Lewis Associates e-Newsletter
Volume
5 Issue 5
May 2006
Published by Lewis Associates. Dr. Cynthia Lewis, Phd., Editor
Email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
with your comments. Enjoy!
Congratulations
to our 2 Class of 2006 applicants who were accepted to Harvard Med!
What's inside:
Welcome to Success Stories Newsletter!
Important News: Delay of MCAT announcement; America's Best Graduate Schools; Helpful Tips for MCAT 2007
Useful Links: VMCAS website; University of Queensland Medical School in Australia
Alumni Updates: Andrea Dalve-Endres, MSY4 Harvard Medical School; Dr. Joseph Allen finds time for art and acting
Dates and Reminders: Free stress management Workshop in San Diego; Touro University Open House
Success Story of the Month: Irina Kandinova, University of Colorado School of Pharmacy, Year 2
Question of the Month: How will taking the August MCAT affect my AMCAS application?
Welcome to Lewis Associates!
In May, our thoughts turn to finals. . . AND APPLICATION SEASON!! For those
in the process of applying to medical school in the Class of 2007, the MCAT
has just been conquered or the August exam is in your future. . . or possibly
the DAT or the GRE. 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 a Parent of a High School Senior
"Dear Dr. Lewis, Thank you so much for your help. We made the final decision
last night. Matt will be attending Cal Poly. Your advice was critical in that
decision as was the professionalism of the staff at the open house weekend
when compared to the --- staff. . . Again, thanks for your guidance."
What's New?
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!!
Early Bird Special extended! Order one of our essay
packages before May 31 and receive a $50 discount!
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!!
Lewis Associates is phasing out long-term advising except for those already
contracted. We are focusing on Personal Assessments, essay and interview packages,
our new Medical Residency essay package, and hourly problem-solving advising.
Coming this summer
July 22, 2006 we are hosting a gala Alumni Reunion in San Diego for
our over 700 alumni. We are trying to locate them now. If you have contact
information about any alumni, please email it to imaclewis@lewisassoc.com.
Our goal is to locate as many as possible. If you wish to be invited and you
are not an alumnus, but wish to meet some of our wonderful alumni, please
let Zakiya know in our office. We will try to include as many as we can on
a first-come basis.
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 early this summer.
We have a little time, a very precious commodity: Time to plan, to locate
and use new opportunities, time to live up to your potential! Many times,
I locate clinical or service experiences for my Advisees. . . but you need
the time to get the most out of them! 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 it in our newsletter
and website, then phone or email
us directly to get started with your Personal Assessment!
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
Applications Open Season. . . Coming Soon!!
AMCAS opens May 2
AACOMAS opens May 6
AADSAS opens May 15
Medical School Admissions Requirements 2007-8
Should be available first week of May--this is your Primary Source for medical school information.
There is a delay by AAMC of the May 1 announcement about MCAT sites and dates. . . Stay tuned. . .
Feature Article
Dr. Vivian Pinn, MD
Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health
National Institutes for Health
San Diego Association for Women in Science Scholarship Gala 4/29/06
In her role as Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health, Dr. Pinn is in a unique position to help ensure that women's health issues and women are well represented in NIH research efforts. In many ways, her current role is the culmination of a lifelong focus on medicine and advocacy for access to good health care for everyone.
Before coming to NIH in 1991, Dr. Pinn was Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology at Howard University. Previously, she held teaching appointments at Tufts University and Harvard Medical School. At Tufts, she was Assistant Dean for student affairs and an advocate for minority students.
Born to modest circumstances in Lynchburg, Virginia, Dr. Pinn grew up during the era of segregation, and the city schools she attended were segregated. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a doctor despite the fact that she did not know any women doctors. She earned a scholarship to Wellesley College -- a women's college with a supportive environment, graduated in 1962 and enrolled in medical school at the University of Virginia. As the only African American and only woman in her class, she was doubly distinguished.
The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Dr. Pinn is past President of the National Medical Association. She received the Elizabeth Blackwell Award from the American Medical Women's Association in 1995, the year she was elected to the National Academies of Science Institute of Medicine. She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Lewis met Dr. Pinn in San Diego. Dr. Pinn said the first question asked by Harvard premedical women in the 1960's and then again in 2006 was, "Can you be a doctor and have a family"? The more things change; the more they stay the same! Look for more about this in our first blog. . . coming soon.
US News and Word Report 2007 Edition of America's Best Graduate Schools is out. The average GPA and MCAT scores for entering 2005 medical students (allopathic) was 3.6 and 32. They advise: 'show leadership. The best med schools look for students who've demonstrated leadership and character "and who've stretched themselves", says Delores Brown, admissions Dean at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. This could be holding elected school office or organizing communication, for example. Meanwhile, more applicants work or volunteer after completing undergraduate work. Notching time or work with government health agencies, fellowship, Teach for America, the Peace Corps, or doctors without Borders is helpful. Mastery of something, whether it's a sport, music or research is a plus. Interpersonal skills are important, too, with schools parsing letters of recommendation for clues to an applicant's communication skills.'
