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Introductory Issue March 2009
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Welcome to GATEWAY!
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Our goal is to provide you with resources as you navigate through college, health professional school, and
ultimately, into one of the many health professions.
Each month, you'll receive career and
college/professional school planning tips, advice, and tools that will be useful to you as you pursue a health career.
Congratulations to Franklin Diaz, a junior at UNC and member of NC-HCAP's Health Careers Club, for submitting the winning name for this publication. He was one of many club members who submitted entries in a 'name the newsletter' contest. He won a gift card to the Franklin Street eatery of his choice. Many thanks to all who entered.
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Motivational Minute
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 "It must be borne in mind that
the tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy of life lies in having no goal to
reach".
- Dr.Benjamin Mays
Minister, educator, scholar, social activist and former president of Morehouse College
Have you set goals? Sure, we know you want to pass those exams, maybe make the Dean's list, and get a degree. But do you have real goals for your life? Goals beyond college? This quote by Dr. Mays stresses the importance of having
goals in life. Even if you are unsure
how you will reach them, the first step is to have a vision of what
you want. Once you know that, you can easily plan a strategy to see those goals to fruition.
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Spotlight on Success
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JENNIFER THREATT: Once aspiring attorney now on track toward medical career Jennifer
Threatt is a communication studies major who grew up wanting to be a
lawyer. Somehow, the Charlotte native is now completing medical school
applications. She never seriously considered a medical career
until her junior year in high school when she participated in a program
offered by the Charlotte Area Health Education Center (AHEC) which
inspired her to pursue an internship with a local pediatrician, and
ultimately, changed her career aspirations. Once at UNC, Threatt
followed up on her interest in medicine and participated in NC-HCAP's
Science Enrichment Preparation (SEP) Program, which she says gave her
the confidence to tackle her medical ambitions. "If I had not
participated in SEP, I might not be on the [pre-med] track," said
Threatt. "I am advocating that program as much as possible." Looking
back on her college experiences, Threatt has great advice for students
considering a health career. She cautions that majoring in chemistry or
biology is not the only way to get to medical school, and that students
need to find a major they truly enjoy. She also suggests taking
advantage of all resources available to students.
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From the director
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 We are excited to provide this e-newsletter as a resource
for you and to those individuals assisting you with your career
preparation. There can never be too many people helping you navigate the path
to a successful future. Each month, we hope to provide
valuable information and resources, and we encourage you to take advantage of
every opportunity that comes your way.
Patrena N. Benton, Ph.D.
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About NC-HCAP
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The North Carolina Health Careers Access Program
(NC-HCAP) is located at
UNC-Chapel Hill. Additional campus-based centers are located at Elizabeth City State University, North Carolina Central University, and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Established in 1971 by Dr. Cecil G. Sheps, we work to increase the number of underrepresented minorities or
economically and/or educationally disadvantaged students who are
educated, trained and employed in the health professions.
For
more than 35 years, we have provided thousands of students with a
variety of programs and activities to raise their awareness of
opportunities available within the health professions and to increase
their competitiveness as a health professional school applicant.
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Contact us
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Do you have a career planning question you'd like to ask? We're always here to assist you.
Simply contact us at:
(919) 966-2264
nchcap@unc.edu
http://nchcap.unc.edu
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Strategies for Success
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 Those risqué stories and crazy party pictures you posted on
Facebook and MySpace are just harmless fun.
Right?
Nobody, other than your friends, will ever see them.
Right?
RIGHT?? Well, not necessarily. What you
post on-line CAN come back to haunt you.
College Admissions Officers Using Facebook, MySpace, and Other Social
Networking Sites to Block Students
By: Steven Rothberg
A recent study by the University
of Massachusetts Dartmouth
found that 25 percent of college admissions offices admit to using search
engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN to research potential students and that
20 percent look for the same information on social networking sites such as
Facebook and MySpace.
A study of 453 private and public colleges and universities in 49 states found
that the college admissions officers were very familiar with technology such as
social networking sites, blogs, and message boards. In fact, the study revealed
that the admissions personnel were more comfortable with these new media than
their corporate recruiting counterparts. "Students need to understand that
their social network sites are being examined by colleges and
universities," said Nora Barnes, a professor in UMass Dartmouth's Charlton
College of Business and one of the researchers for the study. "The content
of their sites could have far-reaching effects on their academic futures if
they are not careful."
So how are college admissions officers using the information they uncover when
they search MySpace, Facebook, and other Web pages? It is unlikely that
colleges are using these sites to research every applicant or even all those
they intend to admit. But in any recruiting process, there are going to be
candidates who definitely will be accepted, others who definitely will be
rejected, and then a big chunk who fall into a grey zone. It is likely these
candidates in the grey zone who will benefit or suffer the most from their
digital dirt.
If a college is choosing between two equally qualified candidates and one has a
blog that contains thoughtful information about topics related to his career
path while the other has a MySpace page that has photos and other information
about how he enjoys getting drunk, it is only logical that the college or
employer will choose the blogger as that candidate has exhibited better judgment
and has built for himself a positive on-line brand.
-- Steven Rothberg is the President and Founder of CollegeRecruiter.com,
and is an avid proponent of Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites
and can be reached at www.facebook.com/steven_rothberg.
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Career Resources
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Financial Aid
 Your department head and university financial aid officers are good sources
of information about scholarships and student loan information available to you. But it doesn't hurt to do a little searching outside of them.
There is no one central clearinghouse of all
the legitimate graduate scholarships and fellowships, but here are a few you might find helpful.
FastWeb - scholarships based on number of criteria including financial need, merit, and chosen
field
ScholarSite.com - search for scholastic financial aid quickly and accurately,
without losing time and privacy by entering personal information
Health Resources and Services
Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services - provides
national leadership, program resources and services needed to improve access to
culturally competent, quality health care. For loan information, visit Health Professions Student Loans, Primary Care Loans and Nursing Student Loans
National Health Service Corps Scholarships, United States Department of Health and Human Services Scholarships - a competitive scholarship program designed for students committed to providing
primary health care in communities of greatest need
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Meet Paula Borden
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 Ms. Borden
is NC-HCAP's associate
director/college outreach coordinator. She oversees the
day-to-day operations of the office as well as plans, develops and
implements college outreach initiatives, with particular
emphasis on the Science Enrichment Preparation (SEP) Program. She also serves
as the advisor for the NC-HCAP Health Careers Club.
Ms. Borden received her B.S. degree in communications studies from Wingate University
and earned an M.A. in counselor education from North Carolina Central University.
She is a member of the American Counseling Association, the North Carolina
Counseling Association, and the National Association of Medical Minority
Educators, Inc.
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