Penn State Health Professions Portfolio

Now Open!

Penn State Prehealth Advising is now utilizing an e-portfolio for students preparing to apply to health professional school. The portfolio allows you to record academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and reflect on preprofessional competencies. It has been developed to reflect the information required in application systems like AMCAS, AACOMAS, and AADSAS.

Utilizing the e-portfolio allows you to continuously review your preparation and candidacy over a multi-year period leading up to applying to school.

If you plan to apply to medical, dental, physician assistant, optometry, or podiatry school for 2022 matriculation, please begin building out your portfolio. This will provide the basis for comprehensive advising leading up to your application submission and interview season.

Students planning to apply to other health professions programs and students expecting to matriculate after 2022 can request access to the portfolio on October 12, 2020.  

Pre-Health Group Advising Sessions

Join our Prehealth Group Advising Canvas Course to get the direct links* to the sessions and access the recordings. 

Direct links to live session can also be found on our website. 

THIS WEEK:

Anatomy of an Applicant - Oct 7 @ 12P   Zoom link Password: 449959

Visit with Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

Friday, October 9 at 1:00PM EDT

Interested in learning more about the MD program at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine? Please join Dr. Stan Kania  for a brief presentation to learn about their curriculum, program, and admissions process.

A Q&A session will also be held to ensure all questions are answered.

Access the meeting here! 

Password: 593677

Health Professions Exposed

Tuesday, October 13 @ 7PM

Join the College of HHD as they host an alumni panel to discuss careers in PA, OT, PT, and cardiology. 

Panelists
Allison Hedin '17 KINES: Physician Assistant
Natalie Loughrey '94 KINES: Occupational Therapist
Casey Sinex '14 BBH: Physical Therapist
Jill Steiner '05 BBH: Cardiologist

Join the session here:​https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_08bSJiRURECLQ8Gcub_QJA 

Please contact Ms. Brooke Owen with any questions about the event.

Wondering what to do with your shadowing experiences? 

Visit this new website for more information on how to find a shadowing opportunity, what to do while shadowing, and how to talk about your experiences in your application. 

News from the Office of Science Engagement

The Office of Science Engagement has many resources and ways for you to get involved with internships and jobs!

Explore the Opportunities! 

Looking to serve the State College community?

From the Heart is a non-medical home health agency looking for care givers in the Centre County area. Care givers would be assisting with personal care, light housekeeping/laundry and/or companionship. All caregivers are required to have a 2-step TB test, a clean criminal background, child clearance, and access to transportation.

For more information, please call Sheila at 724-590-5139.

Out of the Cold Volunteers Needed

Out of the Cold (OOTC) is in need of volunteers and would love your help! The Day Shelter and Resource Center (located at 318 South Atherton) is excited to be open and expand hours this fall. The Resource Center provides basic needs case management, showers, laundry, and mid-day meal, computer, and phone access. The current shifts are from 9-11 and 11-2 Monday-Friday.

If you have never volunteered at the Day Shelter and Resource Center before, please sign-up for a training session (found also on the volunteer sign up) here.

For volunteering at our overnight shelter, read more and sign up here.

AACOM Medical School Expo

Tuesday, Oct 13, 12:00 -6:00 pm EST

With students from Penn State University in mind, our team at AACOM has tried to make exploring options for medical school as easy as sitting on their couch.

We ask that you please encourage your students to join us on October 13, 2020 from 12:00 PM-6:00 PM ET, for our virtual medical school expo! Registration is free, but required to attend, so please remind your students save their place today.

Here’s what we have in store for them:  

• live presentations and opportunities to meet with medical school admissions representatives, faculty, and current students via online chat rooms
• detailed tips about applying to medical school, the interview process, and life as a medical student
• discuss your questions live with AACOM representatives, med school admissions teams, current residents, and more
• get to know the programs and decide which medical school is right for you

Register today!

Zero travel required to participate (unless you count the walk to your computer).

A Discussion on Domestic Violence

The Penn State Gender Equity Center will be hosting our keynote panel for Domestic Violence Awareness Month featuring Beverly Gooden, the creator of the #WhyIStayed movement, and Geena Rocero, a model and trans rights advocate and activist. Both speak on this panel as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The event is free but requires tickets, which you can get using the link here: tinyurl.com/gooden-rocero-tickets

COVID 19: Holiday Celebrations and Flu Season Webinar 

The holidays and flu season are fast approaching. The vaccine for COVID-19 is still in the testing and approval process, so how can you stay healthy during the holidays and flu season?

