Lewis Associates e-Newsletter
Volume
5 Issue 8
August 2006
Published by Lewis Associates. Dr. Cynthia Lewis, Phd., Editor
Email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
with your comments. Enjoy!
What's inside:
Welcome to Success Stories Newsletter!
Important News: Doctor Shortage Looms; Too many doctors in the house; Do you take care of men too?
Useful Links: Dehumanizing Medicine; Soul of a Doctor (Harvard Med student stories--including our own Dr. Andrea Dalve-Endres); Humanities in the curriculum
Alumni Updates:Another Lewis Alumni faculty at Stanford Medical School: Dr. Eunice Mata; Alumni Reunion a resounding success…a few photos…many more to come
Dates and Reminders: Lewis Associates Changes Mailing Address
Success Story of the Month: Akufo Opoku, Ghanaian immigrant and reapplicant
Question of the Month: How do I select a medical (health professions) school? A Second Opinion
Welcome to Lewis Associates!
By August, my Class of 2007 Advisees are heavily into the APPLICATION SEASON!
For those in the process of applying to medical school in the Class of 2007,
some are studying for the dreaded August MCAT exam. . . or possibly you have
the DAT or the GRE to take this summer. In any case, this is a very busy time
for all pre-health students!!
Thanks from the President of the San Diego State University Pre-Physician
Assistant Society:
Dear Dr. Lewis,
"You were very gracious with your time and I really enjoyed your candid
answers to all of our questions. I wish that I had found you earlier in my
college career."
Thanks from Dr. Adrian Miranda, Class 1994, Faculty at Medical College
of Wisconsin
I have never really taken the time to express my sincere gratitude for everything
you did for me. I have often mentioned your name during talks and to friends
and family as the person who was the most influential in my path to success.
I can’t tell you how many times my wife has answered that question right
on the "newlywed" board game. Without your guidance and support
I would never have accomplished my goals. I am so glad to hear you are doing
well and I want you to know that I still often think of you and the years
at SDSU. I am now married with two children (Alex 3 and Sofia 2). My wife
Heidi is from Madison and much to my dismay, she does not plan on moving to
California any time soon. . . I wish you the best and I hope that you have
a wonderful party surrounded by people who love you and whose lives you have
changed. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you or your family
and please stay in touch.
Your friend and Protégé,
Adrian Miranda, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatalogy and Nutrition
Medical College of Wisconsin
Thanks From Andrea Casillas, entering the Michigan State University
ABLE Program in fall 2006
"Dr. Lewis, Thank you so much. I am very grateful to have you along my
side during this stressful year. I appreciate all your work and patience!
I wish you the very best. May God bless you always. Thank you very, very much."
Andrea
Comment from an Alumnus
"Wow! What a website. Are you sure you want to retire? Based
on what I've seen, you have to be the most successful Advisor on the planet!
I owe a great debt of gratitude to your ability to encourage young people
to achieve their goals. If there is anything you ever need, no matter what
time of day, I'll take care of it, just call me. Joe"
Joseph E. Allen, MD, MS, FAAFP, CAQSM
Family Practice and Sports Medicine
What's New?
IMPORTANT!!
Change of Mailing Address
Through the end of 2006, our Lewis Associates mailing address will be our
office address: 2727 Camino del Rio South Suite 156, San Diego, CA 92108
Long term Advising packages back by popular demand! Lewis
Associates will continue long-term advising for the next couple of years based
on overwhelming requests. We are also focusing on Personal Assessments, essay
and interview packages, our new Medical and Dental Residency essay package,
and hourly problem-solving advising.
NEW FREE teleconferencing and videoconferencing. You need
to register for free AOL Instant Messaging, and will get free audio and/or
video contact with us!! Talk with Zakiya to set up your computer for this
NOW!!
We now have e-billing and will have more online services. In fact, we will
establish an online Blog in the near future!
In a couple of years, some new books and CD's will be out by Dr. Lewis about
preparing for medical and other health professions schools. . . keep on the
lookout!!
Harvard Medical School Track Record
We are proud that 2 of our Class of 2006 applicants were interviewed at Harvard
Medical School this year and both are accepted! This brings Dr. Lewis' record
to 29 Advisees accepted to Harvard Medical and Dental Schools in the past
20 years!
100% of our Class of
2005 applicants were accepted!
100% of our Class of 2004 applicants were accepted!
Class of 2007 applicants
We are preparing for your applications to be submitted this summer--BUT it
is NO longer EARLY! We now have little time, a very precious commodity. We
can help you sidestep the mistakes and jump over roadblocks that everyone
seems to face.
In order to be a competitive Class of 2007 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.
What are your chances?
