconstructive surgeons to repair all of those broken parts cannot be overemphasized. My professional education has given me a solid base on which to build. I am optimistic about gaining acceptance to a strong Adult Reconstruction Fellowship program to train and become the surgeon I aspire to be. Without the help of Dr. Lewis, I may have never looked at Osteopathic Medical Schools, and thus, not been able to achieve my dream of being an Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Email to Dr. Lewis if you wish to communicate about medical schools or other issues or to contact those profiled in Success Stories: imaclewis@lewisassoc.com

Fees will stay the same in 2010. AAMC Predict an increase of 5% examinees in the US and of 15% in Canada in 2010 2014 is first year the MCAT could change; the question remains how to test for professionalism and altruism?

First, note Table 3 from "Using MCAT Data in 2010 Student Selection" presented by Michelle Sparacino at the Boston AAMC meeting.

You can see that some trong academic-credentialed students are turned down by medical schools, while others with moderate grades/MCAT scores are accepted. Perhaps, most instructive for medical admissions committees are Figures 4 and 5, which indicate the relationships between MCAT total scores with Board Pass rates, and MCAT total scores with 4 and 5 year graduation rates.

The most important point is that in Figure 4, both curves level off at the MCAT total score range of 26-27, where the liklihood of passing each exam exceeds 90%.

Figure 5 shows the time to graduation for the same group. They show 90% of these students graduated in 4 years and for students who entered school with MCAT scores at or above the 27-9 range, 4-year graduation rates are similar, i.e., higher MCAT scores do not translate into better graduation rates.

But, beware! ALL specific medical schools with their mission, state mandates, and personalities of admissions committees vary. No guarantee that they will apply the Holistic Admissions Review in this way.

We will feature an important question each month. Please submit one that interests you for Dr. Lewis to answer. Send your questions to imaclewis@lewisassoc.com with 'Newsletter Question' in the subject line.

The Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants' (AIGAC) Stamp of Excellence is issued based on education, professional experience as a graduate admissions consultant, and commitment to the AIGAC's principles of good practices. AIGAC exists to define and promote professional excellence in serving graduate and professional school applicants worldwide.

Lewis Associates specializes in personal, effective and professional premedical advising and placement for traditional and non-traditional applicants. Often, non-traditional students are older than 21 years of age, career changers, international applicants or second-round applicants for admission to health professions school.

Lewis Associates' services meet the needs of all types of students from pre-applicants to applicants, including hourly advising support for specific needs. Click here.

"It's never too late to be who you might have been."

If this is how YOU feel, then, maybe Lewis Associates is the place for you. Lewis Associates provides Mentoring and Coaching through the rigorous and often circuitous pre-health preparation and application process. Other consultants may support programs like Law and Business or graduate school -- not Lewis Associates. We are the experts in Health Professions based on 26 years of a successful track record.

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any friends, classmates, or colleagues you feel would find its contents beneficial.