Lewis Associates e-Newsletter
Volume 14 Issue 9
September 2014
Published by Lewis Associates. Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD., Editor
Email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
with your comments. Enjoy!
What will happen? Will you have fun learning?
Will you be intimidated by a professor?
Will you have trouble with a roommate? A boy/girlfriend?
Do you know what amount of time and how intensely you need to study to understand your new classes?
How much time will be devoted to service and jobs?
Where is your primary focus? Fraternity? A job? School?
How you “do” academically will depend on your attitude about the above questions. How effectively you communicate with faculty and friends, when you ask for help, how you deal with inevitable “bumps in the road”, … these are all important!
Let us know how we can help.
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: “I earned a C in organic chemistry I last spring, and am registered to take organic chemistry II this fall. How do I earn an A?”
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 2016 or 2017?
Testimonials
Track Record
Be Competitive
What Are Your Chances?
Getting Started
• Ebola vaccine to be tested in humans at NIH Clinical Center in Maryland this fall
• Campus Sex Assaults Draw State Scrutiny
• How physicians are rethinking care delivery
• How two schools are embracing a new science in medical education
• Tulane School of Medicine opens first-of-its-kind teaching kitchen
• Research Doesn’t Pay—At Least Not in Graduate Medical Education
• Doctors need marijuana training
• What new physicians need to know about navigating regulations
• Study: Medical marijuana may help rein in painkiller overdoses.
• The condom cure! A Brooklyn medical student designs device to save women from bleeding to death during childbirth
• What are the advantages of being married to a physician?
• Doctored: The Disillusionment of an American Physician
• Still in the closet: the invisible minority in medical education
• Virtual reality headset allows medical students to experience a procedure from a surgeon’s perspective
• 10 Fast Stress-Busting Pick-Me-Ups
• California Experiments With Fast-Tracking Medical School
• The need for nutrition education in med schools
• Med residents in Southeast make less than peers, but carry similar debt, website reports
• GME financing system needs overhaul: IOM report
• Electronic health records were supposed to be everywhere this year. They’re not — but it’s okay.
• Report Touches Off Fight Over Future Of Doctor Training Program
• Residents: Will They Ever Pay Off Medical School Debt?
• Hospitals And Health Plans See The Future Very Differently
• House supports profession’s entry into a single GME accreditation system
Useful Links
• The MCAT2015 Exam for Students
• What's on the MCAT2015 Exam?
Alumni Update
• Yamah, Entering Class of 2014, University of Queensland Ochsner MBBS Program
Success Story of the Month
• Adrian, MD, Entering Class of 1994, Medical College of Wisconsin, Pediatric Residency at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Asst. Professor of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin.
Question of the Month
• Dr. Lewis' answer to this month's question: "I earned a C in organic chemistry I last spring, and am registered to take organic chemistry II this fall. How do I earn an A?"
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 2016 or 2017?
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 2016 or 2017 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.
Ebola vaccine to be tested in humans at NIH Clinical Center in Maryland this fall
Government researchers, in collaboration with British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, will begin human trials next week for an experimental Ebola vaccine in the hopes of rushing the drug as quickly as possible to health workers and others at risk in West Africa.
Campus Sex Assaults Draw State Scrutiny
Few issues affecting higher education have captured as much national attention this year as sexual assaults on college campuses.
How physicians are rethinking care delivery
The way care is delivered can have drastic effects on patients’ health, even in the treatment of the same illness.
How two schools are embracing a new science in medical education
For future physicians preparing for the complexities of the 21st-century health care system, education beyond basic and clinical sciences can give them the tools they need to succeed in practice and in achieving positive outcomes for their patients.
Tulane School of Medicine opens first-of-its-kind teaching kitchen
Tulane’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine has a new teaching kitchen to help medical students and physicians learn about functional nutrition through hands-on cooking experience.
Research Doesn’t Pay—At Least Not in Graduate Medical Education
Teaching hospitals cannot count time spent by residents on “pure research” as part of their indirect graduate medical education costs, a federal circuit court ruled when it upheld a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regulation.
Doctors need marijuana training
Physicians will need extensive training on medical marijuana, even if they aren’t in a position to prescribe it, explains a pharmacists’ association in a letter to the editor. In the likely absence of FDA oversight, the author notes, there won’t be much guidance for pharmacists on potential drug interactions, so the physician may be the lone gatekeeper.
What new physicians need to know about navigating regulations
Transitioning from residency or fellowship into practice is a stressful time, and it’s not made any easier by the many regulatory issues physicians face on a daily basis.
Study: Medical marijuana may help rein in painkiller overdoses
A new study suggests that medical marijuana could provide some relief from the national epidemic of prescription painkiller overdoses, which kills more Americans each year than car crashes do.
