S UMMER RESEARCH PROGRAMS MD/MBA STUDENT REPORT R ASHMI SREENIVAS INSIDE THIS ISSUE SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST. MD/MBA Student

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1 INSIDE THIS ISSUE MD/MBA Student 1 Report Summer Research 1 Programs MPH Bound 2 PHC Students Head to 2 Medical School PHC Applicants PHC 2006 Prospects 3-4 New UTPA Course 5 MCAT Preparation 6 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST Interviews for 2006 PHC entering freshmen will be held Friday, March 10, in Houston The 2006 applicants who were selected for interviews will travel to Houston on Friday, March 10. Congratulations to Nicolas Guerra (UTPA 02) and his wife, Katie, who gave birth to a baby boy on December 15, 2005! Congratulations to Angela Partida (UTPA 99/BCM 03), who will be Co-Chief Resident of the BCM Psychiatry Residency program for ! Volume 5, Issue 6 January/February 2006 MD/MBA STUDENT REPORT R ASHMI SREENIVAS Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) offers a joint MD/MBA program with the Jones School of Management at Rice University (Rice). Applications are accepted until the fall semester of the second year at BCM. MCAT scores replace GMAT scores. Rice will not accept any student that receives below a Pass in any BCM class. Once the application is submitted, the Jones School of Management will contact the student for an interview. The MD/MBA program takes five years to complete. The program structure is as follows. 1.5 years: Basic Sciences - BCM 0.5 years: Clinical Rotations - BCM 1.5 years: Business School - Rice 1.5 years: Clinical Rotations - BCM In business school, students attend all core classes and have options to take electives. There is a healthcare course that lasts throughout the first year s Spring semester and the second year s Fall semester. This is one of the main benefits of the MD/ MBA program because it allows students to understand the business perspective of healthcare. Students are encouraged to take their Step 1 Board Exam before entering business school because the knowledge from basic sciences and rotations is still fresh. Students also may choose to take the Step 1 Board Exam during summer break or winter break in business school. A summer internship during business school is required and credits will be accepted by both Rice and BCM. Students usually intern in healthcare/biomedical research and development, marketing, or health care policy work (just to name a few options). Finally, students receive their MBA degree after they have completed their MD at BCM. Rashmi Sreenivas is a third year medical student at BCM and has completed one semester of business school at Rice. Acquiring an MD/MBA in the past was not necessarily seen as needed. Recently, this trend has changed, and receiving an MD/ MBA degree has become more of an asset to physicians. Rashmi feels this is due to the increasing involvement of business in healthcare. The knowledge obtained via business school will allow physicians to have more control of their practice. Business school is a nice break from rotations because students Continued on page 5. S UMMER RESEARCH PROGRAMS Match day is March 16. On this day, 4th-Year medical students will find out where they will be going for their residency this year. PHC students are encouraged to utilize their summers to do research, gain clinical experience, and participate in enrichment programs. Although UTPA has summer research opportunities, students will benefit by visiting other labs and improving research skills to enhance their resume. SMART (BCM) The Summer Medical and Research Training (SMART) program runs from May 29 to July 28 in Houston. It offers nine weeks of paid research experience with Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) faculty. This program is geared toward students who are PhD or MD/ PhD oriented. SMART also offers other opportunities, such as a chance to shadow a physician at BCM, or to volunteer during the summer at Texas Children s Hospital. Students will be housed in dorms at Rice University. The stipend provided to each student for nine weeks of research is $4,000. Criteria for applicants include at least a 3.0 GPA, enrollment in a university, and letters of recommendation. Previous research experience is not required except for first year students. More information can be found on the SMART Web site. Continued on page 5.

