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Outside of the Classroom Learning Adds to Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Experience

Creating the strongest candidacy for medical or health profession school is what UVM’s Post-Baccalaureate Premedical program is all about. One way that UVM’s program supports students in their quest to build a strong application is through numerous outside-the-classroom learning opportunities. Students are invited and encouraged to take advantage of unique hands-on clinics, discussions lead by medical professionals, patient care shadowing, volunteering, or research to broaden their experience in the medical field.
“Just last week our Post-Bacc Premed students took part in a vital signs clinic and a suture clinic where student are immersed with the practitioners, and a Q&A session with Larner College of Medicine Admission and University of New England Admissions,” said Jennifer Lian, Senior Health Professions Advisor at UVM.
Post-Bacc Premed students can also find ample opportunities at the UVM Medical Center. From part-time positions, to volunteer or research roles to help build their candidacy.
“We do an analysis of their outside-of-classroom experience and where they might need more patient care shadowing, research and volunteering and then we build a plan, said Lian. “Sometimes when in those two weeks that we are working on a plan, the student comes back to me and says, guess what I already have a position as a per-diem medical assistant or a lab tech. They are plugged in all over the campus and all over the community.”
For current Post-Bacc student Caroline Clark taking advantage of the additional learning has proved to be a wise choice. “One really cool opportunity is the surgery class. You can take a class that lets you shadow the emergency department, participate in research and make a ton of contacts. That was really, really phenomenal. And what I learned in that class is actually helping me study for the MCAT.”
Students can also attend discussions lead by practitioners across all of the medical fields as part of the Doc Talk series. In addition, the Larner College of Medicine and the UVM Medical Center provide Grand Rounds for students which are lectures that take place weekly or monthly at the hospital.
“I really wanted to find a research physician, so Jen gave me the advice to print out my resume and go to as many of the presentations as possible,” said Clark. “I actually ran into one of the presenters and learned he is a leader in the field of psychiatry at UVM and he offered to be my mentor. So I now have access to shadowing, access to research, I’ve helped with a QI project, and I’m participating in research about smoking cessation.”

Here’s a quick look at additional learning opportunities for UVM Post-Bacc Premed students:

  • Suture Clinics
  • Vital Signs Clinics
  • Injection Clinics
  • Stop the Bleed Clinics
  • CPR Clinics
  • Grand Rounds including
    • Family Medicine
    • Pediatric
    • Medicine
    • Surgical
    • OB/GYN
    • Neuroscience/Neurosurgery
  • Monthly Doc Talk Series
  • Community Medical School
  • Research in Progress Seminar
  • Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Seminar
  • Biochemistry Seminar Series
  • Biology Seminar
  • CMB Seminar
  • Vermont Lung Center Seminar
  • Physics Colloquium
  • Immunobiology Research in Progress
  • Plant Biology Series
  • Careers in Public Health Panel
  • Personal Statement Writing Workshop
  • Health Care Workforce & Recruitment Networking Day

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