Prehealth

Newsletter

January 11 , 2021

Welcome!

Only if you have a sincere & genuine interest in becoming a Primary Care physician, and are a sophomore, junior or senior, even a gap year individual, then read on…

Hershey College of Medicine’s Primary Care Scholars program,

Virtual Sessions May 2021.

 For your consideration/ annual program in May with Penn State Hershey College of Medicine:

1] Applications are now available by contacting Dr Markle ram29@psu.edu. for Hershey’s “Primary Care Scholars’ Virtual Sessions Program for 2021”.  See Program Overview below.

2] Important Note:  A reference letter from someone in your home community or college community is required.   Include the sealed, signed envelope from your “Community Letter Writer” with your application set.

3] Last, you will email to Dr. Markle your full application set in PDF format.

*Do NOT mail applications to Hershey. We anticipate 10 nominees and an alternate will be sent from the Premed Office.  Final selections are made by the program overseers at Hershey.

Our office will do the “Pre-Health Adviser” letter; the 3rd checklist item on page 2 of the Application Form. Our internal deadline for your fully completed application emailed to Dr. Markle is Friday, January 22nd, 2021.     

Program Overview for 2021

Students will have numerous opportunities to interact with medical students and faculty, and to learn about the philosophy and practice of primary care within the disciplines of family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021program will again be virtual through a series of interactive zoom sessions:  large group presentations, small discussion groups, panel discussion with students, individual application consults and a sample problem-based learning session.

One particular highlight of the program is a clinical shadowing experience in which students will shadow a family physician, general pediatrician or general internist.  Although face-to-face shadowing have mostly been canceled, plans are in the works for possible virtual shadowing opportunities with more information to come.

Applications are especially encouraged from Pennsylvania residents, students of under-represented groups and/or those interested in practicing in an underserved rural or urban area. 

There is no registration fee.

Description:
The Penn State College of Medicine Primary Care Scholars Program is an exceptional opportunity for undergraduate students to receive exposure to medical school and issues in primary care. Students in the program learn about the philosophy and practice of primary care within the disciplines of family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Scholars will also learn about health care delivery, medical school admissions, special programs at the Penn State College of Medicine, and the medical school’s curriculum process.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 program will again be held virtually through a series of interactive zoom sessions. There will still be numerous opportunities for students to interact with both faculty and students here at the College of Medicine through large group presentations, small discussion groups, panel discussions with students, individual application consults, and even a sample problem based learning session.

A particular highlight of the program is a clinical experience in which the student shadows a family physician, general pediatrician, or general internist. Due to the pandemic, face-to face opportunities have mostly been canceled, however plans are in the works for possible virtual shadowing opportunities, with more information to come.

Registration Fee: None! – this program is free to qualified applicants.

Applicants:
College students who attend participating partner colleges and universities and who have completed their sophomore year are eligible. Post baccalaureate students may also apply. Students apply through their college pre-health advisors, who send the completed applications to the primary care office at Penn State University College of Medicine. A panel, similar in many respects to the admissions committee, reviews the applications and selects students to participate in the program.
Special consideration is given to students interested in primary care fields, those who are considered likely to practice in underserved rural or urban settings, and underrepresented minorities.

Completed applications are due by Monday, February 1, 2021.

Content:
Students in the 2021 program will participate in a series of virtual sessions starting with a kick-off session during the week of May 17, 2021. These sessions will present students with information on the wide range of practice opportunities in primary care as well as sessions covering the medical school application process, medical school curriculum, and the US healthcare system. Most of the virtual sessions will be held in the evening and will be limited to 1-2 hours in length to avoid any zoom fatigue. Emphasis is placed on facilitating interactive discussion and opportunities for questions and answers.

While the exact schedule has not be finalized, sessions from previous years have included clinical topics such as:
 What is primary care?
 Family Medicine, General Internal Medicine, and General Pediatrics
 Sports Medicine
 Women’s Health and Obstetrics
 Underserved Medicine including both Rural and Urban Practice
 Global Health
 Military Medicine
 Geriatrics including Nursing Home and Hospice
 Mental health and Addiction Medicine
 Osteopathic Medicine

Additional sessions will address:
 Medical School Admissions
 Accelerated Pathway Programs
 Medical School Curriculum
 Sample small group problem based learning session
 US Healthcare system
 Leadership in Primary Care

Opportunities for interaction with current medical students have included panel discussions on student life and tips on applying to medical school. Additional virtual question and answer sessions will be included.

Testimonials from previous student participants:

“I enjoyed that it provided a comprehensive view at the different aspects of what constitutes Primary Care as well as the information provided on applying to medical school and what is involved in a medical school education. Also, speaking with current medical students allowed for a more personal view of what the experience involves.”

“I felt very engaged and informed after every speaker and I know I took away an incredible amount of useful information. This definitely fueled by excitement and motivation to pursue family medicine.”

“I honestly enjoyed every aspect of this program. I really liked all of the different doctors that came in to talk to us. I learned so much the last few days about primary care and the medical school here. I really liked how welcoming and friendly everyone was. All of the doctors were more than willing to share their emails, help us, and answer any questions we might of had. I also loved how many of my medical school admission questions were answered. In addition, being able to talk and ask questions to current medical school students was amazing.”

“I loved how diverse the subjects were. A common misconception of primary care is that you are limited, but all of the speakers proved otherwise. The speakers were very informative and very encouraging.”

“I really like that I was able to learn about every aspect of primary care. I learned more about the field than I've ever learned in my entire life. I also really appreciate that we were able to meet medical students and ask questions/learn about their path to medicine. Lastly I loved the consult portion because I was able to ask so many questions to doctors directly involved with the admissions to medical school.”

“The speakers were all very inspirational and provided very interesting information. Although I was always interested in primary care and had read a lot on the subject, each speaker provided me with a new perspective, which was both informative and simply cool.”