SMDEP 2015 !

[twill132]

I was wondering what sites everyone is applying to!
I've applied to UCLA, Yale, and Louisville (UCLA Is my top choice)
My app was completed 12/19.
Yale updated my status to "Application in review"

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[Lynnkay66]

Louisville, Columbia and Duke... Just turned in my app on jan 2nd.. still need to send my transcript and Lor(s)

 

[__dxj__]

UCLA, Columbia, and Rutgers

 

[repenicedem]

Ucla,Yale,Columbia. Completed12/15.

 

[Anesdentjosh11236]

Columbia, Rutgers, and Washington
Good luck !

 

[Elizabeth Woolridge]

I did SMDEP in Louisville this summer 2014. It was amazing. !!! Good luck!

 

[deleted577188]

Hey, so I am applying as well and I had one question for those of you who may have completed the application.

How many experiences do you all have? I literally only have one that may not even hold that much weight.

The bottom line is that I'm a second semester sophomore and just now getting very serious about this whole pre-med thing so as a result my grades have gotten much better, but I have not done any EC's. I am going to start volunteering as soon as I am placed at one of our local hospitals, I hope to shadow soon also, and I'm also looking for research. Because I haven't actually done any of these things yet, my app is weak in the experiences area.

Thanks for y'all's advice.

 

[the garbageman]

I applied to Louisville, Case, and Nebraska. App was completed 12/24 and is now in review for Louisville.

Hey, so I am applying as well and I had one question for those of you who may have completed the application.

How many experiences do you all have? I literally only have one that may not even hold that much weight.

The bottom line is that I'm a second semester sophomore and just now getting very serious about this whole pre-med thing so as a result my grades have gotten much better, but I have not done any EC's. I am going to start volunteering as soon as I am placed at one of our local hospitals, I hope to shadow soon also, and I'm also looking for research. Because I haven't actually done any of these things yet, my app is weak in the experiences area.

Thanks for y'all's advice.

As a freshman I don't really have any significant experience either. Just a few leadership positions in clubs, but nothing clinical like shadowing or volunteering. I've heard that depending on what sites you apply to it isn't that big of a deal, because the goal of the program is to get you more experience.

 

[nancy18]

Columbia, Rutgers, and Washington
Good luck !

do you have your rutgers application in review yet? my application was completed but rutgers has still dashes next to it.

 

[Anesdentjosh11236]

do you have your rutgers application in review yet? my application was completed but rutgers has still dashes next to it.

Yup ! I didn't hear back from UOW

 

[Bada Ba Baba]

Hey, guys I was just like most of you on here in 2013! I was admitted to UCLA with a 2.7 GPA for the SMDEP program and I had an amazing experience there! Definitely a good program and lots of fun in between it! If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask!

 

[repenicedem]

Hey, guys I was just like most of you on here in 2013! I was admitted to UCLA with a 2.7 GPA for the SMDEP program and I had an amazing experience there! Definitely a good program and lots of fun in between it! If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask!

What kind of things did you do in the ucla program? I know every site is different and I was just wondering what a normal day was like. I know ucla doesn't have clinicals

 

[reveriex5]

Ahh, I've posted in the wrong thread. Please disregard.

 

[Bada Ba Baba]

What kind of things did you do in the ucla program? I know every site is different and I was just wondering what a normal day was like. I know ucla doesn't have clinicals

Okay, so a typical day at the program consisted of me looking at a calendar that was given to me by the program that had everything lined up for the week. I would wake up, check the calendar, shower and head right around the corner (about a two minute walk) to grab some breakfast at the dining hall! I would almost stuff myself because I knew I would need the energy to walk to the medical school. The dorms you stay in are about a mile away from the actual medical school so you will definitely have stronger calfs by the end of the program.

Once you get to the medical school, your day will always start off with reading hour (unless otherwise stated) because they want you to improve your reading and verbal portion of the MCAT (on the second or third day you take the verbal portion of the MCAT). The verbal portion, for some reason, kills a lot of hopeful medical school applicants scores! You will be surprised at what score you get as well, for the first time, but thanks to the daily reading hour, your score will boost! (You take the test a second time at the end of the program).