2 PHC-UTPA S TUDENT IN MPH PROG Joey Nichols accepted into UT-Houston s MPH program. Joey Nichols, a graduating junior, will spend next year in Houston doing work on a Masters of Public Health degree at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health. Joey chose to utilize his senior year for graduate work because public health always has been a passion he has wanted to pursue. Though he knows it will be difficult to balance this work with medical school, he plans to graduate simultaneously from both BCM and the UTHSC program in June PHC STUDENTS H EADING TO B AYLOR Eleven of the 12 Premedical Honors College (PHC) students who will be graduating from UTPA in May 2006 have been accepted to medical school. The twelfth is on an alternate list with UT-Medical Branch in Galveston. The 11 students who have been accepted are all planning to attend Baylor College of Medicine for their medical education. PHC APPLICANTS 2006: PROCESS AND SELECTIONS Dr. Lloyd Michael, Senior Associate Dean of Medical Education, Dr. William Thomson, Director of the Center for Educational Outreach, Ms. Pam Ferry, Center for Educational Outreach, and Dr. Cindy Wedig, Program Coordinator at UTPA, met in Houston to review applications to the PHC. Dr. Grace Villarreal, Assistant Dean for Admissions was out of town at the time, but assisted in the selection process through a conference call. There were a total of 144 applicants from 43 different South Texas high schools. Thirty students from 21 high schools were selected to interview on Friday, March 10. The selection committee looked at high school grades, SAT scores, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and the personal essays in making their decisions about whom to interview. Volunteer experience is critical in order for a student to be competitive in the selection process. Involvement in community service activities is a strong indicator that a student will return to South Texas as a physician. Thus, the committee looks for evidence of community service in the applicant s essays, extracurricular activities and letters of recommendation. Since applicants to the PHC are committing to an eightyear educational pathway to medicine, it is also important for applicants to have exposure to healthcare and clinical settings and to demonstrate an understanding of the medical profession. SAT scores are only one of several criteria used in the selection process. Since the SAT was restructured in 2005, the selection committee primarily used the critical reading and math scores in evaluating applicants. High school GPA and science GPA, as well as the overall number of math and science credits are also important selection factors. Data comparing applicants and interviewees can be found in the table below. The profiles of the students being interviewed follow, and can provide an idea of some of the criteria used in the selection process. See pages 3-4 for information about individual Interviewees. Applicants and Interviewees A Comparison All Applicants Interviewees Number Average SAT Critical Reading Average SAT Math Average SAT Writing Average Overall GPA Average Science GPA Average Years of High School Science Average Years of High School Math Average Class Rank Top 3% Top 3% January/February 2006, Page 2

3 PHC 2006 PROSPECTS Amador Alcides attends Sharyland High School and is ranked number 7 in a class of 457 students. Amador has completed 28 college hours through concurrent enrollment and advanced placement (AP), and has obtained clinical exposure through participation in Med Ed. Selene Castillo is enrolled in Rivera High School in Brownsville, Texas. She is ranked number 6 in a class of 454 students. Selene participates in the Upward Bound program and Med Ed, and has a variety of volunteer experiences in clinical settings. Jannine Chan attends Alexander High School in Laredo and is ranked second in a class of 534 students. Jannine has obtained clinical experience as a member of Med Ed, and through participation in DocPrep. She speaks three languages. Christopher De Ochoa attends Los Fresnos High School and is ranked number 6 in a class of 427 students. Christopher has wanted to be a doctor since he was in first grade. Karen DeSouza will graduate from the Science Academy in May. By then, Karen will have earned six years of math and seven years of science credit as part of her curriculum. Many of these classes are AP courses, for which Karen may receive college credit. Aaron Flores attends the Science Academy in Mercedes, Texas, and is ranked number 8 in a highly competitive class of 125 students. Aaron wants to become a surgeon. January/February 2006, page 3 Bernardo Garcia attends South Professions and has maintained a perfect attendance record during that time. Bernardo participated in the DocPrep program following his junior year of high school. He speaks both Spanish and English. Maria Gomez attends Cigarroa High School in Laredo and is ranked third in a class of 320 students. Maria has earned 18 college hours through AP and concurrent enrollment, and has volunteer experience at Laredo Medical Center. Camilo Gonzalez will graduate from South Texas High School for Health Professions in May. He is a certified nursing assistant and also works as a Medline Plus tutor. Camilo attended DocPrep, and speaks both Spanish and English. Reem Husein is enrolled at Calallen High School in Corpus Christi and is ranked number 11 in a class of 313 students. Reem currently is enrolled in emergency medical technician certification classes. She volunteers at Christus Spohn Hospital, and hopes to become an emergency room physician. Reem speaks English and Arabic. Ayesha Jain attends Mary Carroll High School in Corpus Christi and is ranked number 13 in a class of 471 students. Ayesha is an AP Scholar and has successfully passed at least three AP exams. She volunteers at Driscoll Children s Hospital. Andrea Kall is ranked first in a class of 118 students at South Professions and participates in Med Ed. Andrea attended DocPrep following her junior year of high school. Raul Madrigal will be graduating from Alexander High School in Laredo and participates in the medical magnet program. Raul received his Texas Radiology Certification and also is certified in CPR. He speaks both English and Spanish fluently. Neeraj Mangla attends Mary Carroll High School in Corpus Christi and is ranked number 5 in a class of 471 students. Neeraj will have completed eight high school science credits and six high school math credits by the time he graduates. In addition, he has 27 college hours earned through AP examination and concurrent enrollment. Evan Perez will graduate from Edinburg High School in May and is ranked number 10 in a class of 532 students. Evan has maintained perfect attendance since first grade. He has earned 24 college hours through concurrent enrollment, and has taken a number of AP courses as part of his curriculum. Miriam Renteria is enrolled at W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi and is ranked number 8 in a class of 467 students. Miriam has earned college hours as an AP Scholar and has passed at least three AP exams. She is fluent in Spanish, English and French. Continued on page 4.

