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.

ALL students (and alumni) considering a health professions career should request access to the portfolio at this time.

If you have requested access, but have not received a link to access it, please follow the "request a portfolio link" and scroll to the troubleshooting area on the page.

Comprehensive Interview Process and veCollect

The Health Sciences Pre-Professional Advising Committee is opening veCollect on Monday, NOV 2 to allow applicants for 2022 matriculation to health professions programs to begin collecting letters of recommendation. 

Please follow this link to learn more about our new process this year. 

Important Deadlines

January 22, 2021 – Priority Portfolio Deadline
Applicants completing the Health Professions Portfolio prior to this deadline will be given first priority in scheduling a Comprehensive Interview before they submit their application.

Applicants must have any 3 letters of recommendation within veCollect. Students are encouraged to have 2 science faculty letters and 1 non-science faculty letters.*

April 15, 2021 – Regular Portfolio Deadline
Applicants completing the Health Professions Portfolio prior to this deadline will be scheduled for a Comprehensive Interview before June 10.

Applicants must have any 2 letters of recommendation within veCollect. At least one of these letters should be from a science faculty member.*

June 1, 2021 – Final Portfolio Deadline
Applicants completing the Health Professions Portfolio prior to this deadline will be scheduled for a Comprehensive Interview before before August 15, but not necessarily before they submit their application.

Applicants must have at least 2 science faculty, 1 non-science faculty letter within veCollect.*

*For a final application, candidates must have 2 science faculty letters, 1 non-science faculty letter and up to 3 additional letters. Please see the portfolio for further suggestions.

Deadline for need-based scholarships for CU  pre-med courses

Only one day left for students to apply for need based scholarships for the University of Colorado School of Medicine pre-med emergency and wilderness medicine classes to be held in Ithaca, NY (Dec.) and Colorado (Jan.).  We have had far fewer applicants for the scholarships, which cover 100% of our tuition and fees, than in the past, so your students in need have an even better chance of being awarded one of these free rides. 

As a reminder, the classes are taught by School of Medicine faculty and include lectures, labs, pre-med advising from health care professionals, and certifications in Wilderness First Responder, CPR, and optional virtual shadowing.  The Colorado class is taught half on our medical school campus and half at a camp high in the Rockies.

Both classes will be closely following the latest COVID protocols.  Both classes also have plenty of room for those not competitive for the need-based scholarships.  Classes are open to students from any higher education institution and recent grads (post-bacs).  More information about these two unique classes can be found at www.coloradowm.org/product-category/pre-med or contact Dr. Todd Miner at todd.miner@ucdenver.edu.

Two other current on-line options for your students are our free Virtual Shadowing Nano-Classes (www.coloradowm.org/courses/pre-med/...) and our Basic Wilderness First Aid class (www.coloradowm.org/courses/pre-med/...).

Important Information for 2021 AMCAS Applicants

Information on school-specific policies and procedures, Choose Your Medical School Tool, and Acceptance Protocols. Please check here for more details if you are currently an AMCAS applicant, applying for 2021 matriculation.

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! 

Primary Care Day

Saturday, OCT 31, 2020

If you have registered, we wanted to remind you to attend tomorrow to learn more about Penn State College of Medicine and their Primary Care Specialties. Please see your email for more details.

Summer Public Health Scholars Program 2021

FRIDAY OCT 30, 2020 @ 2PM EST

This program is a partnership between Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, College of Dental Medicine, School of Nursing, and the Mailman School of Public Health. SPHSP is designed to increase interest in and knowledge of public health and biomedical careers for juniors, seniors, and recent undergraduates. This competitive program equips students with the skill set and tools they need to pursue public health by providing rigorous public health coursework, hands-on field experience, seminars and workshops, and mentorship opportunities in New York City.

The 10-week program begins with a one-week orientation and ends with a showcase and expo at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. Students are introduced to members of the CDC and have the opportunity to present their summer projects. All accepted students will receive housing accommodations on Columbia University’s Morningside campus along with a living stipend. All travel for students will also be covered by the program.

Students interested in participating in our virtual information session can register at https://tinyurl.com/virtualinfosession2. 

SPHSP applications for summer 2021 will open on November 1st, 2020 and close January 31st, 2021. For more information, please feel free to visit https://www.ps.columbia.edu/sphsp or email us at sphsp@cumc.columbia.edu. Students can follow us on Instagram @sphsp_cumc for updates on the application cycle and other info sessions/events we're hosting. 

Heartland Pre-Med Webinar Series

Take an inside look at four of the leading osteopathic medical schools in the nation as A.T. Still University, Des Moines University, Kansas City University and Marian University partner to present this special webinar series for pre-med students.