Top 5 medical schools--research: Harvard, Hopkins, U Pennsylvania, UC San Francisco, Washington U, St. Louis
Top 5 medical schools--primary care: U Washington, U North Carolina, Oregon, Michigan State Osteopathic, U Massachusetts
Top 5 pharmacy schools-- UC San Francisco, U Texas Austin, U North Carolina, Purdue, U Arizona
Top 5 Physician Assistant schools -- Duke, U Iowa, Emory, George Washington U, U Utah
Top 5 Veterinary Medicine schools -- Cornell, Colorado State, U Pennsylvania, North Carolina State, Texas A&M
AMCAS 2007--Helpful Tips
- GPA Calculation Instructions and Worksheet
- AMCAS has NO grade forgiveness! AACOMAS does!
- $150 for first school; $30/school thereafter
- Print your Transcript Request Forms and submit to all colleges attended ASAP. (except for current spring courses if they are important)
- Make certain you are reading from an official transcript when inputting your coursework; this is the longest section.
- You have a maximum of 15 post secondary experiences to provide.
- Type your essay directly into the AMCAS; do not cut and paste.
- It will take several hours and you may do this in several sittings to complete the form.
- You may wish to create a separate email account just for your applications--make sure it does not filter out mass mailings.
L I N K S :
AMCAS 2007
http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/amcas2007.htm
VMCAS Website
http://www.aavmc.org/vmcas/vmcas.htm
The VMCAS application will launch May 31, 2006. On this date, applicants will
be able to create an applicant ID, register their evaluators, and begin the
application process. Evaluators are encouraged to use the eLOR system (electronic
letters of recommendation) for the 2007 application cycle. See General School
Information Chart, Prerequisite Comparison Chart, and School Descriptor Pages.
University of Queensland Medical School in Australia
Associate Professor Cynthia Csernansky: c.csernansky@uq.edu.au
Australian Council for Education and Research: www.acer.edu.au/gamsat
Information for international students: www.uq.edu.au/international
UQ School of Medicine: www.som.uq.edu.au
UQ Medical Society: www.uqms.org
Information about Brisbane:
http://www.ourbrisbane.com
Find this and other useful links on Lewisassoc.com's
Links Page.
a l u m n i u p d a t e s
| Andrea Dalve-Endres MSY4, Harvard
Medical School (see May 2002 for her Success Story)
Mar 21, 2006 |
| Joseph Allen, MD, also talented
in art and acting !! Family Practice and Sports Medicine (see September 2002 for his Success Story)
Dear Friends, Mentors, and Colleagues, |
d a t e s & r e m i n d e r s
Learn to manage your stress--FREE
Dr. Brian Alman: Using Self-hypnosis for Weight Loss, Smoking, Pain Control,
Anxiety, Depression and Healing
Friday June 16, 2006 5-6 and 6:30-7:30 PM
Kaiser Positive Choice Wellness Center 858 573-0090
You need to call to reserve you seat.
Especially helpful are Dr. Alman's relaxation and stress management skills
development for prehealth students taking the MCAT, DAT, or GRE exam.
Touro University-California OPEN HOUSE, located on historic
Mare Island in the northeast portion of San Francisco Bay, will be hosting
an Open House that includes all of their colleges Tuesday, May 16th, 5:15
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This is the first open house that involves the entire university
community:
College of Osteopathic Medicine
College of Pharmacy
College of Health Sciences (MSPAS and MPH)
College of Education
This offers the perfect opportunity to get up-close and personal with the
Deans of each of the Colleges to discuss your future and personal goals. Admissions
and financial aid information will be available and you can take a tour of
our Mare Island Campus. For more information, phone toll free (888) 652-7580
or website tu.edu.
Medical School Grading Systems
GSA Reporter spring 2006, Susan Brenner MSY4 U Iowa (source)
The overwhelming majority of medical students prefer a P/F system for the
first 2 years of medical school. The environment, stress level, and overall
psychosocial well-being of students improve when the pressure of letter grading
during the transitional years of medical school is relieved. The main concerns
with the P/F system are: What will be the impact on performance? (Will we
slack off?"), How will we receive feedback? How will we distinguish ourselves
if we're going into a competitive specialty?
s u c c e s s s t o r i e s
by Dr. Cynthia Lewis
Irina Kandinova
University of Colorado School of Pharmacy, Year 2
Irina's
family moved from Uzbekistan, where she was born, to Moscow, where she grew
up, when she was age 3. Her father painted murals both for the government
and privately, including at universities. In the U.S., he has a sign business.
