Happy Thanksgiving!

PreHealth and Science Advising will be closed on November 26th and 27th.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Personal Statement Workshop

Weds. Dec 2, 6P - 7:15P

A workshop on Personal Statements
For Health Profession Programs
Learn actively by: 

• Reviewing actual personal statements from previous cycles
• Engaging in a short writing exercise that shows you already have good stories to tell

 https://psu.zoom.us/j/6795723537

MCAT 2021 Registration OPEN for Jan-March dates

Registration for January and March exam dates opened on Tuesday, November 10. As we have previously shared, the MCAT exam will return to the full-length test in January 2021. To assist students with the registration process, the AAMC has provided two short videos to aid examinees in navigating the registration system. To accommodate the needs of all learners, both videos include closed captioning.

• MCAT Registration Waiting Room Guide
• MCAT Registration Guide

Updated 2021 U.S. Testing Calendar and Score Release Dates
On Nov. 4, the AAMC informed prehealth advisors and preregistered examinees that expedited scoring would be in effect for January 2021 dates, meaning scores from all January exams will be reported in about two weeks instead of four.

This change is meant to help students who still want to take the MCAT exam and submit scores in their 2021 applications. It will also help with admissions timelines for the medical schools that are accepting January 2021 scores.

MCAT plans to return to the typical 30- to 35-day score reporting schedule beginning in March 2021.

New and Interesting Spring Courses

Looking for something to take this spring? Check our list of new and interesting courses offered in 2021.

Explore the options!

AAMC Guides For Financing Medical Applications And Education

The AAMC’s Financial Information, Resources, Services, and Tools (FIRST) program is here to help you and your students.

The following article is a great resource to share with your current students and the video includes advisor tips and tools for financing the application and resources to learn about financing educational expenses.

• 5 Things I Wish I Knew as a Premed About How to Pay for Medical School
• VIDEO: Tips and Tools for Financing Your Application and Career in Medicine

REMINDER: The 2020 Fee Assistance Program application cycle closes on December 17. The 2021 application cycle will open February 2021.

Penn State Public Health Sciences Open House

Penn State Public Health Sciences invites you to connect via Zoom to learn more about our graduate degrees and certificate programs during our Winter Open House at 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 17. We look forward to speaking with you. Please RSVP before Friday, December 11. 

RSVP: I will attend via Zoom

See a virtual tour of campus

For a full list of our Public Health Graduate Programs, visit our website. For an overview of our degree programs, check out this short video about Penn State Public Health Sciences.  

 Medical School Admission Requirements™ Reports for Applicants and Advisors

The AAMC took steps to make the MSAR Advisor Reports free and available to the public earlier this year to provide access to information previously only available to advisors and paid subscribers. Now, the reports are retitled to reflect their intended use as the MSAR Reports for Applicants and Advisors. The AAMC web page and each PDF report reflects this new title in addition to updated disclaimer language. 

We hope that this update will encourage additional applicants to use these reports to inform their application and admissions process. The reports are updated concurrently with MSAR as our member medical schools make updates to their deadlines and policies. 

News from the Office of Science Engagement

Check out these opportunities shared by the Office of Science Engagement!

Pre-PA Virtual Workshop

WEDS. DEC 9, 7-9PM EST

This workshop by the New York State Society of PAs (NYSSPA) is for pre-PA students who are interested in pursuing a career as a PA. Family members, high school guidance counselors and health-profession career advisors are also welcome to register. $50 registration fee

2021 Stand UP Award

Stand Up Award is now accepting nominations. Any faculty, staff, student, or community member world-wide may nominate any Penn State undergraduate student from any campus for the Stand Up Award. This award honors students who have demonstrated courage, fortitude, and ethical leadership by taking a stand for a person, a cause, or a belief. Successful nominees will be honored during a virtual ceremony on April 22, 2021, during which they will be presented with a $1,000 award. 

The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2021 Stand Up Awards is Friday, February 5, 2021.

