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    Lewis Associates e-Newsletter

    Volume 5 Issue 9
    September 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: Americans Look Abroad for Healthcare; Makeshift Medicine; Contemplating Plan B

    Useful Links: Computer-Based MCAT released exams; Humanities in the curriculum

    Alumni Updates: Another Lewis Alumni faculty on Medical School Staff: Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Dr. Darin Ward, dentist in Oregon; Dr. Cynthia Delgado, Fellow at UC San Francisco; Dino Guillermo, Completing degree in Chinese medicine

    Dates and Reminders: Lewis Associates Changes Mailing Address; National Osteopathic Medical Meeting Open to Students

    Success Story of the Month: Akufo Opoku, Ghanaian immigrant and reapplicant . . . a Happy Ending

    Question of the Month: How can Osteopathic Physicians Practice outside the US?

    Our Services

    Contact


    Welcome to Lewis Associates!

    This September, there are already 3 Class of 2007 Advisees interviewing! Remember when I warned that the application process for allopathic medical school is accelerating? I proposed this is due to the streamlining of electronic web-based applications and secondaries. . . no more hard copy of anything or even waiting for an email in many cases! And, now this goes for Osteopathic medical and dental schools! In any case, this is a very busy time for all pre-health students!!

    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
    (Editor's note: see next month's success story for more about Dr. Miranda)

    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 had 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
    (Editor's note: Dr. Allen did a consult on my torn knee meniscus a couple of weeks ago. . . what a great benefit from having terrific alumni in the medical profession! Thanks again, Joe!)

    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 plan on having more online services.

    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!


    92% of our Class of 2006 applicants were accepted! . . . and 2 were waitlisted.

    100% of our Class of 2005 applicants were accepted!

    100% of our Class of 2004 applicants were accepted!


    In order to be a competitive Class of 2007, 2008, or 2009 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. And, if you get advising with Dr. Lewis, you will find out that we begin preparation the year before submission of your application!!

    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 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 21 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 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


More Americans Left Uninsured (Chicago Tribune)
The ranks of Americans without medical coverage grew by 1.3 million people last year, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday.

Long working hours linked to high blood pressure
(Scientific American)
Workers who clocked more than 51 hours at the office each week were 29 percent more likely to have high blood pressure than those who worked 39 hours or less, a new study from California has found.

Biotech’s Bright Hope (LA Times)
More than 300 gene therapy trials, including the one for Parkinson's at UC San Francisco, are underway in the U.S. and abroad.

Could walk-in clinics help slow rising health costs? (USA Today)
Retail clinics are spreading nationwide as more than a dozen clinic operators plan to open thousands in stores such as CVS, Wal-Mart, Walgreens and Kerr Drug.

A Cut Below: Americans Look Abroad for Health Care
(ABC News)
By looking at options outside the American health care system those who lack adequate insurance can get medical care at significantly lower prices. Often referred to as medical tourism, seeking medical care outside the United States is an idea that is taking off at new levels.

Makeshift Medicine (Boston Globe)
One year after Katrina, ER doctors cobble together care in a former department store as New Orleans copes with shortages of beds and staff

Contemplating Plan B (Inside Higher Education)
For college students who wanted another level of protection against getting pregnant, the Food and Drug Administration’s decision last week to allow women 18 and older to buy the emergency contraceptive drug Plan B without a prescription came as welcome news.


    L I N K S :

    Computer-Based MCAT released exams
    AAMC: AAMC has had online practice tests (PTs) available for several years now, at e-mcat.com. This is the official MCAT practice test site (despite the .com at the end). One practice test is free for anyone who registers. At this point, the tests are still the old length, rather than the new shorter versions. This was necessary for students practicing for the August exam. They are converting all of the PTs to the shorter length as quickly as possible. The first shorter versions will be available in early September, with the others following as they are readied. The built-in diagnostics and ability to customize tests provide an advantage over the paper PTs. Please take a look at the free one (e-mcat.com) to familiarize yourself with the added features of the computerized PTs. The presentation of the items and user interface are very similar to that of the live, computerized MCAT.


    Find this and other useful links on
    Lewisassoc.com's Links Page.


    h o s p i t a l   c h a r t   b l o o p e r s
    We found these and decided to pass them on. . . let us know if you wish to see more next month.

    -The patient refused autopsy.
    -The patient has no previous history of suicides.
    -Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
    -She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
    -Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
    -On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.


    a l u m n i   u p d a t e s
    9 Lewis Alumni faculty at US Medical Schools (See July and August 2006 Alumni Updates for the first 8!)

    Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

    Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman
    August 11, 2006
    After we located Dr. Henry-Tillman, she emailed to Dr. Lewis:

    "It's great hearing from you! I have done pretty well since my days in College. I'm not in San Diego but in Arkansas. I'm currently Associate Professor of Surgery, and Director of Cancer Control and the Women's Oncology Clinic here at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. I have attached my CV so you can see some of my accomplishments since then. You know it all starts with a strong determination and a good foundation (Thank you). I spend a lot of time mentoring students and junior faculty here at UAMS (actually our junior faculty mentoring model was published in Academic Medicine recently)."

    Ronda Henry-Tillman, MD, FACS
    Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, UAMS COM
    Director Cancer Control, Arkansas Cancer Research Center

    Dr. Henry-Tillman is pretty modest. She is currently co-Investigator for 7 clinical research studies! And, has 40+ juried scientific publications under her belt. She has promised a Success Story down the road. . . stay turned!