Experts from each university will host in-depth discussions, provide valuable resources to help prepare you for the medical school application and interview process, and highlight the philosophies that make osteopathic medicine unique.

Registration is free but required. Space is limited.

Finding Clinical Experience During COVID NOV 11 from 3-4 p.m. (CST)

Join Darrin D’Agostino, DO, MPH, MBA, executive dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and vice provost for Health Affairs at Kansas City University, and Trish Sexton, DHEd, MS, FNAOME, Associate Dean for Curriculum and Professor Family Medicine Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, for a session on finding clinical experience to enhance your medical school applications. They will touch on creative ways to get experience during COVID when typical shadowing opportunities may be harder to find.

Register today!

Upcoming DO Medical School Events

Two Upcoming Choose DO Medical School Expos:

AACOM invites you and your students to meet with representatives from up to 37 medical schools from the comfort of your home on November 12 and/or December 10 from 12-6pm ET at our free Choose DO Medical School Virtual Expos.

• Watch live presentations and meet with medical school admissions representatives, faculty, and current students via online chat rooms
• Learn more about applying to medical school, the interview process, and life as a medical student
• Meet with AACOM representatives, med school admissions teams, current DO residents & physicians, and more
• Explore which medical school is right for you – zero travel required

November 12, 2020 from 12-6pm ET: Registration here. 
December 10, 2020 from 12-6pm ET: Registration here. 

ONE NATIONAL ACCEPTED STUDENTS DAY:

Your students did it! They compiled all of their application materials. Polished (and re-polished, and re-re-polished) their personal statements. They got through their interviews. And now they've been accepted into medical school, and they did it with your help through circumstances so unanticipated, you'll be telling stories about it for years to come.

We think that they deserve to be celebrated. And that's exactly what we want to do.

To honor their achievement, we've put together our first EVER national event to recognize their hard work and dedication. There will be guest speakers including NASA's Chief Medical Officer, a Q&A with some of our Deans, and an online social hour, where they can chat with some of our current students.

The event will be held Monday, November 30 from 2-6pm ET, and we'd love it if you and your students could attend. Registration is now open, and there's no fee to reserve your spot.

We want to celebrate your students achievements and personally connect with them. We are encouraging them to share their achievements on social by tagging us on Instagram @AACOM_DO and our event scrubs provider, @jaanuubydrneela. Use both #ChooseDO #JaanuuChallengeAccepted. Two lucky posts will win a free pair of scrubs from our event partners at Jaanuu! Winner will be announced live during the event, must be present to accept award.

*Please note, that while National Accepted Students Day is designed to celebrate the achievements of accepted students, we encourage advisors, friends, family, prospective students and current applicants alike to join us regardless of where they are in the application process. 

Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity Virtual Ally Workshop

This workshop is meant to help students understand the meaning of being an ally, as well as give them opportunities and tips on how to be a helpful and successful ally to the LGBTQ+ community on campus and beyond. 

Register now!

 7th Annual UC Davis One Health Symposium Registration

Join the UC Davis One Health Institute and the Students for One Health for a day of panel discussions about the future of food & One Health.

Nov 7, 2020 12:00 PM EST

Register now!

2020 Minority Student Medical Career Fair

Friday, November 20, 2020

The 2020 Minority Student Medical Career Fair is going virtual!

While we would love to meet you in-person, your health and safety is top priority for us. We are very excited to provide you with information on pathways to medicine from the comfort of your homes or wherever you decide to join us.
  
You might ask, what can we offer you virtually? Well, lots!!

We will have interactive workshops focused on crucial information for high school and college students including the Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®), the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®), Financial Information, Resources, Services, and Tools (FIRST), and other AAMC Services. Although not hands-on, you will still get an up-close look as our medical schools demonstrate techniques such at suturing.

Who should come? College and high school students, parents, pre-health advisors, school administrations, and other interested individuals are encouraged to attend. While the focus is on supporting individuals from diverse and underserved communities, we welcome participation of all high school and college students interested in medicine and the biomedical sciences.

Event highlights:

• Learn about Summer Health professions Education Program (SHPEP), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and other medical preparation resources and programs.
• Listen to panel discussions about the pathway to becoming a physician or medical researcher.
• Connect with diversity affairs, admissions, PHD and MD-PhD program directors or administrators from US medical schools along with other health professions school.
• View hands-on medical and health activities.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn first-hand about the journey to become a future physician or scientist. Watch this page for more information as it becomes available.

Please contact careerfair@aamc.org with questions. 

Register now. Hope to see you in November!