4 PHC 2006 PROSPECTS Continued from page 3. Richard Reyna is enrolled in Mission High School and is ranked number 6 in a class of 361 seniors. Richard participates in Med Ed and volunteers at a local hospital. Lorena Reyna attends South Professions and is interested in cardiology and cell/molecular research. Lorena has earned college hours as an AP Scholar and has passed three AP exams. She participated in DocPrep following her junior year of high school. Carlos Rivera attends South Professions and is ranked second in a class of 118 students. Carlos participated in DocPrep following his junior year of high school. He is bilingual. Alana Rodriguez is enrolled in the medical magnet program at Moody High School in Corpus Christi and is ranked first in a class of 400 students. Alana is a hospital volunteer, has participated in DocPrep, and is training to become a certified emergency medical technician. Samantha Saldaña attends Rio Hondo High School and is ranked first in a class of 153 students. Samantha volunteers at Valley Baptist Medical Center and wants to be a pediatric oncologist. Selina Samano attends Hidalgo High School, is ranked first in a class of 152 students, and has earned 25 concurrent enrollment and AP hours. Selina first knew she wanted to be a doctor in 5th grade, when she was featured on a television show, Kids You Should Know. Melissa Sanchez attends Pharr- San Juan-Alamo High School and is ranked number 7 in a class of 520 students. Melissa has earned 33 college hours through AP and concurrent enrollment program. She belongs to the Premed Society at her school. Vanessa Sanchez is enrolled in Economedes High School in Edinburg and is ranked second in a class of 462 students. Vanessa has earned 18 concurrent enrollment hours and is a participant in Med Ed. She spent her summer hours volunteering at a local emergency room. Jennifer Sibley attends McAllen High School and is ranked number 13 in a class of 382 students. Jennifer has volunteer experience at Briarcliff Nursing home and participates in Med Ed. She is proficient in American Sign Language. Amy Skaria attends McAllen Memorial High School and is ranked number 4 in a class of 449 students. Amy has earned 27 college hours through concurrent enrollment and AP examination. She participates in Med Ed and speaks two languages Nidia Sobrevilla is enrolled at Sharyland High School and is ranked number 4 in a class of 457 students. Nidia is an AP Scholar and has earned 36 college hours through AP examination and concurrent enrollment courses. Nidia is bilingual. Kiran Sreenivas will graduate from Harlingen South High School in May and is ranked number 4 in a class of 393 students. Kiran volunteers at Valley Baptist Medical Center. Rosannah Velasquez attended high school at McAllen Memorial for two years and currently is completing her high school education through the International Baccaleureate (IB) program in McAllen. Rosannah is ranked number 6 in a class of 449 students and will earn college hours from many of her IB courses. She participates in the Med Ed program and is bilingual. Hanyong Yi is a student at South Professions. He elected to attend the magnet school and forego band and athletics for a college preparatory curriculum that emphasizes careers in medicine. Hanyong attended DocPrep following his junior year of high school. In addition to clinical rotations, Hanyong volunteers at a local hospital. He is fluent in Korean and English. January/February 2006, page 4

5 S UMMER RESEARCH P ROGRAMS N EW PROBLEM BASED L EARNING COURSE AT UTPA Continued from page 1. SURF (UT-SW) The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program runs from June 5 to August 11, 2006 at The University of Texas-Southwestern (UT-SW) in Dallas/Fort Worth. It lasts for 10 weeks, during which time students get a chance to do research in the laboratories of UT-SW Graduate School faculty members. The research will introduce students to the sorts of investigations they might encounter as a postgraduate. The SURF program is geared toward students interested in pursuing a PhD. Some areas in which students may get a chance to conduct research are biophysics, cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, chemistry, and neuroscience. All student participants will receive a $3,500 stipend for the 10 weeks they are in the program. If the student requires SURF housing, the stipend will be raised to $4,750. To be eligible, applicants must be majoring in a natural science degree program and must have completed their sophomore year. More information about this program can be found at the program s Web site. www8.utsouthwestern.edu/ utsw/home/education/surf/ QP-SURF (UT-SW) The Quantitative and Physical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (QP- SURF) program at UT-SW runs from June 5 to August 11, It is available to applicants who have completed their sophomore year of college and are majoring in physics, computer science, math, or chemistry. Accepted students will receive a stipend of $4,750. Criteria used in selection of the participants will be college grades, relevant research experiences, official transcripts, and letters of recommendation. More information can be found at the program Web site. www8.utsouthwestern.edu/ utsw/cda/dept21010/ files/ html SURF (SUNY) The State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, College of Graduate Studies is offering fellowships for