Lewis Associates e-Newsletter
Volume 7 Issue 4
April 2008
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!
Current Students' Progress
How to Communicate With Us
Changes in Services
Your journey to a health profession
Are You Ready for the Class of 2009?
Testimonials
Track Record
Be Competitive
Getting Started

Featured News:
New AMCAS 2009 medical school electronic Letter Service
Three New Medical Schools Join AAMC Membership
AAMC poll about doctor workforce
...and More

Useful Links
Medical Humanities Initiative
www.ExploreHealthCareers.org

Alumni Update
Dr. Jesus Valadez-Herrera, Harvard Medical School graduate
Huy Ho, Class 2008, accepted to top choice Touro University, California, School of Osteopathic Medicine
Dr. Adam Carewe, New York Medical College School of Medicine 2008 graduate
Dr. Stacia Bier, George Washington University School of Medicine 2008 graduate
Nat Kittisarapong, NOVA Southeastern School of Osteopathic Medicine, Entering Class of 2006; Medical Mission to Guatemala

Success Story of the Month
June Yoshii, Tri-cultural Japanese-Mexican-American, Medical Student Year 1, University of Iowa PART 2

Question of the Month
Will "any" health professions do?

Our Services

Contact

Welcome to Lewis Associates!

Current Students' Progress
Advisees applying for the entering Class of 2008 are making fantastic progress.  93% of Lewis Associates 2008 Applicants are accepted into medical, dental, veterinary pharmacy and naturopathic medical schools, several into their top choice! Congratulations to all!

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!

Dr. Lewis' note:  Dr. Linson has just installed the newest, most advanced Radiation Surgery machine in the world in his Vista, California, medical office…even a step up from the ones at Stanford and Harvard! Congratulations to Dr. Linson. Click here to see the news video.

How to Communicate With Us

Mailing Address 1885 Laguna del Campo, Templeton, CA 93465
Phone 805-226-9669 and 805-237-7656	Fax 805-226-9227

Lewis Associates absorbs Long Distance Charges
All appointments/phone conferences are made from our office to you. Marcia, our Administrative Assistant, calls YOU at your appointment time.

Changes in Services

• After September 1, 2008, Year-Long Packages will be discontinued for new Advisees. If you are considering long-term advising, this is the year to lock in your Advising Agreement with us. 
• After September 1, 2008, Applicants will still be able to select from our highly effective Assessment, Essay, Hourly, and Interview Packages. 
• Current Advisees will continue working with Dr. Lewis until Matriculation.

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 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 2009?
How do you know?
Use our Personal Assessment--and you will be given your personal strategy and path to your future!

Many whom I 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…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
Margaret Jolley, Accepted to UCSD School of Medicine Class of 2008
"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!"

Ariel Chairez, Scholarship Awardee, University of Wisconsin Medical School Class 2004
Dr. Lewis, I would like to thank you for all of your help. I have decided to attend the University of Wisconsin and have withdrawn my applications to other schools.  I will be taking anatomy in the summer to lessen my course-load the first semester. 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, University Of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine Class of 2005
Dr. Lewis' note: John was an Assistant State's Prosecuting Attorney in Chicago, Illinois, when he contacted me in 2004. Now in his 4th year of medical school, he says: "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."

Thanks from Lily Marouf, Sackler University Medical school (Tel Aviv) Class of 2007
"Dear Dr. Lewis, Thank you for all of your help the past year.  It was one of the most challenging years of my life, and I could not have been successful without you. I appreciate all of your support and patience, and look forward to sharing many memories with you when I come back to the States."

Track Record
CLASS OF 2007...97% acceptance to medical, dental and MS/MPH programs, one Class of 2007 applicant accepted into 2008 Class and all applicants accepted into medical and dental Residency programs of their choice.

CLASS OF 2008...93% acceptance plus 1 currently waitlisted to medical, dental, pharmacy and naturopathic medical schools.

Be Competitive
In order to be a competitive Class of 2009, or 2010 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 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.

Getting Started
Read about Dr. Lewis doing your Personal Assessment on our website, then phone or email us to get started! We spend 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.

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 almost 800 alumni now practicing in medicine the last 23 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.