Irina's mother earned a degree in economics in Russia where she worked for
the government. In the U.S., she is a dental assistant. Her older brother
is a computer network administrator.
In the autobiography Irina wrote for me she says, "From the time I could
remember, my usual days consisted of drawing, cleaning the house, helping
mother in the kitchen, and solving a few math problems. Art was introduced
by my father who was a well-known artist in the former Soviet Union. Some
of his artwork still remains in buildings, but others were torn down after
the fall of the Soviet Union." By age 7, Irina's parents taught her reading,
writing and math at home. The seeds of interest in a health career were sewn
early. She says, "At the age of five, my family lived with our grandparents;
my grandfather had diabetes. At that time, Mikhail Gorbachev was the president
of the USSR. My grandfather, though ill, enjoyed watching the news every day.
In August 1991, there was an unsuccessful military coup in the USSR. We thought
that our flight to America would have to be canceled. Luckily, in October
1991, we came to America, two months before the fall of the Soviet Union.
My grandfather became extremely sick when we packed our luggage and sold all
of our belongings. After much stress, he would end his sentences by saying
'I don’t care what happens to me; all I care is that I get my children
across the oceans and into America.' I arrived to America at the age of 7
and discovered the hardships of life. From week one upon arrival to the US,
my grandfather spent 9 months in the hospital without seeing this land. My
parents traded shifts to spend days and nights with him in the hospital. Neither
of my parents could work because of that and because of the recession in 1991.
As soon as I began to comprehend English, I began to stay at the hospital
for several nights to comfort my grandfather and serve as a translator. The
doctors amputated his left leg and he got gangrene. Later, the doctors decided
to amputate his right leg. By March 1992, I could no longer look at him because
he was no longer the happy person I remembered him as. In July 1992, my grandfather
passed away."
Due to extreme bias against Jews in Russia, Irina's family immigrated to the
U.S. She says, "We were harassed and exposed to hatred from our neighbors,
classmates, and even teachers in Russia. My brother’s classmates threw
rocks at him on his way to school. To make things worse, it was almost impossible
for a Jew in Russia to get into a college or university, even if one had excellent
qualifications."
For most immigrants to the U.S., the transition into a new culture and language
is difficult. This was true for Irina's family as they were allowed to carry
only $400 total out of Russia and entered the U.S. with $5. The Hebrew Immigrant
Aid Society gave them loans to get started in their new life. Irina says,
"I was both mesmerized and afraid of what the future in this country
would be like for my family and me. I kept wondering if I would learn the
language and speak so fluently and easily as did the born Americans. I speculated
whether or not I would get into a good college and be strong enough to climb
the mountain that life chose for the future. Upon entering elementary school,
I began to encounter my first challenges in this new land. I remember my facial
expression on the first day of school when the children were learning their
ABC’s and putting words like “is not” and “will not”
together. I thought they were geniuses, unlike me, who had no clue how to
write my name in English, nor could I ask for help. My self-esteem was low,
and now, as I turn my memories back 12 years, I remember how I ran out the
door from my class, bursting into tears and misery from not being able to
communicate with my fellow classmates and the teacher. I felt that there would
be no sign of communication for the rest of my life, surrounded by strangers
so different than me. Not until later did I understand the full meaning behind
a powerful message: keep trying no matter what."
Perhaps, Irina's strong initiative and work ethic, common in many first generation
immigrants, can be illustrated by a story: Irina says, "I clearly remember
being chosen as the best girl runner in 1st grade and competing for my school.
We placed 2nd only because my opponent decided to trip me. I have to admit
that this has now become a part of my soul. With a scraped and a bleeding
knee, I stood up and ran as fast as possible. It meant to be fearless about
what I have to conquer and working hard to realize my goals no matter how
high I set them. Not a day goes by without me consciously saying to myself
to keep working hard. I tried to learn 'their' language and make it my own.
The journey, nonetheless, has been hard, but I want to succeed." Irina
is a fast learner. By 3rd grade in the U.S. she told her ESL teacher she didn't
need ESL. Irina says, "My teacher was an immigrant too who enjoyed teaching
me English grammar. It seemed that we had switched roles; I became the teacher
and she became the student. I will never forget how I taught her how to spell
the word 'shadow'!
Irina skipped 6th grade because she was not challenged, continued to earn
A's and was nominated by her peers as "most likely to succeed".
In 8th grade, Irina says, "Mr. Fox, would always put me in the spotlight.
He would make me get up on the table in front of the class and dance to demonstrate
new vocabulary words."
Irina is especially proud that her art has been recognized as she grew up.