If you want to change your career or reach your new career goal, but do not
know how to begin or how to jump over all those hurdles, Lewis Associates
will advise and implement strategies to change your life.
Getting Started
Read about your Personal Assessment in our newsletter
and website, then phone or email
us directly to get started! We spend on average 7 hours working to develop
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.
Maybe you wish to use our hourly advising to solve a 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.
If you are serious about making your dreams to become a physician,
dentist, physician assistant, veterinarian, optometrist, podiatrist, naturopathic
physician, or pharmacist a reality--Lewis Associates can help you.
We have made the difference for over 700 alumni now practicing in medicine
during the last 20 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 application
process.
Contact the health career experts! For more information
email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
or call 805-226-9669 and ask to set up your first appointment.
n e w s & l i n k s
N E W S
Needs of Patients Outpace Doctors (LA Times)
By Lisa Girion
An aging America and a shortage of physicians will severely tax the healthcare system, experts say. The effects are already being felt. (Click her for full article.)
Too Many Doctors in the House (New York Times)
By David C. Goodman
CAN we cure our ailing health care system by sending in more doctors? That is the treatment prescribed by the Association of American Medical Colleges, which has recommended increasing the number of doctors they train by 30 percent, in large part to keep up with the growing number of elderly patients. But the most serious problems facing our health care system — accelerating costs, poor quality of care and the rising ranks of the uninsured — cannot be solved by more doctors. In fact, that approach, like prescribing more drugs for an already overmedicated patient, may only make things worse. (Click here for full article.)
"Do you take care of men too?"
The Weaker Sex (New York Times)
By Marianne J. Legato
WHEN I say I study gender-specific medicine, most people assume I mean women's health. Patients ask me, "Do you take care of men too?" (Click here for full article.)
L I N K S :
Dehumanizing Medicine
The Doctor Will See You for Exactly Seven Minutes (New York Times)
By Peter Salgo
When politicians speak of America's health care needs, they often miss an
important point: the doctor-patient relationship has become frayed. Patients
aren't unhappy just because health care costs too much (though they would
certainly like it to be more affordable). Rather, people sense a malaise within
the system that has eroded the respect they feel patients deserve. (Click
here for full article)
Book Recommendation: Harvard Med student stories--including our own Dr. Andrea
Dalve-Endres
The Soul of a Doctor: Harvard Medical Students Face Life
and Death
by Susan Pories, Sachin H. Jain, Gordon Harper, and Jerome E.
Groopman
If you shop at Amazon.com, please use it via the CUHRE
website. CUHRE earns a percentage of all purchases made at Amazon.com
through our website. Go to: www.CUHRE.org
and click on the “support CUHRE” link.
At Some Medical Schools, Humanities Join the Curriculum (New York
Times)
By Randy Kennedy
Art and medicine have worked hand in hand for a long time. To improve his
art, Leonardo dissected bodies. To improve his anatomy treatise, Andreas Vesalius
relied on the artistry of Titian's workshop.
But the other day, in the European paintings wing of the Metropolitan Museum
of Art, a group of seven would-be doctors had a different kind of reason to
appreciate the 17th-century Dutch biblical scene before them: course credit.
Three years ago, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine began an art-appreciation
course for medical students, joining a growing number of medical schools that
are adding humanities to the usual forced march of physiology, pathology and
microbiology. (Click
here for full article)
Find these and other useful links on Lewisassoc.com's
Links Page.
a l u m n i u p d a t e s
9 Lewis Alumni faculty at US Medical Schools (See July
2006 alumni updates to the first 7!)
| Eunice Mata, M.D.
Clinical Faculty at Stanford University Medical School
|
|
| Dr. Jacqui Romero, , Class
of 1995 Jacqui flew in from Florida with her three daughters and a friend for the Reunion. |
|
| Adrian Miranda, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatalogy and Nutrition, Medical College of Wisconsin
|
|
| Richard Minkner, Class 2006 Ross University Richard is in the middle. . . the southern California
guy with shades (with 2 buddies) at his White Coat ceremony. |
I
had the privilege of having dinner in Waukesha, Wisconsin, last week
with Dr. Adrian Miranda, Class 1994, Medical College of Wisconsin. He
is married with 2 children and on faculty at the Medical College of
Wisconsin. A Future Success Story!!
| Alumni
Reunion Photos
July 22, 2006, Ski Beach, San Diego
|
d a t e s & r e m i n d e r s
Change of Mailing Address
Through the end of 2006, our Lewis Associates mailing address will
be our office address: 2727 Camino del Rio South Suite 156, San Diego, CA
92108
MCAT
Friday, July 27 was the last day to register for the August MCAT. The registration
system for the paper test closed at 6:00 pm Eastern Time and for the computerized
test, at midnight, Eastern Time. Please be sure you COMPLETED your registration
by then. It is impossible for the AAMC to register you after that time, so
there's no point even asking.