Featured News
New AMCAS 2009 medical school electronic Letter Service
AMCAS will launch an electronic AMCAS Letters pilot for the 2009 entering class admissions cycle. Pilot schools include: Baylor, Boston, Creighton, East Tennessee State, Georgetown, Harvard, Meharry, Mercer, Penn State, temple, Texas A&M, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, South Florida, Virginia, Washington, Cornell. 

Three New Medical Schools Join AAMC Membership   
The AAMC has added three new medical schools to its membership, following the recent decision by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education to grant these schools provisional accreditation. The new schools are: Texas Tech University's Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at El Paso, Texas; the Florida International University College of Medicine, Miami, Florida; and the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida. These additions bring the total number of accredited allopathic U.S. medical schools to 129.
Information: Go to www.ttuhsc.edu/fostersom, medicine.fiu.edu, and www.med.ucf.edu.

from AAMC-Stat, February 25, 2008

News
AAMC poll about doctor workforce
A recent poll conducted by the AAMC revealed that a majority of voters believe there are too few doctors in America currently and there will continue to be an inadequate supply of physicians 10 years from now. 
www.aamc.org/workforce

WORLD WIDE PHYSICIAN DISTRIBUTION MAP

COMMENT: Tell us what YOU think about the need for doctors in the US and abroad by emailing imaclewis@lewisassoc.com.

New Commonwealth Fund chartbook on racial and ethnic disparities
Research continues to show that minorities in the U.S. are in poorer health, have more difficulty accessing health care and are more likely to receive lower quality care. The Commonwealth Fund has published a new collection of charts to serve as a valuable resource for understanding disparities and creating viable solutions. View (PDF, 715KB) the chartbook.

Students lose empathy for patients during medical school
It only takes a year to start draining empathy from future physicians, according to a study of medical students in the March issue of Academic Medicine. But empathy is a key quality medical schools should promote, experts said, because it makes for better physicians. (More)

Medicine and Personhood
The theme of this month's Virtual Mentor sounds theoretical in the extreme, the purview of philosophers and theologians. But the questions posed by the concept—"Are all humans persons?" "When does personhood begin and when does it end?" "Is one view of personhood enshrined by scientific medicine?" "Is there clinical significance to the concept of personhood?"—these are central to medical practice and become more relevant with every advance in scientific understanding of the brain, the mind, and the connection between the two. (More)

links

Medical Humanities Initiative
www.positiveprofiles.com

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

Huy Ho and Dr. Lewis Huy Ho Class 2008, accepted to top choice Touro University, California, School of Osteopathic Medicine "Dear Dr. Lewis, Thank you for being my coach throughout my medical school application journey. There were times where I lost focus as the whole process seemed quite overwhelming, but thank you for helping me to remain focused on my ultimate goal of becoming a physician and to see the bigger picture. Knowing that you have tremendous experience in the med school application process was very reassuring. Thank you for your patience, positive support, and belief in me, which has helped me to achieve my dream of becoming a physician and to help my community. Many thanks again! Sincerely, Huy Ho"

Dr. Adam Carewe and wife Dr. Adam Carewe (and fiancé Beth) graduated from New York Medical College, 2008 Dr. Lewis has the privilege of attending Adam and Beth's wedding in Denver this May.  "Beth and I are off to Denver for residency (Exempla - St Joseph Hospital). We already loved it there last Sept, so we know we will fit right in. Although we won't be near any of our family, we will now have a perfect reason for all of you to visit us for a winter ski/board trip."

Stacia Bier Stacia Bier George Washington University School of Medicine 2008 graduate Stacia Bier, George Washington University School of Medicine 2008 graduate writes " Dear Dr. Lewis,    I wanted to let you know that I matched in Pediatrics at Baylor/Texas Childrens.  This was my number 1 choice, as I want to focus on nutrition and preventive medicine.  They have the only pediatric nutrition research center in the US, so this is the perfect fit for me.  I am so delighted that I will be training there.  Thank you for all of your help over the years.  You are a gem!"

