<p>Hello all, just wanted to get some input on some programs my D is interested in for this summer. She's currently a soph majoring in English and taking premed coursework. She's a little behind the curve course wise in both her major and premed classes due to being undecided early on. </p>
<p>This summer she's applied to several research internship positions and will likely take one of them if she gets accepted, but they're very competitive and she doesn't really have any research experience and is likely at a disadvantage. She's not planning on doing medical research, so from what I think I've heard here, it would be good for her to get some research in, but not necessarily critical for med school applications.</p>
<p>So far, she has been accepted to 2 abroad programs. One is 8 weeks in Cambridge taking English courses, so that would help towards her major. The other is 5 weeks in Mexico doing coursework and assisting in a Public Health project. She is interested in the Public Health aspect of medicine and in working on her Spainsh, so this program fits well, however, it's pretty short and since it's at the beginning of summer, makes it hard to come home and find work for the rest of the summer.</p>
<p>Just want to get any impressions you all might have...for instance, I know it's not a good idea to take premed requirements during the summer, but are classes in your major OK??</p>
<p>I think the Mexico thing sounds great. Wish we’d have found it. :(</p>
<p>Yeah, it does look interesting. Looks like she might be able so fill in the rest summer with some supplementary courses at the local college, something like stats or Spanish that aren’t strict requirements and which she likely won’t be able fit into the regular year.</p>
<p>I have to admit, I’m never a fan of coursework of any kind during the summer. you spend 75% of your year proving that you’re a good student; summers are for proving that you excel at other things.</p>
<p>Mexico will be amazing, but it’d be even better if she were out doing something during that time – working at a hospital, taking photos of locals, etc.</p>
<p>Sounds like a great program. I’m doing a similar thing, except in Australia and a med anthro independent project I designed. Being in another country is a wonderful opportunity to attempt new things, like BDM mentioned. The public health project sounds great.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input, just the kind of information she needs!</p>
<p>OK, update on the summer opportunities, she’s been accepted to a 2 summer medical research internship at the UNebraska. They give a stipend and some of the research looks interesting. </p>
<p>I guess the question is, how important is having research experience when applying to med school for a person who is pretty set on working with underserved communities and tending more towards the public health aspects of medicine? Should she be making a 2 summer commitment to research or do shorter programs that are more in her field of interest? I know there are no set answers, but I appreciate any thoughts and opinions.</p>
<p>Thanks, EM</p>
<p>Hi Entomom – there are some schools where research is basically a must-have. If your daughter has her heart set on one of those schools, then frankly she needs the research work.</p>
<p>On the other hand, such a school isn’t remotely necessary if she wants to work in clinical work, especially for underserved populations. In that situation, some field work might be more valuable and more enjoyable for her ultimate career interests.</p>
<p>Thanks BDM, yes she is interested in doing clinical work. She is a bit early to be making a list, but for various reasons she would like to apply to UWashington and UMichigan, I’m assuming that UDub is not so research oriented but that UM is. Is UM one of the places where you think research is a must have??</p>
<p>Yes, it is, very much so. I don’t have my MSAR on me, but it’ll reveal that x% of students have a research background. I’d wager that UM is 80%+, and that the remaining 20% have something else (race, legacy, unique EC’s) on their side.</p>
<p>UW is also very research oriented (you mean Washington, I assume)? Again, I’d want to look at the number, but UW is one of the very top-tier of research-oriented medical schools.</p>
<p>Yes, UWashington, guess I was thinking that since it’s such a top school for primary care that it would be less research oriented…forgot that it’s a top research school too ;)! </p>
<p>She is a URM (Hispanic), thus the interest in underserved communities. She attended the SMDEP program at UWashington last summer, but outside of that just has the basic shadowing and volunteering in the hospital and clinic type of ECs so far.</p>
<p>Hi EM – to be honest, I’m not exactly sure what Hispanic status does. This is partly because only some Hispanic countries-of-origin receive URM status, but this is also partly because it’s a tough and constantly-evolving middle ground. URM status doesn’t mean the same thing for everybody.</p>
<p>If your daughter doesn’t receive a boost of any kind – probably not the case, but let’s assume this provisionally – then I’d strongly suggest she consider the research project. The Public Health component of the Mexico project also sounds very promising, but I’d want to know more about the class/field balance. Ideally, she’d want to have nearly all of her time in the field. I think such a project would be worth sacrificing some research for.</p>
<p>I do think she’d want to get some research in – either through classes next year or an internship next summer – just so that she can get a feel for it and so that schools like UM and UW don’t question her basic science credentials.</p>
<p>About the URM status, I’m probably still in an undergrad mindset about the degree of bump received. I just looked for the most recent AAMC definition for Hispanic/Latino but couldn’t find it, I’ll keep searching. But I did come across the stats for applied/accepted by race/country of origin and it was interesting. </p>
<p>[AAMC:</a> FACTS Table 12: Applicants, First-Time Applicants, Acceptees, and Matriculants by Race and Ethnicity](<a href=“http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/0508sumyrs.htm]AAMC:”>http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/0508sumyrs.htm)</p>
<p>For 2008, acceptance for Mexican Americans was about 47%, while Other Hispanics (my D) was about 40%. Caucasians were about the same as MA, at about 48%. So, the numbers seem to support your understanding that there may be little to no boost due to country of origin, that’s good to know.</p>
<p>Thanks for the thoughts on the Mexico program, I’ll see if she has more details about exactly how much field vs. classroom time is involved. Sounds like if she wants to be a competitive applicant at UW, UM and the like, that she needs to plan on some research experience along the way. It seems prudent to have at least minimal research credentials so that her selection of schools is not limited later on.</p>
<p>My understanding is that it’s Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and one more (maybe Dominicans?) who receive a boost, and even that boost may not be as sizeable as it once was. It’s evolving pretty rapidly. GPA and MCAT score of matriculants is usually how I assess the favoritism shown or not-shown.</p>
<p>This table might be useful.</p>
<p>[AAMC:</a> FACTS Table 19: MCAT Scores and GPAs for Applicants and Matriculants to U.S. Medical Schools by Race and Ethnicity](<a href=“http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/mcatgparaceeth08.htm]AAMC:”>http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/mcatgparaceeth08.htm)</p>
<p>AAMC used to include only Mexicans and mainland Puerto Ricans under their definition of URM. They have since revised the definition to something more PC (ie “whatever you identify with”). Other Hispanics (such as Cubans, South Americans, Spaniards) are less desirable as they are not as underrepresented. Hispanics in general are not as desired as African Americans, especially African American males.</p>
<p>I can see what you mean about the average gpa and MCAT scores showing how the boost varies between different groups. At the bottom of the table they state that they’re now using a two tier definition, first ethnicity then race. That makes sense as Hispanics can be any race.</p>
<p>Intuitively I would have thought that MA would be less represented than AA due to the recent influx of immigrants, wrong again!</p>
<p>Thanks all!</p>