The condom cure! A Brooklyn medical student designs device to save women from bleeding to death during childbirth
Mikail Kamal, 25, and his research team, discovered a blown up condom filled with saline water can put pressure on the uterus to reduce or stop bleeding until the woman is transferred to a hospital.
What are the advantages of being married to a physician?
Physicians tend to marry later and their marriages last longer even as they face the challenges, like others with demanding professions, of giving time and attention to their partners and families.
Doctored: The Disillusionment of an American Physician
No medical student goes to become a doctor to become a businessperson,” he tells Marketplace, “but the system is so dysfunctional today that it has created this business mentality among doctors.
Still in the closet: the invisible minority in medical education
Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) osteopathic medical students surveyed were less likely than their non-LGB peers to consider their medical school campus “inclusive,” according to a new study.
Virtual reality headset allows medical students to experience a procedure from a surgeon’s perspective
The Oculus Rift, a headset that immerses the user in a 3D image, has made the jump from video games to create a 3D experience of an actual surgical procedure from the surgeon’s point of view.
10 Fast Stress-Busting Pick-Me-Ups
Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, try one of these strategies. Most just take a minute, and they can improve your whole day.
California Experiments With Fast-Tracking Medical School
Interested in primary care? Want to cut a year off of training, along with the tuition? Here are more details on how the three-year accelerated training program at the University of California, Davis works.
The need for nutrition education in med schools
Describing the coverage of nutrition in medical school as “an embarrassment for at least 120 years,” David Seres explains how the lack of nutrition education in med school is coupled with poor funding for nutrition research, allowing self-described “experts” to represent their opinions as facts.
Med residents in Southeast make less than peers, but carry similar debt, website reports
The Medscape resident salary survey also found differences in compensation between male and female respondents.
GME financing system needs overhaul: IOM report
A long-awaited report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) calls for transitioning the current graduate medical education (GME) system to a transparent, performance-based system.
Electronic health records were supposed to be everywhere this year. They’re not — but it’s okay.
Report Touches Off Fight Over Future Of Doctor Training Program
A high-level report recommending sweeping changes in how the government distributes $15 billion annually to subsidize the training of doctors has brought out the sharp scalpels of those who would be most immediately affected.
Residents: Will They Ever Pay Off Medical School Debt?
The Medscape 2014 Residents Salary & Debt Report is based on an extensive survey of more than 1200 US residents representing 25 specialties.
Hospitals And Health Plans See The Future Very Differently
Economic indicators of health spending presented a mixed message on recent earnings calls, leaving experts to sort out the confusion.
House supports profession’s entry into a single GME accreditation system
Capping more than two years of deliberations, negotiations and soul-searching, the AOA House of Delegates voted to support the osteopathic medical profession's landmark entry into a single graduate medical education accreditation system.
The MCAT2015 Exam for Students
Find these and other useful links on Lewisassoc.com's Links Page.
 Yamah Yamah, Entering Class of 2014, University of Queensland Ochsner MBBS Program August 24, 2014: "Hi Dr. Lewis, Its currently winter in Down Under, but still sunny. I have finished my first semester of medical school and it was rough but amazing at the same time. I spent most of the first semester trying to figure out how to keep up and study for all my classes, but I did well in my classes so I am happy to get 1 semester under my belt. I’m currently in my second semester with midterms right around the corner. So far outside of the usual lectures, we get clinical coaching to learn how to interact with patients and take histories. We also get some skills workshops to do venipuncture, CPR, and taking blood pressure. One negative aspect of my school is that we only get a few wet specimen and cadaver labs, and our microbiology wasn’t that amazing. But, I do get to an elective after my first year for 8 weeks, and I chose orthopedic surgery. My study habits continue to change and I am trying to find a way to add more USMLE to my study, which has been difficult. |
success story
 Adrian Adrian, MD, Entering Class of 1994, Medical College of Wisconsin, Pediatric Residency at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Asst. Professor of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin. Throughout my professional life, I have been blessed with great mentors who have had unconditional interest in my career and success. Early on it was Dr. Cynthia Lewis who helped pave the way for me. She worked tirelessly to make sure her students would succeed and was instrumental in my acceptance into the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) at San Diego State University. Through carefully planned coursework, MCAT preparation, and personal mentorship, the program put me in a position to maximize my probability of acceptance into medical school. Dr. Lewis became more than a pre-med advisor, she became a friend and lifetime mentor who, to this day, continues to offer her advice and support. Training Research awards and grants Mentorship and teaching Clinical work |
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
"I earned a C in organic chemistry I last spring, and am registered to take organic chemistry II this fall. How do I earn an A?"
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.
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