Nat Kittisarapong Nat Kittisarapong NOVA Southeastern School of Osteopathic Medicine, Entering Class of 2006 Medical Mission to Guatemala Our team of 40 volunteers consisting of physicians, nurses, EMT's, pre-med students, and first through 4th year students, and Residents went to Guatemala for 10 days in January 2008. Upon arrival, we were greeted unexpectedly by representatives of the First Lady of Guatemala and our group leader spoke at a press conference about DO-CARE's mission trips to Guatemala. We worked for 4 days, seeing over 100 patients each day at each of 2 sites in the mountain villages of Lake Atitlan. During that time, first, second, and 4th year students such as myself worked alongside physicians and Residents to diagnose patients and run blood work or parasite labs. First years and pre-meds were able to learn and practice techniques that they will learn in med school second year (as shown in the picture). We had Mayan translators for the many villagers who could not speak Spanish, but a Mayan dialect. We saw parasitic infections, skin conditions, cavities, and numerous interesting cases such as a pterygium, which is an epithelial overgrowth (in the eye of a lady). We gave away soap, pens, pencils, vitamins, and prescribed as well as provided medications free of charge. It was a wonderful experience to learn and improve our medical and language skills, and a great chance to learn about another culture.

Japanese Mexican American in Medical School: June Yoshii         
University of Iowa, 1st Year--PART II

June Yoshii at the Great Wall of China

June's story is continued from the March, 2008 newsletter.  We left off when June graduated from UCLA in 2001 with a low GPA and no MCAT exam scores.

June began working full-time in Geriatric Clinical Research, assessing the quality of care of elderly residents in nursing homes for a year and half. She learned about research and worked hard in two major projects, where she earned co-authorship in four publications.  June left geriatrics to work in Neuro-Imaging research at UCLA, studying the development of the brain using MRI. She was given co-authorship in two publications for her excellent work. She also began studying for the MCAT, took it and applied for medical school for 2004. She was waitlisted, but did not get in.

June moved back to San Diego and enrolled in classes in UCSD in order to improve her GPA. She did not know what to take, so she took Biomedical Imaging, Elements of International Medicine, and Experimental Techniques. She felt lost and began looking for advising services. June also began working in the Neuro-Imaging lab at UCSD, where she earned another co-authorship in another publication. She found Dr. Lewis in 2005 and we began working to improve her GPA to make her a competitive candidate. She re-took physics, biochemistry, genetics, and also took human physiology, immunology, critical reading & thinking, and statistics.

June prepared to take the MCAT again and applied for medical school for the Class of 2007. She had numerous interviews, and was accepted in several schools, both Allopathic and Osteopathic, but she was waitlisted in her top choice, the University of Iowa.  It was a long summer of waiting, and June continued to keep in close contact with Iowa where she was accepted in the summer for the graduating Class of 2011. 

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
By Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD

Will "any" health professions do?

This question was posted recently on a listserv:
"One of my students applied to dental school, knowing that her DAT score would probably not be sufficient, and she was declined. In all other respects, she is a stellar applicant. Without consulting me, she also applied to a college of pharmacy and was accepted for Fall 2008. If she retakes the DAT, gets a higher score, and applies to dental school again next year as a 1st year pharmacy student, will any dental school take her seriously? She is inclined to think that Pharmacy could be her temporary location until she gets into dental school."

I always advise that a student be focused on and ready to apply to the health professions school that they "really" want.  Generally, dental schools don't want students who are not committed to becoming a dentist; pharmacy schools do not want "frustrated" premedical students, etc. 

Why? Because: #1 you may drop out and not complete the degree, #2 you are taking someone else's spot who IS committed!, and #3 you are essentially not telling the truth throughout your entire application process. 

Do health professions schools want students who are not truthful? NO.

Here is another perspective by an advisor: "Suppose this student never got the higher DAT score and never got admitted to dental school. Would she then become a pharmacist and be happy in that profession? I tell students to never start a program that they wouldn't see as a viable step toward a successful, rewarding future." 

The Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants' (AIGAC) Stamp of Excellence is issued based on education, professional experience as a graduate admissions consultant, and commitment to the AIGAC's principles of good practices. AIGAC exists to define and promote professional excellence in serving graduate and professional school applicants worldwide.

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.

"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

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any friends, classmates, or colleagues you feel would find its contents beneficial.