Thursday, April 12, 2012
PEPP Success Story- Jessica Wood
Here is another video from PEPP 2007 alumni Jessica Wood. Jessica is currently a first year at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She's remained in close contact with our office over the years, and we know she will make a fine physician one day! Jessica was also selected to the Trover Rural Track program, where she will spend years 3 and 4 of medical school training in Madisonville, KY. Learn how PEPP helped Jessica achieve her dream of becoming a rural physician.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Community Service
We get a lot of questions regarding pre-health students and community service. Students must display a strong academic background and exam scores, but that alone will not get you into professional school. Students must display a clear motivation toward a health career (we'll address that in a future blog) and demonstrate humanistic/altruistic values. The number one reason students say they want to pursue a health career is to "help people". Thus, students should display a long track record of activities where they are helping others.
This can be accomplished in many ways. Sometimes students perceive that service must take place in a health care setting (ex: nursing home, clinic, medical missions, etc.). This isn't the only type of service that "counts". Just find something you like to do and demonstrate a commitment to it. That can be tutoring other students, volunteer activities through religious organizations, being a big brother/big sister, involvement in community initiatives- really any type of community service will do. You also do not need to have a "laundry list" of activities. Consistently volunteering your time to one cause is better than just showing up for one hour at multiple places. The bottom line- find something you like and stick with it!
It is also important to note that students need to have significant volunteer experience throughout college. While service work in high school is great, high school accomplishments should not be the focus of professional school applications. You need to demonstrate a commitment throughout college. Activities that take place the summer before college will count, as it is after your high school graduation- and yes, we do a few service projects during the PEPP program!
Finally, keep track of all the service activities/project that you are involved in beginning after your high school graduation. I recommend that students start an excel spreadsheet that records the following fields for each event: organization, activity, contact person, location, and hours. This will make it super easy to complete your professional school application later on.
This can be accomplished in many ways. Sometimes students perceive that service must take place in a health care setting (ex: nursing home, clinic, medical missions, etc.). This isn't the only type of service that "counts". Just find something you like to do and demonstrate a commitment to it. That can be tutoring other students, volunteer activities through religious organizations, being a big brother/big sister, involvement in community initiatives- really any type of community service will do. You also do not need to have a "laundry list" of activities. Consistently volunteering your time to one cause is better than just showing up for one hour at multiple places. The bottom line- find something you like and stick with it!
It is also important to note that students need to have significant volunteer experience throughout college. While service work in high school is great, high school accomplishments should not be the focus of professional school applications. You need to demonstrate a commitment throughout college. Activities that take place the summer before college will count, as it is after your high school graduation- and yes, we do a few service projects during the PEPP program!
Finally, keep track of all the service activities/project that you are involved in beginning after your high school graduation. I recommend that students start an excel spreadsheet that records the following fields for each event: organization, activity, contact person, location, and hours. This will make it super easy to complete your professional school application later on.
Friday, March 16, 2012
More alumni videos
Monday, March 12, 2012
Alumni Spotlight Alyssa Pratt
Alyssa Pratt is a PEPP 2011 alumni. She is a freshman at the Morehead State University. This upcoming summer, she will be participating in the University of Louisville Summer Medical and Dental Education Program. Alyssa talks about how PEPP contributed to her academic success in her first semester of college.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Alumni Spotlight- Cole Dabbs
This is the first of a series that we will be doing featuring alumni experiences in the PEPP program. It is often difficult to convey just how life-changing PEPP can be and it is much more that just a 4-week summer program.
Cole Dabbs is a PEPP 2010 Alumni. He is a sophomore at the University of Louisville. In 2011, he participated in the University of Louisville Summer Medical and Dental Education Program and he will be attending the 2012 University of Louisville MCAT-DAT Review Summer Workshop.
Here is Cole's PEPP experience in his own words.
Cole Dabbs is a PEPP 2010 Alumni. He is a sophomore at the University of Louisville. In 2011, he participated in the University of Louisville Summer Medical and Dental Education Program and he will be attending the 2012 University of Louisville MCAT-DAT Review Summer Workshop.
Here is Cole's PEPP experience in his own words.
