Lewis Associates e-Newsletter
Volume 11 Issue 7
July 2012
Published by Lewis Associates. Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD., Editor
Email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
with your comments. Enjoy!
Class 2013 applicants (medicine, dentistry) should be submitting your applications by early July. For those preparing to apply in the next 2+ years, summer brings jobs to earn money to pay for college, study for the MCAT, DAT, etc., trips to foreign countries for vacations or medical missions... or...
So much to do! If you want to focus on addressing your specific weaknesses, and learn how to use your summer most effectively for you, call us or email to set up your Personal Assessment.
So ... 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?
805-226-9669
imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
This month's question on Dr. Lewis' Facebook page is: "Waitlists: What are they and how do they work? Part 2"
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 2014 or 2015?
Testimonials
Track Record
Be Competitive
What Are Your Chances?
Getting Started
• AMA: Supreme Court Decision Protects Much-Needed Health Insurance Coverage for Millions of Americans
• 10 Most Popular Medical Schools
• 10 Medical Schools That Lead to the Most Debt
• The 5 traits of radically successful people
• Doctors quick to adopt tablets into practice
• Survey finds employed doctors mostly satisfied with their jobs
• Med schools start picturing their place in a medical home world
• Migrant farmworkers: Medical care for an invisible population
• Art of patient satisfaction meets the science of medicine
• Initiatives by organized medicine to reduce health disparities lacking, study says
• Consumer Reports starts rating primary care practices
• Study determines gender pay disparity among physician researchers
• Medical students learned on the bodies, and now honor the donors
• When Doctors Grieve
• Helping doctors put empathy to good use
• Can Doctors Learn Empathy?
• Physician Assistants and Their Role in Primary Care
• Health Care Trends Report: An Environmental Analysis
• Medical boards get more tools to investigate physicians
• When a patient visit includes a request for prayer
• Demographics, not practice setting, predict doctor tech use
• Lifestyle action plan plus mobile monitoring can help patients
• Nutrition talks with patients: option or obligation?
• Residency program grows local docs
• Hectic pace pressures medical practices on quality
• Uninsured "near-seniors" struggling with health access and costs
• Help for dealing with elder medical fraud
• Work-site clinics try to cover employees' medical access gaps
• Need Grows for Postsecondary Health Care Training
• Promoting appreciation of the study and practice of medicine: inner workings of a Mini-Med program
Useful Links
• Brief Guide to Osteopathic Medicine
• NEW MCAT® Test Preparation Tool from AAMC
Alumni Update
• Joseph E. Allen, M.D., Entering Class of 1995, St Georges University; Family Medicine Residency and Fellowship at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, NJ; Sports Medicine Fellowship at UCSD; private practice in Sports and Family Medicine in San Diego
• Liliana, MD, Entering Class of 1997, Stanford University School of Medicine, Obstetrics-Gynecology Residency at Kaiser Los Angeles, practicing at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group in Southern California
• Christina, Entering Class or 2011, New York Medical College
Success Story of the Month
• Alex, Entering Class of 2012, Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine
Question of the Month
• Dr. Lewis' answer to this month's question: "Waitlists: What are they and how do they work? Part 2"
See our Facebook page, Advising Tips 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 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!
Phone: 805-226-9669
|
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 2013 or 2014?
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, 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 2014 or 2015 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 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.
Call 805-226-9669 to set up your first appointment.
AMA: Supreme Court Decision Protects Much-Needed Health Insurance Coverage for Millions of Americans
This decision means millions of Americans can look forward to the coverage they need to get healthy and stay healthy.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/news/news/2012-06-28-supreme-court-health-care-reform-decision.page
10 Most Popular Medical Schools
These med schools enrolled the highest percentages of accepted students.
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/the-short-list-grad-school/articles/2012/06/19/10-most-popular-medical-schools-2
10 Medical Schools That Lead to the Most Debt
Graduates of these 10 medical schools each average more than $200,000 in debt.
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/the-short-list-grad-school/articles/2012/05/22/10-med-schools-that-lead-to-the-most-debt
The 5 traits of radically successful people
Success can come in different fields, but the principles behind it are one.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-innovations/the-5-traits-of-radically-successful-people/2012/06/15/gJQAfG5FfV_story.html?wpisrc=nl_most
Doctors quick to adopt tablets into practice
Most physicians own iPads or other tablet computers, and they are finding creative ways to integrate them into patient interactions and other aspects of medicine.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/04/bil20604.htm
Survey finds employed doctors mostly satisfied with their jobs
Researchers, however, express concern about several scores that are trending downward.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/11/bisb0611.htm
Med schools start picturing their place in a medical home world
Medical schools and residency programs seek to teach teamwork, quality improvement and community-based care to prepare students for practicing in a patient-centered medical home.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/25/prl10625.htm
Migrant farmworkers: Medical care for an invisible population
Demanding jobs and poor living conditions increase these workers' risks of developing chronic diseases and acute illnesses, yet too few receive health care.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/11/hlsa0611.htm
Art of patient satisfaction meets the science of medicine
Being sick and in the hospital can make even the most confident person feel as vulnerable as a baby bird. It's easy to become overwhelmed and unhappy. And once a patient is dissatisfied, it's difficult for a hospital to turn the relationship around.