Anyway, after reading hour, the day can go in any direction, it just depends on what is on the schedule. On some days, you have PBL (my favorite part) and others you have to go to different seminars and talks about getting into medical school, how to pay for it, learn 'secrets' about the admissions process and other topics related to different specialties in the medicine. The cool part about these talks was that we had people come from all over the U.S. (Vegas, etc.) who specialized in each and every topic you learn about! Sometimes, the dean of admissions will be at these talks, so make sure you are always behaving yourself! He may pop up when you least expect it, lol.

PBL is fun because you are assigned to a group and either a medical school faculty or recent graduate who runs the group you've been assigned to. Either way, they are affiliated with UCLA. You take a different approach to learning medicine in these PBL cases: you are handed a packet that describes a patient who comes in with symptoms and it is your ultimate responsibility as a group to make a diagnosis and figure out what is wrong with the patient. In between the diagnosing, you will experience ethical and moral decisions that will inhibit you from giving your patient the best care. The set it up in a way so you can experience what it is really like being a physician. And after PBL is over, you have to go to your dorm (well, not necessarily) and work on a one page paper (minimum) outlining a specific part of the case, and bring it in the next week to discuss with your team members. This is how doctors work!

There is a load of academic work going on, especially towards the end of the program. You will be linked up with one of the PRIME students (research PRIME if you don't know what this is) that sort of guide you and your group in the right direction and making sure it focuses on serving and coming up with an initiative to provide better health care to an underserved population. It works out perfectly because the PRIME students have to do the same thing as you guys, except they have to physically go out and execute their plan. For example, if our group wanted to provide dental check ups to those in a particular area, we would write a paper on it and how we would execute the plan while the PRIME students will write the paper and PHYSICALLY go out and execute that plan and then present their results to the faculty. Both PRIME and SMDEP students will have to present this information on the week of culmination--everyone will be there, including the dean so work hard on this presentation.

Other academic work will include preparing for a class (particularly science or math) that you will be taking the following fall semester. The program is all about enriching you as both a student and a professional!

However, there is fun! The program at UCLA will treat you like an adult. There are no curfews, so you can go out and party if you'd like but it will be your ultimate responsibility to make it to class the next morning--days start at 8 AM.

The city that UCLA is surrounded by is full of fancy cars and restaurants, but you will definitely break away from that atmosphere because you will take trips and provide health care assistance to an underserved population.

Overall, I loved the program and everything I have learned. I will never forget the many lessons and opportunities it has provided me with! If anyone gets accepted to UCLA, take it!

P.S- I don't believe me being an URM had anything to do with my decisions and I don't want anyone to think, "He had a low GPA, so that means I have a better chance." You don't! More than three fourths of the program was filled with URM students that had stellar GPA's. I remember this one guy showing me his transcripts, all A's! We did not get accepted because they felt sorry for us, it was because we best fit the mission of the program. This does not mean you have to be from an underserved area, but at least show some sort of interest in it! GPA is not everything.

 

[repenicedem]

Okay, so a typical day at the program consisted of me looking at a calendar that was given to me by the program that had everything lined up for the week. I would wake up, check the calendar, shower and head right around the corner (about a two minute walk) to grab some breakfast at the dining hall! I would almost stuff myself because I knew I would need the energy to walk to the medical school. The dorms you stay in are about a mile away from the actual medical school so you will definitely have stronger calfs by the end of the program.

Once you get to the medical school, your day will always start off with reading hour (unless otherwise stated) because they want you to improve your reading and verbal portion of the MCAT (on the second or third day you take the verbal portion of the MCAT). The verbal portion, for some reason, kills a lot of hopeful medical school applicants scores! You will be surprised at what score you get as well, for the first time, but thanks to the daily reading hour, your score will boost! (You take the test a second time at the end of the program).