The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society selected her drawing in the "My American
Dream" Children's Art Calendar Content to exhibit in New York. And, her
7th grade art teacher selected her to videotape for broadcast to Europe. Irina
took 6 AP courses in high school earning one year of freshman composition,
one year of macro/microeconomics, a year of calculus and differential equations
and a term of statistics, a total of 21 semester units of college credit.
She graduated from high school in 2002 ranked 22 of 392 peers. Irina was on
her varsity tennis team, was named MVP and received the Youth tennis San Diego
Award. She was selected for 4 scholarships and 7 awards, including the selective
California Governor's Scholarship.
Irina considered careers in economics due to encouragement by a high school
teacher and dentistry because her mother is a dental assistant. She worked
in a dental office for a year, but found it was not satisfying. Instead, she
looked to her grandmother and aunt as role models who had their own Pharmacy
practices in Russia. And, Irina's uncle and cousin are pharmacists in the
U.S. Upon entering college, Irina took on 3 pharmacy volunteer positions:
in a community setting, in a hospital and at the UC San Diego Student-Run
Free Clinic. From these experiences, she became passionate about becoming
a pharmacist. She learned something of the breadth and depth of the profession
in a very short time.
Irina continues to care about immigrant, indigent and other disadvantaged
populations. She translated for Russian immigrants in medical offices and
painted low-income houses. And, she was the primary illustrator for the book
"Diabetes" printed in Russian.
Irina is so eager to practice pharmacy that she applied with just 2 years
of college courses with AP and community college work. This made us focus
to complete the prerequisites for a limited number of pharmacy programs for
the Class of 2004. But, Irina was ready for pharmacy school then. She is energetic
and focused on pharmacy for the appropriate reason of making a difference
in the health of the most at-risk people.
Irina's strengths include: well developed problem-solving skills, ambition,
she is hardworking, bilingual with some fluency in Spanish, bicultural, dependable
and organized. I leave you with Irina's words, "It took many years to
build and heal my life and be the person that I am today. For me, the feelings
of despair and loneliness arose when the words ‘I will never see my
birth place again’ were uttered. I had to learn one of life’s
harder lessons; the lesson of breaking the path of our past from that of our
future. With regret and excitement we set out to find new life in a world
beyond the ocean; a world in which freedom from identification as a Jew and
equal opportunity would rule our futures. I thank God and everyone who has
played a role in my life for achieving what I possess and for being the person
I am today."
On April 27, 2006, Irina wrote:
"The past 2 years have been an adventure; moving to Colorado, attending
pharmacy school, getting married. Being part of University of Colorado Health
Sciences Center (UCHSC) School of Pharmacy, has given me much insight into
what a pharmacist does. I have enjoyed the clinical experiences and didactic
sessions.
Since the first semester of pharmacy school, we have visited community pharmacies
where we help the pharmacist contact patients who haven’t picked up
medications, verify drug inventory, counsel patients in the OTC (over-the-counter)
aisles, and analyze drug compliance trends. Also, before flu season, we administered
flu vaccines at community pharmacies.
At the Veterans Affair Medical Center inpatient pharmacy, I worked alongside
the pharmacist to look through inpatient drug profiles, check disease states,
drug-drug interactions, and drug-disease interaction, adverse reactions, calculate
dosages, and recommend medication for a patient to be discharged. This has
provided me with a better understanding of an inpatient pharmacist’s
day.
Clinical pharmacists teach us about disease states such as renal insufficiency,
cardiovascular diseases, oncology, asthma, central nervous system disorders,
gastrointestinal diseases, etc. Their lectures have given much insight into
the thought processes behind running a clinic and how to appropriately assess,
treat (using published guidelines), and monitor patients. Often lectures run
8 hours a day – remember pre-pre-pharm/med/health professional days?
Of course, attending school closer to family and friends would be great. Moving
to Denver from San Diego was not easy. I also miss having free time; with
exams every Monday, my weekends are crammed with … cramming. This makes
it seem like we’re in school everyday of the week. Hopefully, during
our fourth year in pharmacy school, we’ll be able to rotate in places
and settings that interest us anywhere in the world – like exotic, exciting,
sunny San Diego. "
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
I have had a few students ask me how to proceed with taking the August MCAT. If you are planning on retaking the MCAT in August, but have a current MCAT score, can you indicate your intention to retake the exam and will updated MCAT scores be sent to your designated schools?
If you have not taken the MCAT but will be sitting the exam in August, can you still submit your AMCAS application without an MCAT score?
From AAMC AMCAS Staff:
In both instances, the applicant can submit the AMCAS application and indicate that he/she plans to take the MCAT in August. Once the scores become available, those scores will be made available to the schools to which the applicant has applied.
NOTE: THe August 2006 exam is the final paper exam. Multiple dates will be available starting January 2007 for the computer-based MCAT.
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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