Hey everyone!

It’s @michaela__moses one of AL1GN’s co-directors. I’m in our second session of #AL1GNOnline.

Cheyenne Williams is hosting a webinar on how first-gen + low-income students can get involved in medicine.

DM me if you need the link! There’s still some time to join

Over half of doctors come from families with over $135k in income

This data hasn’t changed much over the past 10 years.

(Source: AAMC)

Cheyenne, speaking from experience, says it can be isolating to be the only low-income student in the room.

Why aren’t FGLI students making it to med school?
- Cost (Real + opportunity)
- Social Capital
- Bandwith (Navigating multiple systems of oppression)

Cheyenne says FGLI students are unique bc they have resilience. This will help them in the medical school application process and in the profession in general.

Who you are is more important than your resume. Your resume might get your foot in the door, but your personal experiences are more important.

Main components of medical school admissions:
- about 4 yrs of premed
- MCAT
- AMCAS application
- secondary applications
- interviews

Some first year students are in the webinar. Super excited to see students exploring careers early in their education!

Applications open May 4th this year and usually open I’m the early summer each year. Interviews happen generally in the winter.

Lots of different coursework recommended for different medical schools. Cheyenne recommends going to your advisor for advice. She also recommends taking psych & sociology help with the MCAT

Cheyenne’s taking questions about coursework now. Her colleagues Michael and Krystal are also on the call to share their experiences.

Q: Are online lab courses ok? I wanted to take physics over the summer but now it’s online.

A: Talk with your pre-med advisor. Things are still up in the air right now with COVID-19.

Q: Does taking chem or organic chem at a community college instead of a 4-year institution hurt?

A: Not necessarily. In some situations it may be better, like if classes are smaller.

Cheyenne recommendations looking for paid research opportunities, clinical employment, tutoring positions, paid campus leadership, etc.

Cheyenne says to check out SHPEP.

Link here: http://www.shpep.org 

Crystal mentioned that work and activities can be different from “traditional” avenues for medicine. She was a teacher and went back to school to get her science credits before medical school.

Quality is better than quantity! You want to participate in work and activities that you’re interested in and help you grow.

Letters of Recommendation (LOR):
- Ask professors early
- Typically 2-3 letters depending on school
- Important to have science professors recommending

Krystal says to ask your professors early. As FGLI students we might be intimidated at first to connect with professors, but she says getting to know them is important. Meeting in office hours might help.

Cheyenne recommends providing your recommender with your CV, your transcript, and a statement. That way your recommender can talk about things they may not have been directly involved in.

MCAT TIPS: Treat it like you’re training for a marathon. Make sure you practice!

The MCAT is expensive for your time and money. Cheyenne recommends dedicating 1-4 months blocked off to study. The test is 7.5 hrs

Cheyenne recommends MCAT prep books, official MCAT practice tests (most essential!), & online community resources like http://reddit.com/r/MCAT .

Study like you never want to take the test again! Don’t rely on taking the test twice for getting a good score - it’s costly & stressful

Interviews: assume business attire. A suit is always safe. Prepare questions for your interviewer to show interest. Practice your answers before interview day! Lots of schools have mock interview days.

Cheyenne recorded herself while practicing so she could self-evaluate. She also recommends being friendly to EVERYONE. Get to know the other applicants & current students. And write thank you notes!

Cheyenne’s going over cost-saving tips. She recommends buying books used, but says its valuable to have current materials as the test changes.

The AMCAS is $170 then $40 per school. The fee assistance program is free for the first 20 schools (you have to apply for this assistance).

Secondary applications don’t have universal fee assistance programs. Sometimes it coincides with the AMCAS fee waiver, but other schools have separate channels to apply through.

Interviews are probably the most expensive portion of the application process. Be proactive about looking for resources for travel, dress, lodging, etc.

Michael says to be strategic about where you’re applying. Be realistic about where you’d want to go to school, live, etc. He applied to about 10 schools.

The fee assistance programs are mean-tested. You have to qualify based on the poverty guidelines. Maximums are based on your parents income.

Cheyenne recommends looking into an airline credit card if you’ll be traveling a lot. Also consider coordinating travel if you’re going across the country more than once.

Krystal says it’s important to embrace your story. Know you belong. She still has self doubts, but she’s learning to embrace her story. She says first-gen students are exceptional - they’ve overcome more than most & that should be celebrated

We’re doing Q+A. Talking about scholarships now. Look at your prospective school’s endowment and talk to people who are currently in school. A lot of info isn’t readily available online & Krystal recommends digging for it as most is unadvertised.

Full scholarships generally cover tuition. Michael recommends also checking out cost of living as that’s a big factor too. Most schools don’t cover it.

Krystal says having an advisor that believes in you is important. She had a friend whose advisor told her she would never be a doctor () but she still went on to succeed. Be careful whose advice you take.

Now we’re talking DO vs MD. Michael thinks the merger will make it easier for DO students to match in residencies. Krystal says definitely apply to DO schools if that’s what you want - you’re still a doctor!

Clarification: MD is allopathic. DO is osteopathic medicine. DO schools historically teach OMM - more “hands on” stuff with the body. Both prescribe medicine and see patients.

Thanks for joining us! Stay tuned for next week’s sessions.