Monday, February 27, 2012
PEPP FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who is eligible for PEPP?
Any graduating Kentucky high school senior may apply for the PEPP program (applications available at http://louisville.edu/medschool/diversity/pre-college). Preference is given to students from medically underserved counties and/or students who are members of ethnic/minority groups underrepresented in medicine (see application for details). The majority of selected participants are from an underserved area or underrepresented group. Please note that students who participate in the program go to a wide variety of undergraduate institutions both in Kentucky and out-of-state. You do not have to attend UofL for undergrad to participate in the program.
What are you looking for in applicants?
We determine admission based on the following criteria: Personal Statement Essay, Letter of Recommendation, unweighted high school GPA, ACT scores, and courses completed in high school. Above all, we are looking for a strong interest in medicine or dentistry. It is critically important that you take the time to write a thoughtful essay for your personal statement. It should be unique to you and provide a clear explanation of why you want to be a physician or dentist (i.e. give us more than "I want to help people").
Your letter of recommendation is also important, it must come from a math or science teacher. Choose one who knows you well and can provide more information than "he/she received an A in my course". It is best practice to sit down with your teacher and explain the program and why you want to participate in it before they write your recommendation. Even better, provide them with a copy of the PEPP application (with program description), a copy of your Personal Statement, and a copy of your resume or list of extracurricular activities. This will provide them with a lot more information to base your recommendation on and lead to a better letter.
Academics are also important. We are looking for a minimum of a 3.0 unweighted GPA and an ACT composite of 20. Keep in mind that the average for accepted students is much higher than these minimums. If you are near this minimum, that is even more reason to you to focus on your personal statement and recommendation letter. We also look at the courses students take in high school. We like to see students who challenge themselves in science and math courses beyond the required high school curriculum.
How many students do you take?
Each summer, UofL PEPP takes 25-30 students. The program is small by design. Students get individualized attention in the classroom and in advising. This small number allows for 4-5 shadowing rotations for each student and the ability to make better connections with program contacts and presenters. In addition, the small number allows for great group cohesion among all program participants. We also have 4 Student Development Assistants (medical and dental students) who live in the dorms, provide supervision, assist in program facilitation, and serve as mentors to the students.
What does the program cost?
Due to increased budget cuts, in 2010 PEPP instituted a fee schedule based on the student's taxable family income (after all allowable deductions). The fee schedule is further explained on the application. If the fee would prohibit you from participating in the program, simply complete a fee waiver request. We will seriously consider each request for a waiver or reduction to the PEPP fee (instuctions are in the application).
Meals are not regularly provided at PEPP, but a number of meals (around 5) will be covered during the program. Regardless of if the student is a "payer" or not, every student will receive an $80/wk stipend ($320 total) to go toward the cost of food. In addition, all program materials are provided: housing, local transportation, books, notebooks, pens, paper, etc.
What will we be doing at PEPP?
A lot! Our program is comprised of the following components: academic enrichment in freshman level math and sciences, career exploration in the health sciences, clinical observations, personal development, professional development, and hands-on experiences. Every day at PEPP is different.
Will we have free time?
Yes! While we do keep a busy schedule, there will be some downtime during the program. We will have some program organized extracurricular activities, and allow for students to do their own thing at other times.We recognize that you will be attending college in the fall and provide you with more freedom that other summer programs you may have been a part of in the past. We do allow students to leave campus and explore Louisville. You may bring a car if you wish. However, this is not an invitation for you to "sew your wild oats". We do have a very reasonable set of rules to follow for the safety of our participants and the program. We also have a curfew of midnight Sunday- Thursday, and 1:30am on Friday and Saturday.
Other questions?
Contact Katie Leslie, Program Director.
Who is eligible for PEPP?
Any graduating Kentucky high school senior may apply for the PEPP program (applications available at http://louisville.edu/medschool/diversity/pre-college). Preference is given to students from medically underserved counties and/or students who are members of ethnic/minority groups underrepresented in medicine (see application for details). The majority of selected participants are from an underserved area or underrepresented group. Please note that students who participate in the program go to a wide variety of undergraduate institutions both in Kentucky and out-of-state. You do not have to attend UofL for undergrad to participate in the program.
