Lewis Associates e-Newsletter
Volume 13 Issue 5
May 2013
Published by Lewis Associates. Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD., Editor
Email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
with your comments. Enjoy!
Applying to medical school for the entering Class of 2014? It is NOT for the faint of heart! You should have been preparing for the last 2 or more years – yes, I said YEARS!
There is:
1. Academic preparation: developing excellent reading comprehension and speed skills, and improving your vocabulary and reading broadly in social sciences and humanities, while taking and doing well in basic biology, genetics and human physiology, general and biochemistry, and physics.
2. Career preparation: Broadening and deepening your understanding of whatever medical career you are choosing by working/volunteering directly with patients and observing/shadowing doctors/health professionals.
3. Personal preparation: Establishing and improving interpersonal communication skills, especially listening, empathy, analysis, and cultural sensitivity.
4. Service: Anything you do to help other people directly. Fundraising is helpful, but does NOT provide direct interaction with the people being helped; tutoring and mentoring are directly interacting with people.
Applying for the entering Class of 2014? You are very late, if you are only beginning to prepare. Best to find out what is possible for this year, or if it is better to wait until next year! Get your Personal Assessment done and find out now!
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?
805-226-9669
imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
This month's question on Dr. Lewis' Facebook page is: "I am told that the sooner I submit my application (AMCAS, AACOMAS, PTCAS, etc), the better my chances of acceptance."
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
• Holistic Review — Shaping the Medical Profession One Applicant at a Time
• Holistic criteria aid medical schools
• Primary care access a key to health disparities among counties
• The MCAT Exam: Comparing the 1991 and 2015 Exams
• College Grads Lacking Professionalism In The Workplace
• Preparation for Medical School: Reflections on the MCAT Exam, Premedical Education, and the Medical School Application Process
• Medical Students With Median Debt: An Endangered Species?
• Training Physicians for a New Health Care Delivery System
• New duty hour rules may cause more errors: study
• Loan Education Becomes Prerequisite As Student Debt Balloons
• What Makes a Medical School Great?
• Match results highlight growing shortage of residency slots
• Medical School at $278,000 Means Even Bernanke Son Has Debt
• Consider Medical School Choice Carefully as a Minority Student
Useful Links
• AMCAS on FaceBook
• Professionalism in the Workplace Study (pdf)
Success Story of the Month
• Nicole, Entering Class of 2013, Accepted to 3 schools, waitlisted at Dartmouth
Question of the Month
• Dr. Lewis' answer to this month's question: "I am told that the sooner I submit my application (AMCAS, AACOMAS, PTCAS, etc), the better my chances of acceptance."
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 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 2014 or 2015?
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 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.
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.
Holistic Review — Shaping the Medical Profession One Applicant at a Time
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1300411
Holistic criteria aid medical schools
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/04/14/holistic-review-changing-makeup-boston-university-school-medicine/kAHRuxsrW5Dbr9oUormtVI/story.html
Primary care access a key to health disparities among counties
An annual ranking of counties based on health status found that gaps between the healthiest and unhealthiest regions of states are wide — and getting wider.
http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/debt-medical-students-continues-rise
The MCAT Exam: Comparing the 1991 and 2015 Exams
http://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Citation/publishahead/AM_Last_Page___The_MCAT_Exam___Comparing_the_1991.99440.aspx
College Grads Lacking Professionalism In The Workplace
Recent grads are becoming more laid back, but their future workplace may not be.
http://comerecommended.com/2012/05/college-grads-lacking-professionalism-in-the-workplace-infographic/
Preparation for Medical School: Reflections on the MCAT Exam, Premedical Education, and the Medical School Application Process
http://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2013/05000/Preparation_for_Medical_School__Reflections_on.1.aspxl
Medical Students With Median Debt: An Endangered Species?
http://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2013/05000/Medical_Students_With_Median_Debt__An_Endangered.2.aspx
Training Physicians for a New Health Care Delivery System
http://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2013/05000/Training_Physicians_for_a_New_Health_Care_Delivery.10.aspx
New duty hour rules may cause more errors: study
A new study raises questions about whether recently implemented rules reducing the number of hours residents can work have improved patient safety as intended.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ams/pub/amawire/2013-april-03/2013-april-03-medical_student.shtml?P=S&C=S&G=F&M=T&I=F&W=T&Y=F&S=F
Loan Education Becomes Prerequisite As Student Debt Balloons
College loan debt isn't easing up, and students are struggling to navigate a plethora of obligations.
