The Summer Medical and Dental Education Program The Scoop

Have plans for the summer? SMDEP, or the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program, is a free six-week program for freshman and sophomore undergrads from demographics underrepresented in medicine and dentistry.    As you probably already know, there are loads of other premed summer undergraduate research programs (see our chart here). What sets the SMDEP apart from the others is its size and the number of locations. The SMDEP program takes place at 12 different institutions in the U.S., each with 80 participating students. Here are some important things to know about SMDEP and the application process: Program locations: †¢Ã‚  Case Western Reserve University Schools Of Medicine Dental Medicine:  June 4-July 16 †¢Ã‚  Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and College of Dental Medicine:  June 17-July 29 †¢Ã‚  David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and UCLA School of Dentistry: June 19-July 30 †¢Ã‚  Duke University School of Medicine:  June 4-July 16 †¢Ã‚  Howard University Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Dentistry and Medicine:  June 5-July 16 †¢Ã‚  Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Rutgers School of Dental Medicine: June 5-July 15 †¢Ã‚  The University of Texas School of Dentistry and Medical School at Houston: May 25-July 1 †¢Ã‚  University of Louisville Schools of Medicine and Dentistry:  June 5-July 15 †¢Ã‚  University of Nebraska Medical Center:  June 4-July15 †¢Ã‚  University of Virginia School of Medicine:  June 4-July 16 †¢Ã‚  University of Washington Schools of Medicine and Dentistry:  June 19-July 30 †¢Ã‚  Yale School of Medicine:  June 18-July 29 Applications: †¢ You apply to 3 of the 12 program sites. †¢ Admissions are rolling, so the earlier you apply the better, especially if you want a better shot at your preferred location. †¢ Deadline:   Tuesday, March 1, 2016 †¢ Admissions decisions will be made by April 1, 2016 Eligibility: †¢ Applicants must: †¢ Be a freshman or sophomore undergraduate student (with no more than 60 credits at the time of submission) †¢ Have a GPA of 2.5+ †¢ Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident †¢ Be a first-time SMDEP participant Letters of Rec: 2 letters of recommendation are required, 1 from a pre-health advisor or professor (or a high school science teacher) and 1 from a supervisor you volunteered for in the medical or dental fields. Transcripts: You must submit a transcript from each institution you attended. Official transcripts must be mailed from the institutions registrars office. When you request your transcripts, allow enough time for your school(s) to process the request. More information: You can contact the SMDEP National Program Office at  smdep@aamc.org  or 866-587-6337. Are you considering other summer premed research programs? Weve created a chart that covers important details such as length/dates of programs, eligibility requirements, stipend amounts, and more, for top U.S. premed summer research programs. Just fill in your information below and well send the chart to you. Deadlines are looming, so hurry! //

