Lewis Associates e-Newsletter
Volume 14 Issue 6
June 2014
Published by Lewis Associates. Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD., Editor
Email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
with your comments. Enjoy!
“Let the Games Begin!”
AMCAS and AACOMAS begin accepting submitted applications the first week of June. Many applicants scramble to submit the first day. But, is this a “wise strategy” or a “fool’s errand”? See the answer on this month Q&A on Facebook!
Changes at Lewis Associates
Beginning June 1, 2014, Dr. Lewis will no longer be offering the Personal Assessment packages.
If you or anyone you know is interested in this service, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can schedule an appointment.
Dr. Lewis will continue offering the other services listed on our website (hourly advising, AND AMCAS, AACOMAS, etc., packages)
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Watch for new videos to be posted each month on our Facebook page, including helpful hints for the application process.
Do you really want to be competitive?
1. Plan ... ahead!
2. Address your weaknesses. What are they?
- Science GPA?
- Test (MCAT, DAT) scores, or do you need to take the test for the first time?
- Clinical experiences? How meaningful are they?
- Service? What did you do to help others?
- No close relationships with faculty?
And, how long will it take to really improve? One term? 2 years? Be realistic!
So, whatever quest you have, or issue you want to discuss, Dr. Lewis is the best person to use for personal and academic advice. She's been doing it for 27 years, and "has heard it all". Why don't you let her help you?
imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
This month's question on Dr. Lewis' Facebook page is: "When should I submit my AMCAS/AACOMAS so I will be “early”?”
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!
How are YOU going to stand out from thousands of applicants?
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.
What's inside:
Welcome to Success Stories Newsletter!
News:
How to Communicate With Us
Your journey to a health profession
Are You Ready for the Class of 2015 or 2016?
Testimonials
Track Record
Be Competitive
What Are Your Chances?
Getting Started
• The Allopathic and Osteopathic Worlds: Aligning our Training to Meet Our Patient’s Needs
• Sorry, Medical Students, But You're Not Entitled To Your Dream Job
• Medical Student Leaders: What You Need to Know to be an Effective Agent of Change at Your Medical School
• MCAT changes reflect more holistic approach
• Both students and patients gain from health outreach program
• 3 goals doctors are working toward to reduce health care disparities
• How med ed is addressing the skills new residents may lack
• CDC: Lifespan more to do with geography than genetics
• Virtual patients, online games and real-time EHRs: The new med ed
• Obama's ACA Delays — Breaking the Law or Making It Work?
• The last-minute Obamacare shoppers were bargain hunters
• How are Obamacare enrollees using their new coverage?
• Hospitals are cutting down on their deadly mistakes, HHS says
• Physicians to discuss policy around MOC, GME financing
• Hospitals see blue-red divide early into Obamacare’s coverage expansion
• How med schools are preparing students for team-based care
• UNO Researcher Finds Tackling Test Anxiety May Help Prevent More Severe Problems
• How are Obamacare enrollees using their new coverage?
• How changing med ed will affect GME, CME
• Google Glass handed out to medical students at UC Irvine
• Doctors' Ignorance Stands In The Way Of Care For The Disabled
• Med student uses CPR to save man’s life
• Choose the Right Premed Courses to Prepare for the 2015 MCAT
Useful Links
• Harvard Medical: A look at the admissions process
Alumni Update
• Jimmy, Entering Class of 2010, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency at Parkview Medical Center
Success Story of the Month
• Martha, Entering Class of 2014, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine
Question of the Month
• Dr. Lewis' answer to this month's question: "When should I submit my AMCAS/AACOMAS so I will be “early”?"
See our Facebook page, Notes tab.
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 2013...88% acceptance
Entering Class of 2012...100% acceptance
Entering Class of 2011...100% acceptance
Entering Class of 2010...86% acceptance
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
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!
Email: imaclewis@lewisassoc.com |
|
| 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.
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 2015 or 2016?
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! 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, mother of Todd Ruth, 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, parents of Eric Lee, 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, 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 2015 or 2016 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.
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 26 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.
The Allopathic and Osteopathic Worlds: Aligning our Training to Meet Our Patient’s Needs
Combining the allopathic and osteopathic GME accreditation systems could not come at a better time for family medicine.
Sorry, Medical Students, But You're Not Entitled To Your Dream Job
Responding to another medical student’s perspective on the Match, M.D./Ph.D. candidate Jack DePaolo writes that eliminating the Match would turn the residency application process into chaos.
Medical Student Leaders: What You Need to Know to be an Effective Agent of Change at Your Medical School
Here are concrete tips on approaching your med school’s administration to make change happen at your school, whether it’s to a policy, procedure or part of the curriculum.
MCAT changes reflect more holistic approach
Largely unchanged since 1991, a fresh MCAT is just around the corner.
Both students and patients gain from health outreach program
Undergraduate premed students at the University of Florida run medical clinics that focus on care coordination and follow-up through their Health Outreach Quality Improvement program.
3 goals doctors are working toward to reduce health care disparities
Improved accuracy and reliability of patient race, ethnicity, and preferred language data collection and reporting could help physicians better understand and address health care disparities in ambulatory clinical practices.
How medical education is addressing the skills new residents may lack
CDC: Lifespan more to do with geography than genetics
There is a huge range in the death rates across American states, driven by public policy, regional habits and socioeconomics.
Virtual patients, online games and real-time EHRs: The new med ed
As health care moves into the era of the supercomputer and electronic health records (EHR), medical education is incorporating health information technology, virtual patients and more innovative learning methods into their curricula.
Obama's ACA Delays — Breaking the Law or Making It Work?
The last-minute Obamacare shoppers were bargain hunters
People signing up before the deadline went for cheaper health plans.