Voices 2021 Showcase

Applications Due December 4

The Gender Equity Center is proud to be a part of the VOICES 2021 Committee. The VOICES 2021 Committee is currently accepting applications for the VOICES 2021 showcase, taking place March 23-25, 2021. VOICES, Penn State University’s adaption of the “Human Library”, is an innovative model focused on creating dialogue to challenge prejudices and stereotypes. Voices is designed to allow a small audience to listen deeply to a chapter of someone else's life, with the goal of challenging prejudices and stereotypes. 

Our 5th annual VOICES celebration will change format, becoming a virtual event. We are currently recruiting Voices to participate live or via pre-recorded video. The stories and conversations that take place can prompt life-long changes in Listeners and Voices alike. 

For more information, you can visit our FAQ. 

 If you are interested in participating, please complete THIS APPLICATION by December 4th to be considered as a VOICE for 2021.  

We all have a story, and there are plenty of people who want to listen. Please consider telling yours!

Wilderness and Emergency Medicine Lecture Series

Nov 17 @ 6 - 8PM EST

Join the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine for a weekly virtual lecture series featuring zoom lectures from a diverse range of niche fields including space medicine, dive medicine, mountain medicine, surf medicine, toxicology, climate change medicine, tactical medicine, rural medicine and more!

Their mission is to expose interested students to the breadth of wilderness and emergency medicine. On a deeper level, they hope to showcase the diverse spheres in which physicians can make an impact, and inspire others to think abstractly about the ways in which they can utilize their careers in healthcare and medicine. 

Learn more here!

 Trans Care: A Critical Conversation, Featuring Hil Malatino

A panel of leading scholars on trans and queer studies will discuss the recently published book “Trans Care” by Hil Malatino, assistant professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and research associate in the Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State. The virtual event, which is free and open to the public, will take place Tuesday, December 1, at 4:00 p.m.

Published by the University of Minnesota Press, “Trans Care” rejects dominant understandings of the ethics of care and draws attention to how they help entrench family structures and other gendered arrangements that marginalize trans individuals. In the book, Malatino goes beyond just critiquing where existing theories fall short and tackles the critical work of reimagining what an ethics of care looks like in communities of trans individuals and their allies.

“Trans Care” is Malatino’s second book in as many years exploring issues related to gender and sex equity. In 2019, he published “Queer Embodiment: Monstrosity, Medical Violence, and Intersex Experience” with the University of Nebraska Press.

Joining Malatino on the December 1 panel to discuss “Trans Care” will be Jules Gill-Peterson, associate professor of English and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies at the University of Pittsburgh, and Ann Cvetkovich, director of the Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s and Gender Studies at Carleton University. The panel will explore themes raised in Malatino’s book, such as the unique challenges faced by trans individuals, how traditional systems of support often fail them, and why we must radically rethink the ethics of care as it applies to them.

The Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State are sponsoring the event. All are welcome to attend. For more information about the event and how to register to watch it online, visit https://bit.ly/36waEqF. Please contact Rock Ethics Institute associate director Erin Heidt-Forsythe at eah28@psu.edu if you have any questions about the event.

CanSUR Summer Program Applications Now Open

The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (Case CCC) introduced a new summer program called CanSUR, funded by the National Cancer Institute. The program has been a great success, and we look forward to another summer of training.

CanSUR aims to provide a strong foundation in cancer biology, followed by a laboratory assignment with one of our Case CCC researchers studying cancer genetics, cancer cell signaling, experimental therapeutics, and cancer prevention and epidemiology research. The goal of the program is to generate excitement for a future career in cancer research in highly motivated undergraduates and help them prepare for the next stage of their careers.

The CanSUR program will support 32 undergraduates for a 10-week period (June through August). Undergraduates will be accepted from colleges and universities from across the country to work with our Case CCC researchers. A stipend of $4,000 for will be provided for the 10-week program. Housing and travels allowances will be available for non-local appointees.

More information is available on the flyer below and at their website: https://case.edu/cancer/training-education/cansur

Applications are now open and will be accepted until January 15, 2021. 

University of Michigan UM-SMART Summer Undergraduate Research Program - Application open now

The goal of the UM-SMART program is to help students decide if a career as a physician-scientist is right for them, and to enhance competitiveness when applying to MD/PhD programs.  The UM-SMART has helped 85 undergraduate participants learn about MD/PhD training since 2008.  After graduation, 78% of past participants entered MD/PhD, PhD, or MD programs.