its 2006 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program. The aim of the SURF program is to expose undergraduate students to biomedical research. In an intensive ten-week summer program, participants formulate their own proposals, carry out research under the supervision of a faculty member, write a research paper and have the opportunity to see their work published. In the process, students will attend research seminars and participate in discussions on alternative careers in research and how to apply to graduate school. Students are given ample opportunities to interact directly with many of the faculty and graduate students. The program will be held from Monday, June 5, 2006 through Friday, August 11, Each fellow will be provided a $3,000 stipend for the period, plus housing in Clark Tower, the residence hall. Applicants should be undergraduate students in good academic standing, who will be between their junior and senior years during the summer of 2006, and are majors in chemistry, biology, or a related field. Applicants must have a strong interest in pursuing a PhD degree in biomedical investigative research. grad/summer.shtml Five PHC students are getting a taste of medical school. They are enrolled in the Inquiry Based Science course facilitated by Dr. Wedig. The course is analogous to the problem based learning course that first year medical students must take at BCM. Students receive a case study and attempt to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. They also seek to understand social issues governing the case, as well as how real world factors (such as insurance coverage) affect the case. Unlike most upper-level classes, this one does not have a textbook that determines how information is presented. Instead, after reading the case study, the class determines what they need to learn in order to understand the information presented and develop a presentation to teach their fellow classmates about the topic. After the case has been thoroughly explored, a medical student, doctor, or other qualified individual meets with the students to answer any questions about the case and have a chance to explore different subjects and meet new people with various backgrounds. Unlike the hierarchal structure of rotations, self-managed teamwork is emphasized. Rashmi decided to pursue an MBA while she was still a medical student because she felt she could capitalize on integrating her knowledge from both a medicine and business background at an early stage in her career. Once graduates begin practicing medicine, it is difficult to go back to school. Pat Wawroski, 4th-Year medical student, worked with UTPA s Inquiry-Based Science participants. provide information about his or her experiences. In the first case study, 4th-year medical student Patricia Wawroski met with students and taught them how to read EKGs and how to diagnosis long-term cyanosis. She also answered questions about medical school and applying for residency. MD/MBA STUDENT REPORT... Continued from page 1. Previously, Rice allowed only a certain number of seats for joint program students. Competition for the the program is increasing each year due to the acknowledgment of the importance of business within the healthcare industry and the conflicts arising between physicians and administrators. Rashmi believes the MD/MBA degree combination will be an asset for the future. If you are interested or have questions about the joint MD/MBA program, contact Melody Miller-Wasik at: [email protected] January/February 2006, page 5

6 PHC MCAT Preparation PREMEDICAL HONORS COLLEGE The University of Texas- Pan American (UTPA) SCIE University Drive Edinburg, TX (tel) (fax) y/baylor.html Baylor College of Medicine (tel) (fax) On Wednesday, January 11th, Kaplan administered a diagnostic exam to establish a baseline score for PHC students preparing for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). The MCAT is taken by thousands of premedical students every year. Currently, the exam is administered twice a year, and UTPA offers review sessions in the spring and the summer. The Kaplan program at UTPA consists of 19 lecture meetings and five full-length simulation exams. Students who are accepted to the review program also have access to materials from the test maker (the Association of American Medical Colleges) at the UTPA library. After two lessons, I think Kaplan is a very rigorous and challenging preparatory course that I believe will more than prepare me to take the MCAT in April, says PHC Junior Elvis Cavazos. Kaplan prepares more than half of all students who apply to medical school. Seventy-nine percent of people in medical school took a Kaplan preparatory course. The course has been offered to UTPA students for six years. Students taking the MCAT should study diligently for the eight-hour exam. I made a daily study plan, mapping out exactly what I need to be doing each day to keep up PHC Juniors smile during a quick break in the diagnostic MCAT. with the Kaplan program. Because we are still reviewing basic content, my study plan is at least 20 hours per week for now. The weekly schedule should lighten up as the MCAT approaches and we start to take practice exams, says Joey Nichols. Good luck to all participants! LIDERAZGO UTPA EDITORIAL STAFF Cindy Martinez Wedig, PhD [email protected] Rebeca Cavazos Erika B. Garcia BCM PRODUCTION STAFF Elizabeth Lopez Martha S. Young