"I wanted to let you know that I received an acceptance to Touro University Medical School and want to thank you for all that you have done to help me get to this point. I don't know if I would have made it here without all of the amazing experiences that I had through Rural Health Scholars." -- Josh Dekker, 2008 SUU Graduate
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| SUU Medical School Admissions Soar! |
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19 SUU Students Accepted to Medical Schools
This year, 19 out of 21 Southern Utah University students applying to medical schools were accepted! Twelve out of 14 students were accepted to dental schools and 10 out of 11 to pharmacy programs. Perhaps the most exciting news is that seven of the medical school admissions were at the University of Utah School of Medicine.
In 2002, the Center for Rural Health facilitated a meeting between President Bennion, Provost Haraf, Dean Ornes (SUU administrators at the time) and the University of Utah Medical School's Associate Dean of Admissions, Dr. Wayne Samuelson. The purpose of the meeting was to inquire about committing a given number of medical school slots to rural students at SUU. The Center receives partial funding through the medical school and is affiliated with similar programs in other states.
SUU grads begin their medical school careers at the University of Utah's "White Coat Ceremony" Back Row: Colton Arrant, Ben Dowse, Wiley Thuett, Andrew Carpenter, Justin Chandler; Front row: Nemea Sells & Jude Sells
Dr. Samuelson informed the group that SUU was doing a great job of preparing students for admission and designating slots may actually limit the number of students accepted at the "U". He commended SUU for the academic preparation of their students and recommended formalizing a program to assist students with some of the non-academic qualities medical schools look for in their applicants.
Subsequently, Provost Haraf and Dean Ornes worked with center staff to outline and implement the Utah Rural Health Scholars Program. This adjunct or enhancement program consists of structured activities that provide students with experiences and opportunities to increase their competitive standing in the medical, dental and allied health school application process. Activities include classes, seminars, community service and service-learning opportunities, job shadowing, MCAT/DAT prep classes, application preparation, mock interviews, mentoring and cultural emersion experiences.
During mock interviews, students frequently talk about the one-on-one attention they get from their professors, both in the classroom and with their research projects. This personal attention not only helps the students academically, but instills in them a confidence that helps them through the admissions process. Students willing to apply themselves and take advantage of all that is offered can really benefit from their SUU experience. This past academic year, SUU enrollment represented about five percent of the state's higher education population, but represented nine percent of the UofU Medical School's resident admissions.
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