Join us on Wednesday, October 14th at 1:00 p.m. (EDT) for a free, informational webinar where UVM Larner College of Medicine's Dr. Jan Carney will provide an update on current COVID-19 data and trends as well as measures to deal with the pending flu season and holiday celebrations safely.

Vermont Department of Health’s Immunization Program Manager Christine Finley will walk viewers through the vaccine approval process and discuss how the vaccine will be distributed in Vermont once it is approved. Christine Finley will also review the flu vaccine timing and distribution. An overview of UVM’s Master of Public Health program will also be provided.

Topics will include:

• Current COVID-19 Data and Trends
• Overview of the Vaccine Approval Process
• Process to Distribute Vaccine in Vermont
• How to Prepare for Holiday Celebrations and Flu Season
• Overview of UVM Master of Public Health Program

Panelists include:

• Jan Carney, MD, MPH: Associate Dean for Public Health and Health Policy; Professor of Medicine, Director Graduate Public Health Programs
• Christine Finley, APRN, MPH: Immunization Program Manager, Vermont Dept. of Health

 CSTEP Program for Underrepresented Minority Students

New York State residents who are full time college and graduate students are eligible for these programs.

Special CSTEP Programs for Undergraduate Students

This on-site Internship Program gives students a first hand look at what optometry is all about. The program takes place two times each year, once during the winter and once during the spring/early summer. Each session runs 8 hours per day for 2 consecutive weeks. In addition to the services outlined above, participating CSTEP interns are assigned to work with fourth-year SUNY Optometry Doctor of Optometry students in their own clinical rotations.

Some highlights of our internship program include:

• Professional development workshops
• Oral research presentation
• Network with other OD students/faculty/staff
• Private practice tour
• Clinical observations at our eye clinic, the University Eye Center
• OAT Prep
• Receive career, admissions, and financial aid counseling

Find out more!

Crossing Bridges Summit 2020-21

Thursday, Oct 15 at 3:00 p.m. ET

Panelists will discuss the findings in “Pittsburgh’s Inequity across Gender and Race”, Gender Analysis White Papers, published in 2019. Local and national experts will put a lens on Black maternal health in particular.

Register today!

Learn more here.

AANMC Virtual Fair 

Are you a student, career changer or just curious about naturopathic medical education? Look no further – this is the perfect place to get all your questions answered and start on your journey to becoming an ND! Don’t have any questions? See what others are asking, and get answers to questions you didn’t even know you had! Admissions representatives, faculty, and students from the accredited schools will be online to speak with you.

Register today!

AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP)

Now is the time to start looking at the AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP). AAMC has updated the income eligibility requirements to 400% or less of the 2019 national poverty level for that family size. Many students are eligible for this!

*You must have your parents tax information from 2019 in order to apply*

Benefits are NOT retroactive. You should submit your AAMC FAP before you register for your MCAT exam. (Most of you should be registering for your MCAT before fall semester finals week.)

Even if you plan to only apply to DO programs, you should still complete an AAMC FAP to receive the MCAT benefits. 

AAMC FAP includes the following: 

MCAT Official Prep Products Benefit

• The MCAT Official Prep products benefit package is subject to change. The current MCAT Official Prep products benefit is the MCAT Official Prep Online-Only Bundle ($268.80 value), which includes all online MCAT Official Prep products. 

MCAT Benefits

• Reduced registration fee, from $320 to $130, for MCAT exams.
• Consideration for financial assistance to obtain an updated evaluation to support an application for MCAT exam accommodations (For more information and instructions on how to apply, please visit aamc.org/accombenefit).

Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) Benefit

• Complimentary subscription to the Medical School Admission Requirements online database following account activation ($36 value).
• AMCAS Benefit

Waiver for all AMCAS fees for one (1) application submission with up to 20 medical school designations ($990 value), submitted by December 31, 2021.

Articles to Consider 

Articles to consider during this difficult time in our nation.

Read some now!

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!