Tips for Deciding Which Medical Schools to Apply To

Which medical schools will be best for you? How should you go about selecting the medical schools to apply to? These are two of the most important and strategic questions you’ll have to answer during the application process. These decisions will directly impact how you navigate the med school maze and will increase your chances of getting accepted. Step 1: Consider Cost – How Many Schools Can You Afford To Apply To? Start by deciding realistically how many schools that you can reasonably afford to apply to – taking into consideration the following costs: †¢ MCAT, if you haven’t already taken it †¢ Primary application, fee per school †¢ Secondary applications, price varies according to school †¢ Funds needed to travel to interviews (flights, taxi or bus services, hotels and meals) It can cost thousands of dollars to cover one application cycle, not to mention your time and energy throughout this yearlong process. If you qualify, you may want to consider applying to the Fee Assistance Program (FAP) that is offered through the AAMC to assist students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds by offering a reduced price for the MCAT and waiving the application fees to 15 medical schools. Most of the schools will also waive the secondary application fee, if you apply with FAP. In the past, some medical schools also provided financial assistance to students for travel to their school, but this has become less common. It would require students to ask for this assistance, if they would otherwise be unable to attend the interview. Step 2: School Research –Where Do You See Yourself Going? After determining the number of schools that you will apply to, give yourself some time to research schools. I recommend taking the following criteria into consideration: 1. Where would you like to practice medicine? Some medical schools offer special programs to students who want to practice in specific regions or work with a particular patient population. If you can narrow your options using these two criteria, this winnowing process may help you locate programs that offer special training or specialties connected to these choices. If you don’t yet have a specific focus within medicine, being aware of your flexibility can help you choose programs with a broader spectrum of training. Also, having a personal connection to a location can help your application. 2. Where can you claim residency? Using the MSAR, you can identify how many in-state and out-of-state residents any given medical school will accept. When selecting schools, it is important to take this calculation into consideration. Depending on the state where you are from, you may have a higher chance of gaining acceptance at a local medical school. 3. What are your areas of interest? If you have lots of research experience and want to continue to conduct research during medical school, there are some medical schools with more opportunities in this area than others. On the other hand, if you have little to no research experience, there are also programs out there that do not consider research a requirement. Knowing which schools place importance on certain activities can help you decide, based on your personal background, where to apply. Often, reading the school’s website, talking to outreach officers, current students and your pre-health advisor can help you identify what is important to their program. 4. What are your qualifications? You need to choose schools to apply to where you have a chance of getting in. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take a few chances if you feel you have a reasonable shot at a hard-to-get-into program – but you’ll need to seriously evaluate your competitiveness (compare your stats, talents, and experiences with the expectations of your target school) before putting these schools on your list. The advantages of talking with your premed advisor or Accepted consultant include accessing our knowledge of the schools and years of experience in assisting students in gaining admission to programs across the country. Helping you select the schools that will match your interests and qualifications and value your background and experience is our area of expertise. The more time that you spend now in selecting the right schools will improve your application strategy and help you achieve your professional goals. ; Alicia McNease Nimonkar worked for 5 years as the Student Advisor Director at the UC Davis School of Medicine's postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and other health professional programs. She has served Accepted's clients since 2012 with roughly a 90% success rate. She has a Master of Arts in Composition and Rhetoric as well as Literature.  Want Alicia to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: †¢ Navigate the Med School Maze, a free guide †¢ How To Research Medical Schools †¢ Assess Your Qualifications for Medical School Tips for Deciding Which Medical Schools to Apply To Which medical schools will be best for you? How should you go about selecting the medical schools to apply to? These are two of the most important and strategic questions you’ll have to answer during the application process. These decisions will directly impact how you navigate the med school maze and will increase your chances of getting accepted. Step 1: Consider Cost – How Many Schools Can You Afford To Apply To? Start by deciding realistically how many schools that you can reasonably afford to apply to – taking into consideration the following costs: †¢ MCAT, if you haven’t already taken it †¢ Primary application, fee per school †¢ Secondary applications, price varies according to school †¢ Funds needed to travel to interviews (flights, taxi or bus services, hotels and meals) It can cost thousands of dollars to cover one application cycle, not to mention your time and energy throughout this yearlong process. If you qualify, you may want to consider applying to the Fee Assistance Program (FAP) that is offered through the AAMC to assist students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds by offering a reduced price for the MCAT and waiving the application fees to 15 medical schools. Most of the schools will also waive the secondary application fee, if you apply with FAP. In the past, some medical schools also provided financial assistance to students for travel to their school, but this has become less common. It would require students to ask for this assistance, if they would otherwise be unable to attend the interview. Step 2: School Research –Where Do You See Yourself Going? After determining the number of schools that you will apply to, give yourself some time to research schools. I recommend taking the following criteria into consideration: 1. Where would you like to practice medicine? Some medical schools offer special programs to students who want to practice in specific regions or work with a particular patient population. If you can narrow your options using these two criteria, this winnowing process may help you locate programs that offer special training or specialties connected to these choices. If you don’t yet have a specific focus within medicine, being aware of your flexibility can help you choose programs with a broader spectrum of training. Also, having a personal connection to a location can help your application. 2. Where can you claim residency? Using the MSAR, you can identify how many in-state and out-of-state residents any given medical school will accept. When selecting schools, it is important to take this calculation into consideration. Depending on the state where you are from, you may have a higher chance of gaining acceptance at a local medical school. 3. What are your areas of interest? If you have lots of research experience and want to continue to conduct research during medical school, there are some medical schools with more opportunities in this area than others. On the other hand, if you have little to no research experience, there are also programs out there that do not consider research a requirement. Knowing which schools place importance on certain activities can help you decide, based on your personal background, where to apply. Often, reading the school’s website, talking to outreach officers, current students and your pre-health advisor can help you identify what is important to their program. 4. What are your qualifications? You need to choose schools to apply to where you have a chance of getting in. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take a few chances if you feel you have a reasonable shot at a hard-to-get-into program – but you’ll need to seriously evaluate your competitiveness (compare your stats, talents, and experiences with the expectations of your target school) before putting these schools on your list. The advantages of talking with your premed advisor or Accepted consultant include accessing our knowledge of the schools and years of experience in assisting students in gaining admission to programs across the country. Helping you select the schools that will match your interests and qualifications and value your background and experience is our area of expertise. The more time that you spend now in selecting the right schools will improve your application strategy and help you achieve your professional goals. ; Alicia McNease Nimonkar worked for 5 years as the Student Advisor Director at the UC Davis School of Medicine's postbac program where she both evaluated applications and advised students applying successfully to med school and other health professional programs. She has served Accepted's clients since 2012 with roughly a 90% success rate. She has a Master of Arts in Composition and Rhetoric as well as Literature.  Want Alicia to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: †¢ Navigate the Med School Maze, a free guide †¢ How To Research Medical Schools †¢ Assess Your Qualifications for Medical School