April 2009                                                                                                  Volume 1, Issue 2
Welcome to GATEWAY!

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.
Motivational Minute

"I want to make it clear that having been born on the wrong side of the tracks does not mean that birthplace has to remain a permanent address.  It is not where we have come from but where we are going....An individual must believe in himself and his abilities. To do his best, one needs a confidence that says 'I can do anything and if I can't do it, I know how to get help'."
- Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Sr.
Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery
Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Craniofacial Center
Professor of Neurological Surgery, Oncology, Plastic Surgery and Pediatrics
Johns Hopkins Hospital
 
 
Dr. Carson grew up in the inner city of Detroit in the 1950s and is the first to admit that "school was a rock-bottom priority." In the fifth grade, he held the title of "worst student," but Sonya, his single mother, knew he had greater potential. She limited television watching to three shows per week and required both of her sons to read two books each week and report on what they learned.

Carson rose from the bottom of his class in the fifth grade to the top of his class in the seventh grade -- and to one of America's most respected doctors. A 1973 Yale University graduate, Carson went on to earn his M.D. degree from the University of Michigan School of Medicine in 1977. He returned to Johns Hopkins Hospital, the site of his surgical residency, in 1984 and soon became director of pediatric neurosurgery there -- the youngest in the country, at age 33. In 1986, Carson became the first neurosurgeon to perform surgery on a twin while both infants were still in the womb. And in 1987, he was catapulted into the international spotlight with the first-ever successful separation of Siamese twins from Germany.
 
These quotes by Dr. Carson point out that you are not defined by your environment, but where you plan to go. Along your journey, you must believe in yourself and your ability to overcome challenges.
 
Whether you are at your peak or your valley, let NC-HCAP assist you in accomplishing your goals. 
 
Dr. Carson was NC-HCAP's Inspirational Speakers in Science (ISIS) lecturer in 1995.

To learn more about Dr. Carson, visit his Web site or watch an excerpt of the Ben Carson story on YouTube.

Source: NC-HCAP Access newsletter, Spring 1995; the official Web site of Dr. Ben Carson.
In This Issue
Motivational Minute
Strategies for Success
Career Resources
Join our Mailing List!
About NC-HCAP
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.
Contact us
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
Spotlight on Success
Student Spotlight: Javier Luzon
 
"I want to become a physician," declared Javier Luzon, a senior biology major at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  "Eventually, a surgeon.  After learning more about myself [from] the many experiences life has given me, I realize that my assets [will make me] very useful in the health field."
          
For Luzon, one of these experiences was the Science Enrichment Preparation program (SEP), the premier summer program offered by the North Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NC-HCAP).
           
Luzon had never even heard of SEP until he attended an information session held at his university, UNC-Greensboro.  At the event, Luzon listened to former SEP scholars talk about their experiences. 
          
 What he learned about the SEP program left quite an impression. 
          
 "As I was talking with a former chemistry professor, I found out that she had previously been an SEP instructor.  She told me about all the benefits that this program could give me academically and personally, [so] I decided to apply," said Luzon.
          
 Each summer, sophomores and juniors from colleges and universities around the  Southeast come to UNC for an intensive, eight-week program designed to provide students with the necessary tools to become competitive applicants to graduate and health sciences schools.
          
 SEP has the reputation of being challenging but rewarding.
          
"The long hours of study and discipline required to really learn the material covered was the most challenging part," said Luzon.  "It helped me grow since I never knew that I could take so much pressure.  Learning about myself gave me more confidence to tackle pressure during regular semesters at my university."
           
Participants in the SEP program are not left to struggle through the intensive academic environment alone.  Program assistants spend hours every afternoon reviewing material with the students, and the teachers and professionals serve as mentors.
           
"SEP showed me what is out there," Luzon said.  "I learned that there are people who can help me reach my goals. The NC-HCAP staff embraced me into their family and pushed me to work hard."
           
And the hard work won't stop after he graduates from UNC-Greensboro in May.  In June, he will move to Washington, D.C. to spend the summer at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).  At NIDDK, Luzon will be working with some of the country's top researchers.
           
Luzon also applied for the National Institute of Health's Intramural Research Training Program (IRTA) in Bethesda, Maryland.  Through IRTA, recent graduates spend a year doing biomedical research alongside the world's leading scientists. 

"Everything started with my visit to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences with the SEP program in 2007," Luzon said.  "There, I kept in touch with the researcher I met and then I got informed about the NIH IRTA program." 

Also this summer, Luzon will apply to medical school with the hope of enrolling in the fall of 2010. 
          
 As he moves forward, Luzon knows that his SEP experience helped prepare him for his future as a healthcare provider.
          
 "Every day and every activity during SEP has a specific purpose," he said.  "NC-HCAP has organized SEP for so many years now, so they definitely know what students need to be exposed to in order to succeed.  I am thankful and lucky to have attended this program."

Contributed by Caroline Herion and Sarah Riazati
Strategies for Success

The Art of Preparing for Finals

As the much anticipated and often dreaded final exam period approaches, many students think about all the things they should or could have done to avoid the stress brought on by exams.  If you are one of those students unsure about your readiness for finals, before you hit the panic button, try these tips:

1.  Prioritize Your Work
Resist the temptation to spend all of your time on classes in which you are already doing well.
Devote extra time for those classes that are giving you the most difficulty. 
 
2.  Avoid Procrastination
You cannot sleep with your textbook under your pillow and try to learn by osmosis. Thousands of students have tried it before and failed. Make sure you take the time to study for your end-of-year exams. Putting it off simply does not work.
 
3.  Manage Your Time
Develop a study schedule and stick to it. Most successful people are focused, disciplined and have the ability to manage their time effectively, rather than have their time manage them.  Each of us has 24 hours in the day and it is up to you to determine how you will use that time. Even if you did not develop a study schedule at the beginning of the semester, it's not too late. Do it now!   
 
4.  Review! Review! Review!
Many final exams include questions from quizzes and tests. Take the time to review your notes, previous quizzes, and exams.  It will be a good investment of your time and effort. 
 
5.  Join a Study Group
An old cliché says "Birds of a feather flock together." In other words, if you want to be academically successful, you should surround yourself with people with similar goals. After all, teamwork really does pay off. Assign chapters or sections to each group member and ask them to prepare questions and answers related to their sections.
 
6.  Relax, Relate, Release
Whether you are a freshman taking finals for the first time or a seasoned senior about to graduate, preparing for finals can be very stressful. Take time to rejuvenate your body through exercise, getting sufficient sleep, eating health foods, drinking plenty of water, and participating in an activity that is relaxing to you. 
 
7.  Know Yourself
It is important to be aware of your academic strengths and areas for improvement. More than anyone, you should know what it takes for you to be academically successful. Listen to your inner voice of reason and apply all of your internal and external resources towards your academic success.

Sources: Study Guides and Strategies, How to Study for College Final Exams, and Final Exam Study Tips
Career Resources
 Study skills

Check out the 'study tips' section for general advice on taking tests, writing research papers, and getting the most out of your time in the classroom.

http://www.studyguidezone.com/learningstyles.htm
http://www.studyguidezone.com/motivation.htm
http://www.studyguidezone.com/crammingforanexam.htm
http://www.studyguidezone.com/testanxiety.htm
http://www.studyguidezone.com/resource_tips.htm
  Meet Paula Borden
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.