This 10-week program is aimed at students who have some amount of basic and mechanistic research experience related to medicine and are interested in gaining more experience to advance their career goals.  UM-SMART is not intended for students seeking clinical research experience on human subjects.  Additionally, we do not offer opportunities in public health, the social sciences, or humanities.

Application deadline:  February 1, 2021

Tentative Program dates:  May 24-Aug 1, 2021

While we are hopeful and planning for an in person program in 2021, due to the uncertain nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the status of the program is currently tentative.  The health and safety of UM-SMART participants and our community is of upmost importance.  In the event that joining us on campus is not possible, an alternative virtual experience will be offered. 

Program Highlights: (visit the website or view the brochure for more information)

Students participating in a lab receive a stipend of $4,400 plus double occupancy dormitory housing and a meal allowance.

The main scientific focus of the summer program is to provide full-time laboratory biomedical research, as well as

· Two half day clinical shadowing experiences

· Online MCAT preparation accessible for 12 months

· Oral and Poster presentation and relevant seminars

· “Big Sib” Mentoring Program

· Attend 3-day MSTP annual scientific retreat

Eligibility: (see the website or brochure for more information)

Fellowship Programs Open in November

View opportunities available to apply this month!

Naturopathic Medical College Virtual Fair

Dec 1, 2020, 10A - 8p EST

Find out what ND school is really like!

Meet with students, faculty and admissions representatives from naturopathic medical colleges, all from the comfort of your home! 

Free for All Future ND Students to Attend

Register now!

Seeking Submissions for Penn State Arts for Health

Are you interested in the arts and how they can affect your health? Have you been creative recently? If so, consider submitting your visual, written, musical, and other work to be featured on the Instagram blog Arts for Health! Check out this flyer to learn more about the initiative and follow this link to submit your work. Any questions or inquiries about getting involved can be directed to psuartsforhealth@gmail.com.

Audiology Learning Experience

Friday, Dec 11th  9 am - 4 pm EST

Osborne College of Audiology's annual Audiology Learning Experience is both academic and career-related. It offers participants the opportunity to investigate the academic study associated with the Doctor of Audiology program, as well as the profession of audiology and its many career options.

The deadline to apply is Saturday, December 5, 2020.

This year's one-day event will be a highly interactive online experience and is open to undergraduate students who are interested in audiology as well as to those who may be undecided about their career direction.  

Students will have the opportunity to interact with faculty, staff, and current students, as well as virtually tour our clinical skills lab and the Pennsylvania Ear Institute.

We hope your students can be a part of the Salus Audiology Learning Experience! The first 15 people picked for the workshop will receive a Salus University application fee waiver that can be used when applying through CSDCAS for the 2020-2021 cycle.

Register now!

Financial Literacy One-on-One Appointments Available During the Semester Break!

The Sokolov-Miller Financial & Life Skills Center Staff have one-on-one appointments available this Fall through December 22 and then beginning again January 4 for the Spring semester.  One-on-one Zoom appointments are easily scheduled through our website via Starfish. Our goal is to provide support to students to help them meet their financial goals and address their fiscal needs. Our services are available as a free resource and the semester break is an excellent opportunity to work on your financial goals with a professional! 

In our one-on-one coaching appointments, we provide education based on your goals. We cover many topics, including saving and investing, budgeting, offer letter reviews, and more. Discussions about finances can be intimidating for students. At the Center, we want to create a safe place where students can ask about financial topics and get sound financial guidance.  

To schedule an appointment, students should go to: https://financialliteracy.psu.edu  

Scroll and click “Submit a request” under “2. Students – Schedule an appointment”  

This link will direct you to Starfish to schedule a date & time.  

Virtual Fairs & Open Houses

-MANY NEW EVENTS!-

Feel like you are missing out by staying at home? Want to learn more about osteopathic medicine, medical school in the Caribbean, or postbacc opportunities? Visit and connect with these and other programs virtually at these live events!

 Check it out today!

Miss an issue of the newsletter? 

Head over to our website for an archive of past issues to see what you missed!