What are you looking for in applicants?
We determine admission based on the following criteria: Personal Statement Essay, Letter of Recommendation, unweighted high school GPA, ACT scores, and courses completed in high school. Above all, we are looking for a strong interest in medicine or dentistry. It is critically important that you take the time to write a thoughtful essay for your personal statement. It should be unique to you and provide a clear explanation of why you want to be a physician or dentist (i.e. give us more than "I want to help people").
Your letter of recommendation is also important, it must come from a math or science teacher. Choose one who knows you well and can provide more information than "he/she received an A in my course". It is best practice to sit down with your teacher and explain the program and why you want to participate in it before they write your recommendation. Even better, provide them with a copy of the PEPP application (with program description), a copy of your Personal Statement, and a copy of your resume or list of extracurricular activities. This will provide them with a lot more information to base your recommendation on and lead to a better letter.
Academics are also important. We are looking for a minimum of a 3.0 unweighted GPA and an ACT composite of 20. Keep in mind that the average for accepted students is much higher than these minimums. If you are near this minimum, that is even more reason to you to focus on your personal statement and recommendation letter. We also look at the courses students take in high school. We like to see students who challenge themselves in science and math courses beyond the required high school curriculum.
How many students do you take?
Each summer, UofL PEPP takes 25-30 students. The program is small by design. Students get individualized attention in the classroom and in advising. This small number allows for 4-5 shadowing rotations for each student and the ability to make better connections with program contacts and presenters. In addition, the small number allows for great group cohesion among all program participants. We also have 4 Student Development Assistants (medical and dental students) who live in the dorms, provide supervision, assist in program facilitation, and serve as mentors to the students.
What does the program cost?
Due to increased budget cuts, in 2010 PEPP instituted a fee schedule based on the student's taxable family income (after all allowable deductions). The fee schedule is further explained on the application. If the fee would prohibit you from participating in the program, simply complete a fee waiver request. We will seriously consider each request for a waiver or reduction to the PEPP fee (instuctions are in the application).
Meals are not regularly provided at PEPP, but a number of meals (around 5) will be covered during the program. Regardless of if the student is a "payer" or not, every student will receive an $80/wk stipend ($320 total) to go toward the cost of food. In addition, all program materials are provided: housing, local transportation, books, notebooks, pens, paper, etc.
What will we be doing at PEPP?
A lot! Our program is comprised of the following components: academic enrichment in freshman level math and sciences, career exploration in the health sciences, clinical observations, personal development, professional development, and hands-on experiences. Every day at PEPP is different.
Will we have free time?
Yes! While we do keep a busy schedule, there will be some downtime during the program. We will have some program organized extracurricular activities, and allow for students to do their own thing at other times.We recognize that you will be attending college in the fall and provide you with more freedom that other summer programs you may have been a part of in the past. We do allow students to leave campus and explore Louisville. You may bring a car if you wish. However, this is not an invitation for you to "sew your wild oats". We do have a very reasonable set of rules to follow for the safety of our participants and the program. We also have a curfew of midnight Sunday- Thursday, and 1:30am on Friday and Saturday.
Other questions?
Contact Katie Leslie, Program Director.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The MCAT is Changing!
While it has long been dreaded, for those who plan to take the Medical College Admissions Test in 2015 or later (most likely the first cohort will be students graduating from high school in 2012) there will be much more anxiety surrounding the exam. The MCAT will see some major changes from how it exists today. In addition to the biological and physical sciences, the exam will now cover material from the social and behavioral sciences as well as a new section that tests your critical analysis and reasoning skills. These changes will impact the courses you should take as an undergraduate to prepare you for the exam. Information on the new exam and how to prepare for it is available and will be updated at http://aamc.org/mcat2015. If this change will impact your MCAT, I encourage you to stay up-to-date with the changes. This is new for everyone including undergraduate pre-health advisors. As prerequisites for medical school may change along with the exam, I would recommend that you directly check with the admissions officers at medical schools of interest as to what courses are required and recommended. Below are videos from the Association of American Medical Colleges briefly discussing these changes.
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