    Dr. Darin Ward, DDS, practicing in Eugene, Oregon
    Darin WardAugust 24, 2006, Dr. Ward wrote to Dr. Lewis:
    "I remember the 'trenches' oh too well, and feel like I’m there myself sometimes. . . it's all relative! Remembering to enjoy NOW while in the trenches and letting go of the stuff in the trenches that I have no control over and rejoicing in the small stuff that re-charges my batteries is what has always kept me going.

    Namaste, Darin"
    You have to know Darin to appreciate his sense of humor. His email signature includes a photo of his trusty dog with "Obey the Corgi. . . " and. . .

    Wellness Centered Dentistry PC
    Darin J. Ward DDS FAGD FDAG (Frequently Drinking A Guinness)
    "The Mouth Bone Is Connected to the Body Bone"
    Another Success Story to be told. . . down the road!

    Dr. Cynthia Delgado, MD starting Clinical Nephrology Academic Fellowship at University of California, San Francisco July 2007 (#1 program in the US)

    Cynthia DelgadoI recently had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Delgado, graduate from New Jersey Medical College when she was in San Diego visiting home. She is completing her Internal Medicine Residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York and plans to also earn an MPH during her Fellowship, possibly staying to continue doing clinical research and teaching upon completion.

    Dino Guillermo, BS, currently attending the Pacific College of Chinese Medicine in San Diego
    Dino Guillermo

    Dino will complete an MS in Acupuncture and Herbalogy in spring 2007. He came to my rescue after I fell down walking to my car in front of my office last week. He offered some great treatment for my poor knees!

    More White Coat Ceremony Photos
    Entering Class of 2006

    Ashley Pistorio, Pennsylvania State University

    8/25/06
    How have you been? Life has been hectic for us, to say the least. :o) Our first block of exams is next week. :-O My, how time has flown since I first contacted Dr. Lewis to see if I had even a slight chance at getting into med school.
    Best, Ashley

    Nat Kittisarapong, Nova Southeastern University,



    Chelsea Crist, Drexel University

    Chelsea and Family

    8/24/06
    Hey doc, hey z, I had the white coat 2 Fridays ago, just got the pics. Things are going very well in all aspects. Hope all is well in SD! Catch me up when you can.

    I'm in the PBL (PIL as we call it here) program, and it's great -- a lot of discovery and round table discussion/teaching. Definitely not for slackers! I am having a good time. . . first take home "practice" exam is tomorrow, we'll see how it's going so far! Cheers, Chelsea


    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

    Become a D.O.: Osteopathic Medical School Introduction
    DO Dean's Fair & Information Session
    Sponsored by: Dr. Joseph Nika • Pre-Health Advisor • UNLV College of Science
    http://www.aacom.org/events/aoa/aoa-2006.html
    Monday, October 16th, 5-7:30pm
    Moyer Student Union
    University of Nevada - Las Vegas
    4500 Maryland Parkway
    Las Vegas, NV 89154
    Open to the public
    * Learn about Osteopathic medicine and medical schools
    * Discover the best ways to prepare for medical school
    * Talk to medical school students and admission experts
    * Get free AACOM Publications


    s u c c e s s   s t o r i e s
    by Dr. Cynthia Lewis

    The "rest of Akufo Opoku's story"--Class of 2006!
    See
    8/06 newsletter for part one. Akufo Opoku

Akufo applied to 19 allopathic schools, submitting her AMCAS a bit late. She started interviewing in February. . . also a bit late. She got 6 interviews and started to be put on wait lists. . . 6 in all! Then came preparing updates for waitlisted schools and Letters of Intent to Matriculate with "good news" of her accomplishments that we devised.

Then, on June 8th, 2005 Akufo got the wonderful email accepting her to the Medical University of Ohio. . . now called the University of Toledo. We continued to communicate with the other schools. . . and she was also accepted to Southern Illinois University.

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

From an Advisor: I have a student who I think would be an excellent candidate for Osteopathic Medical School. However she wants to practice outside of the U.S. (Doctors without Borders or third world). I heard this year that the situation was improving whereby D.O.'s are being allowed to practice overseas.

Answer by: Tom Levitan, VP for Research and Application Services, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine

It might be best to consider two examples in response to the question about DO applicants who want options for practicing medicine outside of the United States.

The first example is folks who after medical school will want to participate in overseas relief programs or missions and practice occasionally or on an annual basis outside of the U.S. From what we know, the DO degree is not a barrier to such practice. The organization through which the individual works will verify that the doctor is licensed and communicate that to the foreign country authorities.

Several of the osteopathic colleges include overseas medical experience either third and fourth year rotations or supplemental experiences in their undergraduate programs. (Editor's Note: Our own Dr. Jacqui Romero practiced in the Caribbean with Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine and Nicolas Cahanding did a medical mission trip to Tibet with Midwestern at Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine).

The second example is students who, after completing medical school and licensure in the U.S., want to move overseas, be licensed, and practice medicine as residents of foreign countries. The response here is different and varies from country to country. Many countries distinguish between Osteopathic medicine which is very much like Osteopathic medicine as it is recognized in the U.S. and includes full medical education and practice, and Osteopathy, the practice of manipulative treatments ONLY, but not the full practice of medicine. The Osteopathic International Alliance maintains a www site that provides more detailed and country specific information:
http://www.oialliance.org/directories.htm

In many countries, the situation for U.S. licensed physicians who want to emigrate and practice is similar to the situation for foreign licensed physicians who want to move to the U.S. to practice.

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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