Now Available! New, Low-Cost AAMC MCAT Official Prep Products and Free Resources

AAMC just announced that new MCAT Official Prep products and updated free resources are now available!

Check here to learn more! 

 NJSSPA Pre-PA Virtual Shadowing and Telehealth Experience

Thu, Nov 5, 2020, 5 – 6 PM EST

With the help of our volunteer "patients," practicing PAs will conduct a virtual telehealth visit as they would with any patient. The PAs will not be prepped, therefore you will gain a real shadowing experience.

Register today!

University of Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Summer Field Program 2021 

Since 1947, the Summer Field Program has provided undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to gain hands-on field and laboratory experience from coastal-science courses focused on experiential learning.  Our courses are geared toward students in the natural/biological/marine/coastal sciences, but are open to students in any major.   

All Summer Field Program courses are offered through the USM Division of Coastal Sciences and are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.   

The current brochure featuring our summer 2021 course offerings can be found here: https://gcrl.usm.edu/summer_field/docs/2021%20SFP%20Brochure.web.pdf

Applications are currently being accepted for summer 2021.

HHD Alumni Society Career Program

Putting Your Best Virtual Foot Forward

Thursday, Nov 5, 7:00-8:30 p.m. EST

The College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society Board will host a program for current students and recent graduates to help them “put their best foot forward” in the virtual world. Connect and learn from a panel of HHD alumni, students, and faculty about the changing job market. Discussion topics will include the current job market, internships, and how to set yourself apart on digital platforms. All alumni, parents, and friends are welcome!
Learn More & Register

Temple University  School of Podiatric Medicine Internship Programs

Due to the ever-changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the TUSPM Winter Internship Program (WIP), scheduled for January 5-8, 2021, will be held virtually. 

TUSPM offers a free, four-day winter internship program (WIP) in January or an eight-day summer internship program (SIP) in June for undergraduate students. (brochure)

Interns attend workshops and seminars on podiatric medicine, as well as shadow and work with podiatric physicians in hospital, private practice, and outpatient clinic settings. A TUSPM student doctor will also work with interns on a case presentation.

Winter Internship Program
January 5-8, 2021 
Application deadline: November 24 , 2020

Summer Internship Program
June 11-18, 2021 
Application deadline: April 23, 2021

Paid Summer Health Internships - Application Deadline 12/13 

For over 30 years, HCC has inspired and empowered the next generation of diverse health professionals. Through their paid, 10 week, full-time internship program with leading health care and public health employers, interns are provided an educational stipend and have the unique opportunity to:

• Gain hands-on exposure and experience
• Strengthen their network
• Discover or affirm their health career direction
• Find mentors
• Develop professional skills
• Secure jobs (70% are offered a fulltime job or extended internship)
• Increase competitiveness for graduate education (Public Health, Medicine, Mental Health, and Business)

To ensure safe experiences for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, HCC works with host organizations to provide in person, hybrid, or virtual internships that comply with health regulations.

HCC is open to all undergraduate students and recent graduates. Students enrolled in graduate programs are not eligible to apply. HCC internships are open to all students and strongly encourage BIPOC students, first-generation students, and those from economically challenged and underserved backgrounds to apply.

To apply, student should submit their application and required materials by December 13, 2020.

Please help spread the word about HCC! HCC would be happy to offer a virtual information session for your students.

To learn more about HCC and our programs, please visit the HCC website. For additional information or to request an informational session for your students, please contact the National Placement Manager, Aileen Babadjanians, at ababadjanians@healthcareers.org

Health Professions Week

NOV 14-19, 2020

Health Professions Week (HPW2020) is a fun, weeklong event designed to lead you along a path to a healthcare profession. There are different events during HPW – so you can choose what content matters to you. A lot of HPW is on-demand on YouTube, so come back to learn more when you have new questions. 

And, we have prizes for those who participate. But, you can’t win if you aren’t registered. 

Register today so you can claim a prize! (Everyone should follow the Registration Link/Register as an Individual link on CareerEco)

Participating students can enter to win one of thirty gift cards valued at $100 each or one of eight Sallie Mae scholarships valued at $500 each. We also have 5 sets of Kaplan Subject Review Books to give away in November! It’s really simple to become eligible to win – log into the virtual fair on Thursday, November 19th from 3-8pm Eastern. Ask questions, get answers, and get rewarded!

Take our advice and make sure you are registered for the largest virtual career exploration event of its kind. “See” you at Health Professions Week, November 14-19, 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. 

NEXT WEEK:

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION    MONDAY, Noc 2 @ 6P  Zoom link Password: 449959

Level-UP: Demystifying the MCAT    WEDS, NOV 4 @ 12P  Zoom Link 

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!