Anyway, after reading hour, the day can go in any direction, it just depends on what is on the schedule. On some days, you have PBL (my favorite part) and others you have to go to different seminars and talks about getting into medical school, how to pay for it, learn 'secrets' about the admissions process and other topics related to different specialties in the medicine. The cool part about these talks was that we had people come from all over the U.S. (Vegas, etc.) who specialized in each and every topic you learn about! Sometimes, the dean of admissions will be at these talks, so make sure you are always behaving yourself! He may pop up when you least expect it, lol.

PBL is fun because you are assigned to a group and either a medical school faculty or recent graduate who runs the group you've been assigned to. Either way, they are affiliated with UCLA. You take a different approach to learning medicine in these PBL cases: you are handed a packet that describes a patient who comes in with symptoms and it is your ultimate responsibility as a group to make a diagnosis and figure out what is wrong with the patient. In between the diagnosing, you will experience ethical and moral decisions that will inhibit you from giving your patient the best care. The set it up in a way so you can experience what it is really like being a physician. And after PBL is over, you have to go to your dorm (well, not necessarily) and work on a one page paper (minimum) outlining a specific part of the case, and bring it in the next week to discuss with your team members. This is how doctors work!

There is a load of academic work going on, especially towards the end of the program. You will be linked up with one of the PRIME students (research PRIME if you don't know what this is) that sort of guide you and your group in the right direction and making sure it focuses on serving and coming up with an initiative to provide better health care to an underserved population. It works out perfectly because the PRIME students have to do the same thing as you guys, except they have to physically go out and execute their plan. For example, if our group wanted to provide dental check ups to those in a particular area, we would write a paper on it and how we would execute the plan while the PRIME students will write the paper and PHYSICALLY go out and execute that plan and then present their results to the faculty. Both PRIME and SMDEP students will have to present this information on the week of culmination--everyone will be there, including the dean so work hard on this presentation.

Other academic work will include preparing for a class (particularly science or math) that you will be taking the following fall semester. The program is all about enriching you as both a student and a professional!

However, there is fun! The program at UCLA will treat you like an adult. There are no curfews, so you can go out and party if you'd like but it will be your ultimate responsibility to make it to class the next morning--days start at 8 AM.

The city that UCLA is surrounded by is full of fancy cars and restaurants, but you will definitely break away from that atmosphere because you will take trips and provide health care assistance to an underserved population.

Overall, I loved the program and everything I have learned. I will never forget the many lessons and opportunities it has provided me with! If anyone gets accepted to UCLA, take it!

P.S- I don't believe me being an URM had anything to do with my decisions and I don't want anyone to think, "He had a low GPA, so that means I have a better chance." You don't! More than three fourths of the program was filled with URM students that had stellar GPA's. I remember this one guy showing me his transcripts, all A's! We did not get accepted because they felt sorry for us, it was because we best fit the mission of the program. This does not mean you have to be from an underserved area, but at least show some sort of interest in it! GPA is not everything.

Wow thank you so much for such a detailed account of your experience. Definitely sheds some light on the ucla site and makes me look forward to it even more if I get in.

 

[Ethomas211]

I just recently applied to yale, case, and UVA. What do you guys think my chances will be seeing as I just applied literally today?

 

[repenicedem]

I just recently applied to yale, case, and UVA. What do you guys think my chances will be seeing as I just applied literally today?

Lol we're not even sure of our own chances but since it's still early you should hopefully get into atleast one of those.

 

[slayyytherin]

Hey! My professor looked up the SMDEP site & mailed in my letter of recommendation instead of emailing or faxing them. Is that going to be a problem?

 

[thedrjojo]

I did smdep in 2004 at Rutgers(then UMDNJ), and taught at it in 2007 in between MS1 and MS2. Also met my wife there. Definitely a great experience. Best of luck

 

[Elizabeth Woolridge]

Hey! My professor looked up the SMDEP site & mailed in my letter of recommendation instead of emailing or faxing them. Is that going to be a problem?

I don't think so, but mailing something is more trouble and it would have been faster to fax or email it. It might just take a while for it to get there but that's it

 

[inchant]

.