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/06/176442821/loan-education-becomes-prerequisite-as-student-debt-balloons
What Makes a Medical School Great?
With only 20,000 new M.D.'s graduating each year to help care for a nation of over 310 million people, optimizing their education is critical.
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/what-makes-a-medical-school-great/274403/
Match results highlight growing shortage of residency slots
U.S. senior students without residency positions doubles.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ams/pub/meded/2013-april/2013-april.shtml
Medical School at $278,000 Means Even Bernanke Son Has Debt
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-11/medical-school-at-278-000-means-even-bernanke-son-carries-debt.html
Consider Medical School Choice Carefully as a Minority Student
Experts say prospective students should look for schools that support ending health care disparities.
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/articles/2013/04/15/consider-medical-school-choice-carefully-as-a-minority-student
AMCAS on FaceBook
https://www.facebook.com/amcasinfo
Professionalism in the Workplace Study (pdf)
http://www.ycp.edu/media/yorkwebsite/cpe/2012-Professionalism-in-the-Workplace-Study.pdf
Find these and other useful links on Lewisassoc.com's Links Page.
success story
 Nicole Nicole, Entering Class of 2013, Accepted to 3 schools, waitlisted at Dartmouth As a child of Armenian heritage with parents who immigrated from the Middle East, I enjoy travelling and meeting people from different corners of the world. I have always dreamed of travelling to developing countries as an MD to provide medical assistance to disadvantaged populations. Whenever I would see commercials of little African children with missing cleft palates, I would imagine myself as a fancy plastic surgeon traveling with an experienced team to perform pro-bono surgeries to help these children. Though the road to get there is long, I cannot remember a time when I didn’t want to be a doctor. My mom tells me ever since I was little, I have talked about my future as a doctor, and I have never changed my mind. Nobody in my family is in medicine, so one could argue I don’t really know what I am getting myself into - a life full of late hours and sleepless nights. My parents pushed me to shadow as many doctors as I could so I could see what life as a doctor was really like (I think they were secretly hoping I would change my mind!). I remember my first surgical experience, watching the doctor scrape lung tumors that turned out to be an advanced stage of cancer, staring in amazement as the patient’s heart beat rhythmically. While some argue I witnessed her slow path to death, I see it as an example of the beauty of life. There was no turning back after that point, and my passion for medicine only grew with every experience. Research? Check. Volunteering? Shadowing? Check, check. High GPA? Also check. MCAT? In progress. Now how to tackle the daunting application process – essays, experiences, what schools to apply to, secondaries, interviews, where to start? How do I make myself stand out on a piece of paper? How about if I say something wrong? A good friend, now a thriving second year student at Case Western, recommended me to Dr. Lewis. When I contacted Lewis Associates in January of my third year at UCLA, about five months before the application cycle would open, I was deep into my MCAT studying; I was already worrying about the possibility of failure. Dr. Lewis spent many hours getting to know me – my past, my present, and the dreams I held for my future life as a doctor. She helped me organize and get a head start on the application process. When the application opened, I had to just enter all the information I had perfected with Dr. Lewis, and submit the recommendations that were already completed, thanks to her constant reminders to follow through with my recommenders. More importantly, she made me feel comfortable with the way I was representing myself to all these schools. It is a weird concept to market yourself on paper, and I was struggling with how to stand out among the throngs of other applications. She helped me brainstorm ideas and read countless drafts of my personal statement. Her key point was to be anecdotal – the adult version of “show, don’t tell” that we constantly heard in grade school. She held my hand through each secondary and prepped me for all of my interviews. The knowledge she has acquired from years of advising students is truly invaluable. Just a few days ago, a friend, who was unfortunately unsuccessful when he applied to medical schools the first time around without any guidance, asked me if I thought Dr. Lewis’s services are “worth it”. It was when I reread my response to him, in which I summarized all the ways Dr. Lewis helped me, that I realized how influential she was during my application process. She helped me in every aspect, from A to Z. As an applicant, we have no control of this process. It is long, frustrating and daunting. Having someone who has done this before be there to answer all my questions calmed my nerves and granted me some comfort. From my first interview invitation to my first acceptance, I have Dr. Lewis to thank. She has made this process so much easier, and I couldn’t have done it without her. In short, yes, Dr. Lewis is worth everything!
|
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 am told that the sooner I submit my application (AMCAS, AACOMAS, PTCAS, etc), the better my chances of acceptance."
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 26 years of a successful
track record.
Call or email today to set your first appointment!
805.226.9669 imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
Copyright 2009, 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.