How are Obamacare enrollees using their new coverage?
Maybe doctors aren’t being swamped with new Obamacare enrollees, after all.
Hospitals are cutting down on their deadly mistakes, HHS says
It looks like hospitals are getting better at cutting down on their own errors.
Physicians to discuss policy around MOC, GME financing
A full slate of pressing medical education issues will be discussed by the AMA Council on Medical Education at the AMA Annual Meeting in June, including maintenance of certification (MOC) and graduate medical education (GME) financing.
Hospitals see blue-red divide early into Obamacare’s coverage expansion
Hospitals find Medicaid admissions are up and uninsured visits are down in states with expanded Medicaid
How med schools are preparing students for team-based care
Medical residents today must demonstrate that they can successfully participate as contributing members of interprofessional teams.
UNO Researcher Finds Tackling Test Anxiety May Help Prevent More Severe Problems
Students who learn how to master their test anxiety are better prepared to handle other forms of anxiety, according to researchers at the University of New Orleans.
How are Obamacare enrollees using their new coverage?
Maybe doctors aren’t being swamped with new Obamacare enrollees, after all.
How changing med ed will affect GME, CME
Innovative changes happening at medical schools across the country will produce future physicians with entirely different needs.
Google Glass handed out to medical students at UC Irvine
The California school thinks the device will help students with anatomy, clinical skills, and hospital rotations.
Doctors' Ignorance Stands In The Way Of Care For The Disabled
Even though 20 percent of Americans have a physical or mental disability, most medical schools aren’t teaching their students how to communicate with patients about a disability.
Med student uses CPR to save man’s life
Planning on some last-minute relaxation at a go-kart track with friends, a first-year medical student wound up saving another go-kart driver’s life.
Choose the Right Premed Courses to Prepare for the 2015 MCAT
Aligning premed course work with the MCAT competency areas will help students be prepared for medical school.
Harvard Medical: A look at the admissions process
Find these and other useful links on Lewisassoc.com's Links Page.
 Jimmy Jimmy, Entering Class of 2010, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency at Parkview Medical Center May 26 2014: "Hi Dr. Lewis, It's so good to hear from you, and thank you for all of your kind words! Parkview Medical Center is located in Pueblo, CO. It's a town south of Colorado Springs, which is the biggest town closest to me. It's an Internal Medicine Residency for which I'll be training for the next three years. The program director there, Dr. Braden is a wonderful woman who really commits to making that program great. After the three years, I would want to go back to Portland to find work as an internist. As of right now, I don't really have any plans to subspecialize, however, that may change in the near future! |
success story
 Marta Martha, Entering Class of 2014, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine I never planned on attending medical school or becoming a doctor as a child. Until high school, I had no plans to even attend college. But this changed when I shadowed a pediatrician for my senior year project. Since I was not in any way prepared for college, I enrolled in my local community college to begin the first of the premedical college courses I needed to complete and eventually transfer to UCSD. Since I was the first in my family to attend college, I had no guidance or support in my journey toward medical school. I had to figure out the entire process of even applying to college and financial aid on my own. Thus, I began my journey toward medical school as a “nontraditional” applicant. Since I had to help with household expenses at home, I started working and continued to work almost 30 hours a week at a real estate office during my entire college career. This greatly affected the length of time for me to graduate with my bachelor’s degree (5?6? years), and also the time I could dedicate to study. When I graduated, my GPA was nowhere near what I knew I was capable of accomplishing, or what was needed to be a successful applicant. I also enrolled in an MCAT preparation class to help me study for the MCAT. However, I still was not dedicating adequate time that was necessary to be successful on the MCAT. This negatively affected my initial MCAT score, and also made me doubt my chances of becoming a doctor. I didn’t want to give up my goal of becoming a doctor, but I felt lost, and didn’t know how to go about improving my application. When I heard about Dr. Lewis through a fellow volunteer at the UCSD Free Student Run Clinic, I knew her personalized guidance and support was exactly what I needed to push me in the right direction. After Dr. Lewis conducted her initial assessment of my entire personal and academic history, including my disadvantaged background and the obstacles I had to overcome as a nontraditional applicant, she set up a detailed roadmap of everything that I needed to do to improve my application and make me a competitive applicant. With her help, I enrolled and completed additional post-baccalaureate courses to improve my GPA, and also help me prepare for the MCAT. She also helped me set up an MCAT study schedule to make sure I studied efficiently and put in the necessary amount of time doing the right activities. This included taking as many practice AAMC MCAT exams and timed practice passages as I could get my hands on, while also teaching the concepts I had trouble with to others who would listen. I also continued to volunteer at the UCSD Free Student Run Clinic, a domestic violence center in downtown San Diego and did research in a lab at UCLA when I moved to Los Angeles. With Dr. Lewis’s help, I improved my overall and science GPA’s significantly and my MCAT score by 10 points while continuing to volunteer in my community and build on my direct patient experiences. My entire family and I believe Dr. Lewis has been the best investment I could have made in my journey to medical school. Without her help, I would never have been granted 9 interviews, (I attended 7), and ultimately be waitlisted at 2 schools and accepted to 3 medical schools, including my top choice, Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, which offered me a helpful scholarship. |
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
question of the month... see Facebook, Notes tab
By Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD
"When should I submit my AMCAS/AACOMAS so I will be “early”?"
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.
lewis associates advising services
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.
contact
"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 29 years of a successful
track record.
Call or email today to set your first appointment!
Copyright 2014, Lewis Associates. All rights reserved. Please do not repost on any website without direct permission from Lewis Associates.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any friends, classmates, or colleagues you feel would find its contents beneficial.