http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2012/06/the_art_of_patient_satisfactio.html
Initiatives by organized medicine to reduce health disparities lacking, study says
Researcher says an organization's leadership plays a key role in ensuring that everyone receives equal care.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/18/prsa0618.htm
Consumer Reports starts rating primary care practices
The magazine is examining six general areas of the patient experience, including coordination of care and how well physicians get to know patients.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/18/prsb0618.htm
Study determines gender pay disparity among physician researchers
Male physician researchers make about $12,000 more than their female counterparts.
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=1182859
Medical students learned on the bodies, and now honor the donors
Every year Georgetown University medical and nursing students hold an anatomical donor Mass to say thank you to the families who allowed the use of cadavers for study.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/medical-students-learned-on-the-bodies-and-now-honor-the-donors/2012/05/27/gJQAScxJvU_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend
When Doctors Grieve
Not only do doctors experience grief, but the professional taboo on emotion has negative consequences for the doctors, as well as for the quality of care they provide.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/opinion/sunday/when-doctors-grieve.html?_r=3&ref=opinion
Helping doctors put empathy to good use
Dr. Helen Riess, director of the Empathy and Relational Science Program in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, and associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, recently published a study showing that explicitly teaching empathy to doctors in training improves their interactions with patients.
http://articles.boston.com/2012-05-28/health-wellness/31848655_1_empathy-physician-burnout-doctors
Can Doctors Learn Empathy?
Empathy, long considered an essential component of patient care, can be taught, according to a new study of doctors-in-training who learned to interrupt their patients less, maintain better eye contact and remain calm if patients became angry or upset.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/can-doctors-learn-empathy/
Physician Assistants and Their Role in Primary Care
Increased reliance on physician assistants (and nurse practitioners) to deliver primary care services.
http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/2012/05/pfor2-1205.html
Health Care Trends Report: An Environmental Analysis
Resource with data on major issues and trends in medicine that are affecting physicians, other providers, and patients.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/ama-councils/council-long-range-planning-development/environmental-analysis.page
Medical boards get more tools to investigate physicians
New laws and efforts to end over-prescribing play roles in greater activity by boards.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/04/prl10604.htm
When a patient visit includes a request for prayer
Research suggests that patients struggling with serious illnesses want spiritual interactions with their physicians. Some doctors wrestle with how to react.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/11/prl20611.htm
Demographics, not practice setting, predict doctor tech use
While 81% of doctors go online, a report found which are most likely to use the most Internet communication strategies.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/11/bisc0611.htm
Lifestyle action plan plus mobile monitoring can help patients
Simple guidelines, including eating more fruits and vegetables and sitting less, combined with progress checks, led patients to change behaviors and sustain improvements.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/11/hlsb0611.htm
Nutrition talks with patients: option or obligation?
What should a doctor’s role be in promoting healthy eating?
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/04/prca0604.htm
Residency program grows local docs
Primary care doctors have an increasingly significant role in health care reform.
http://www.healthycal.org/archives/8906
Hectic pace pressures medical practices on quality
Patient safety experts say making the most of electronic systems and standardizing office procedures can help doctors and staffers feel less rushed.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/18/prl20618.htm
Uninsured "near-seniors" struggling with health access and costs
Trouble paying medical bills also is a growing problem for some older Americans who are privately insured or on Medicare, the Kaiser Family Foundation finds.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/18/gvsb0618.htm
Help for dealing with elder medical fraud
The Investor Protection Trust, a U.S. nonprofit group, said it has held 430 continuing medical education events to train doctors to prevent elder fraud
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2012/06/16/Help-for-dealing-with-elder-medical-fraud/UPI-53161339822388/?spt=hs&or=hn
Work-site clinics try to cover employees' medical access gaps
Once limited to major employers that want occupational health services for workers, the clinics are popping up at more employers -- and providing more services.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/06/18/bisa0618.htm
Need Grows for Postsecondary Health Care Training
Low productivity and growing demand in the health care sector will lead to millions of new jobs in the next eight years, according to a study released by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2012/06/22/report-need-grows-postsecondary-health-care-training#ixzz1yYNApgpW
Promoting appreciation of the study and practice of medicine: inner workings of a Mini-Med program
Mini-Med programs run by medical schools offer a more reliable method of learning about disease and disorders than does the indiscriminate surfing of the Internet.
http://www.dovepress.com/articles.php?article_id=10149
Brief Guide to Osteopathic Medicine
Comprehensive guide, written by current osteopathic medical students, Patrick Wu and Jonathan Siu, from Touro University California, designed to help aspiring physicians understand osteopathic medicine and the path to becoming an osteopathic physician.
http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/Documents/Brief-Guide-to-OME_Final.pdf
NEW MCAT® Test Preparation Tool from AAMC
The Official MCAT® Self-Assessment Package is a low-cost option for studying for the MCAT. You will answer hundreds of questions from previous, real MCAT® exams and obtain feedback about your strengths and weaknesses in MCAT® content. You may complete a self-assessment early in your preparation to identify the weak areas in which to focus your studies, or complete it later for extra practice.
http://www.e-mcat.com/starttest.aspx?cmd=displayfile&file=assessments
Find these and other useful links on Lewisassoc.com's Links Page.