The computerized version of the MCAT has proven very popular this August,
with over 3500 students choosing it. While it will have the same number of
questions and scores will return no faster than the paper test, students like
the fact that the test day is generally shorter, they can type their Writing
Sample, and don't have to mess with bubbling in answers. Scores will be posted
about 60 days after the test.
Registration for the early 2007 MCATs, all of which will be computerized,
should open on November 14. A list of current Thomson Prometric test sites
delivering the MCAT is shown on www.aamc.org/mcat and will be updated as additional
sites are added.
s u c c e s s s t o r i e s
by Dr. Cynthia Lewis
Akufo Opoku, Ghanaian Immigrant
and Reapplicant
Entering Class of 2006, University of Toledo College of Medicine
In summary:
Applied Class 99: not accepted; Re-applied Class 02 accepted, but no Green Card and dropped from accepted group...Tune in next month for the "rest of the story"!
Email to Dr. Lewis if you wish to communicate about medical schools or other issues or to contact those profiled in Success Stories: drlewis@lewisassoc.com
q u e s t i o n o f t h e m o n t h
by Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD
How do I select a medical (health professions) school at the time you have been selected by several schools?
From Bianca Watson (a future Success Story): Bianca's process for making a final selection from the many schools where she was accepted. Please note that this process really does vary with your personality (note that we presented the process that Michael Nevarez (featured in the July 06 Success Story) used for his school decision and it is DIFFERENT for Bianca who was accepted to many of the same schools!!)
Note: Bianca selected UC San Francisco Medical School with the US PRIME program.
"My thoughts in choosing---I just want to be happy. I know that my life will be compromised greatly in med school, but I want to be as happy as I can be. I want to see my family occasionally, make friends, feel supported, enjoy learning, enjoy life, travel, and have options when I graduate. A lot of people have been pressuring me about Harvard, but the name alone won't help me make my decision.
Here are the factors for helping me decide which school I would like to attend. I feel that Harvard has many opportunities, but I'm not a person who trades happiness for opportunity/prestige. I would be miserable in Boston. I am trying to be as open minded as I can, so I am creating a chart with scored rankings. After I talk to more students and do more research, I will be sending the spread-sheet completed. The schools are currently listed in order of preference and I will be adding scores as I go along with 1 being the worst and 5 the best.
Definitions:
Happiness:
How happy will I be? I know that medical school is stressful, but will I be happy at the school? Will I feel comfortable?
Location:
I would like to be close enough to my family so that I can go home during holidays or when I need to get away from school. But, I would not like to be so close that I'd be distracted by family members. 1.5 hours away from home is ideal.
Reasons—I'm still dealing with homesickness even though I have been away from home for 4 years. Older family members have been sick and I do want to be close enough just in case someone passes. Also, I do have a significant other. My decision is not based on him, but he's included in my need to be close to home.
Finances:
Scholarships are important, but aren't the most important thing to me.
Patient Population
I would like to work with a diverse patient population. I know that some schools work with a specific type of underserved community ( i.e. homeless, latino/a, etc.), but an ideal patient population would be a diverse one.
Outreach Opportunities
I would like to be a member of an active SNMA group which is connected to a MAPS chapter. I want to be able to offer the support/encouragement to undergrads and high school students that medical students have offered to me.
Joint Degree
I am considering an MPH degree.
Housing
I would like housing to be available, safe, affordable, and convenient. For my first year, I want a single room in an apartment with other medical students in my class. I would like my housing to be campus owned during my first year. I've lived alone as an RA on campus for the past 4 years and I think an apartment with other students would be a nice transition.
Mentorship
I would like to be in a mentorship program with MS II, III, and IV's. I would also like faculty mentors/advisors who have interest in underrepresented students.
Career Development
I don't know much about preparing for a career in medicine. I would like help with making decisions and becoming a great candidate for residencies.
Curriculum
I would like the curriculum to be a mix of lectures and small group PBL. I would also enjoy limited lecture time and more study time and small group sessions. I would like an integrated curriculum which encourages clinical connections in the first two years. I would also like a Pass/Fail curriculum which helps me prepare for the boards and gives me ample study time. I would also like to see flexibility in the curriculum so that I can enjoy electives such as Spanish and international opportunities in my 1st summer and 4th year.
International Opportunities/Spanish
I would like to learn Spanish in my first year then go to a Spanish speaking country like Costa Rica during my first summer to help people. During my 4th year, I'd like to go to an African country and help people. I'm not sure what I want to do when I go abroad, but I do want to help people. I would like both programs to be funded.
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 23 years of a successful
track record.
Call or email today to set your first appointment!
805.226.9669 imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
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