 Joseph Joseph E. Allen, M.D., Entering Class of 1995, St Georges University; Family Medicine Residency and Fellowship at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, NJ; Sports Medicine Fellowship at UCSD; private practice in Sports and Family Medicine in San Diego June 12, 2012: "On Saturday, June 10th, 2012, Roxana Velásquez, The Maruja Baldwin Director of the San Diego Museum of Art, welcomed Physician and Artist, Joseph Edward Allen as the newest member elected by the Board of Directors to the historical SDMA Artists Guild. Dr. Joseph Allen joins an organization whose illustrious alumni include such California art luminaries as Maurice Braun, Leon Durrand Bonnet, Charles A. Fries, Russell Forester, John Baldessari, Jackson Woolley, Alfred R. Mitchell, and Reginald H. Poland. The year 2015 will mark the 100th Anniversary of The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild." |
 Liliane Liliana, MD, Entering Class of 1997, Stanford University School of Medicine, Obstetrics-Gynecology Residency at Kaiser Los Angeles, practicing at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group in Southern California June 14, 2012: " Hi Dr. Lewis, I am doing well. I am a partner in the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group in Southern California. I'm married and have 4 kids! Being a mom is by far more rewarding (and difficult) then being a physician. I hope all is well with you and I am so happy that you are still doing what you are doing. I am very proud that you played a large roll in my success. Liliana"
|
 Christina Christina, Entering Class or 2011, New York Medical College June 22, 2012: "Hi Dr. Lewis! How are you? My first year at NY Med ended last week. It was a very challenging, but exciting year! I came back to San Diego, CA, for the summer. I will be doing research on atherosclerosis again for the next few weeks. I am back at the same lab. It's great to see my coworkers and work with them. Then I plan to visit Korea to see family for about a week before school starts. I hope you're doing well! Best, Christina" |
Watch for Success Stories coming for some of these alumni!
success story
 Alex Alex, Entering Class of 2012, Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine Throughout high school, I knew I wanted a career helping people, however, due to the large number of professions that serve people, I did not have a clear idea of what I wanted. It was not until I shadowed one of my hometown family medicine physicians and saw the trusting, long-term relationships he had with his patients, that I knew medicine was what I wanted to commit myself to for the rest of my life. Coming from a tiny, rural high school in Idaho, I was unprepared for a large, competitive university. The demands of a full course load while participating in an NCAA sport resulted in a low G.P.A. However, I learned how to study while also balancing ice hockey, research, and clinical work, and was able to raise my G.P.A significantly. Before applying this year, I knew little about the application process and even less about how to write a personal statement or secondary essay. I was recommended to Dr. Lewis by a friend and after my first phone conversation with her, where Dr. Lewis spent the entire time getting to know me, I knew Dr. Lewis would do everything she could to help me be successful. One of my fears for this application cycle was all the essay writing I had to do. Writing has always been my weakness and due to the character constraints of the essays, I knew I would not be able to compose well, thought-out ones. Dr. Lewis’s continual edits and critiques of my personal statement and secondary essays helped me create essays that stood out. With my personal statement, Dr. Lewis corrected it a minimum of 15 times until it was perfect. Dr. Lewis also worked with me on my interview skills, giving school-specific mock interviews which helped calm and prepare me for the actual ones. Dr. Lewis even put me in contact with her past advisees attending the schools where I was going to interview. While I had the minimum of 3 letters of recommendations, Dr. Lewis suggested I get 5 more to highlight all my strengths. Everything Dr. Lewis suggested I do, from editing my personal statement to selecting schools, was geared toward my personal interest in primary care. And, our weekly meetings helped keep me on top of my deadlines. As opposed to just using the same approach with all her advisees’, Dr. Lewis created a personal plan geared toward what I wanted to do. At the beginning of this application year, I did not have the faintest idea about how to apply to medical school. With Dr. Lewis’s mentorship, I went from a mediocre applicant, to one who got 12 interviews. Dr. Lewis spent a tremendous amount of time making sure everything I did was to the best of my ability, and without her, I would not be attending Oregon Health and Science University this fall. I am so thankful to Dr. Lewis for all her help and I feel I can be successful in whichever medical discipline I choose. Thank you for helping me achieve my goal Dr. Lewis! |
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, Advising Tips tab
By Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD
"Waitlists: What are they and how do they work? Part 2"
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
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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 26 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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