Lewis Associates e-Newsletter
Volume 6 Issue 7
July 2007
Published by Lewis Associates. Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD., Editor
Email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
with your comments. Enjoy!
What's inside:
Welcome to Success Stories
Newsletter!
Important News: AACOMAS; New Type of Medical Practice; Natural Orifice surgery…Turning surgery inside out
Useful Links: Osteopathic Medicine Links
Alumni Updates, Photos, and More: Sam Bartholomew, MD, in plastic and reconstructive surgery Fellowship, UC Davis; Adam Carewe, entering Class of 2004, New York Medical College; Liana Olzewski Au, Class of 200 , University of Hawaii Medical School
Success
Story of the Month: Julia Endrizzi, Harvard Dental School,
year 3 (entering Class 2005)
If you do not know what profession to enter, read Julia's story!
Question of the Month: How do you deal with feedback?
Welcome to Lewis Associates!
We are settled into our temporary office while our permanent office
is built on the Central Coast of California. The construction crew is
working beyond expectations, including a full crew that worked all day
on the 4th of July! Roofing and plaster/stuccoing is in full swing;
electrical, HVAC and plumbing roughed in, etc. We are still ahead of
schedule.
This time of the year is exceedingly busy, with all of the application
cycle "stuff to do" and tests to take (MCAT, DAT, GRE, PCAT,
etc.). Contact us to find out how we can support YOUR application or
help you plan for a future application to be successful.
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| July 1 Across Lake | New Offices |
Communications
NEW Mailing Address
1885 Laguna del Campo, Templeton, CA 93465
NEW Phone
805-226-9669
NEW Fax
805 226-9227
Other changes
Lewis Associates now absorbs Long Distance Charges
All appointments/phone conferences will be made from our office to you.
Lauren, our new Administrative Assistant, will call YOU at your appointment
time, and transfer you to Dr. Lewis.
Faxing documents to Dr. Lewis, Lewis Associates 805-226-9227
When faxing documents during office hours 8am to 3pm, (PST), you must
first call the office 805-227-9669 so the fax can be switched on. During
non-office hours, the fax is automatically connected.
*8am-3pm PST CALL BEFORE FAXING
*3pm-8am PST FAX AUTOMATICALLY CONNECTED
Overnight/Express Mail Packages
At this time Lewis Associates is only able to receive expedited mail
from the United States Post Office, no special Ground Services like
UPS/FEDEX/DHL
When sending an expedited package, please use usps.com. Click on mailing
tools, then mailing products & services. The standard overnight
pricing begins at $14.40. Please remember to give this information to
your Letter of Recommendation writers!
Where are you in your journey to a health profession?
In high school? (yes, we advise high school applicants,
particularly, those interested in BA-MD programs)
Just starting college? This is a scary time.
Moving into your difficult upper division sciences as a junior?
Re-entering as an "older" non-traditional
student?
We help prepare those of you submitting applications for medical
and dental residency programs too!
Whatever niche you fit, we advise students just like you.
Class of 2008: If you haven't yet started
getting your letters of recommendation/evaluation or writing your application
personal statement, then you are way...BEHIND!
Are you REALLY ready to apply this year?
How do I know?
Use our Personal Assessment--and you will be given your personal strategy
and path to your future!
Many whom I advise may not yet be ready and need to develop some aspect
of their background to become competitive. Best to apply when you are
ready, be competitive, and do it ONLY ONCE!
Let's work together to make that one time application successful…earlier
is better so we can develop your strategy and address all those difficult
problems…months or even years prior to application.
Why not set yourself up for success, rather than toy with the proposition
of failure?
Thanks from Dr. Adrian Miranda, Class 1994, Faculty at Medical College
of Wisconsin
"I have never really taken the time to express my sincere
gratitude for everything you did for me. I have often mentioned your
name during talks and to friends and family as the person who was the
most influential in my path to success. I can’t tell you how many
times my wife has answered that question right on the "newlywed"
board game. Without your guidance and support I would never have accomplished
my goals. I am so glad to hear you are doing well and I want you to
know that I still often think of you and the years at SDSU. I am now
married with two children (Alex 3 and Sofia 2). My wife Heidi is from
Madison and much to my dismay, she does not plan on moving to California
any time soon...I wish you the best and I hope that you have a wonderful
party surrounded by people who love you and whose lives you have changed.
Let me know if there is anything I can do for you or your family and
please stay in touch."
Your friend and Protégé,
Adrian Miranda, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatalogy and Nutrition
Medical College of Wisconsin
Thanks from an Ex-Prosecuting Attorney, now medical student
Background: John was an Assistant State’s Attorney
(prosecutor) in Chicago, Illinois, when he contacted me in
2004. Now in medical school, he says: "I am really enjoying med
school, and I am thankful to Dr. Lewis for her help. Her methodical,
disciplined approach to the med school application process, as well
as her insight into the transition to med school were right on target."
John Fiszer, University Of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine
What's New?
FREE teleconferencing and videoconferencing.
You need to register for free AOL Instant Messaging, and will get free
audio and/or video contact with us!
Track Record
CLASS OF 2007...to date 91% acceptance to medical,
dental and MS/MPH programs plus 2/2 applicants accepted into residency
programs of their choice.
92% of our Class of 2006 applicants were accepted! (and 2 more were
waitlisted)
100% of our Class of
2005 applicants were accepted!
100% of our Class of 2004
applicants were accepted!
Be Competitive
In order to be a competitive Class of 2008, 2009, or
2010 applicant, you need to submit a quality application as
evaluated by your clinical, service and other experiences and your GPA/MCAT/DAT/GRE,
etc. profile--in a timely fashion. This requires a well thought-out
strategy to carry you through the difficult year-long application process.
If you use advising with Dr. Lewis, you will find that we begin
preparation early in the year BEFORE submission of your application!
EARLY is always better, removes much pressure, and allows time
to solve unforeseen problems.
What are your chances?
If you want to change your career or reach your present career goal,
but do not know how to begin, or how to jump over all those hurdles,
Lewis Associates will advise and implement strategies to change your
life.
Getting Started
Read about your Personal Assessment on our website,
then phone or email us to
get started! We spend on average 7 hours developing an effective strategy
of taking you from where you are to where you want to be.
You may be like our other Lewis Associates Advisees--highly motivated
and intelligent, but needing focus, guidance and specific technical
expertise. Dr. Lewis solves problems for her Advisees and finds opportunities
for them. Maybe you wish to use our hourly advising to solve one specific
problem.
Dr. Lewis is a trained biologist, having taught and directed her own
research programs for many years at two universities. She earned two
postdoctoral fellowships (one at NIH), received the 1990 NACADA
Outstanding Institutional Advising Program in the U.S. and directed
her own Health Careers Opportunity Program grant for 6 years, bringing
$1 million to her university.
If you are serious about making your dreams to become a physician,
dentist, physician assistant, veterinarian, optometrist, podiatrist,
naturopathic physician, or pharmacist a reality--Lewis Associates
can help you. We have made the difference for almost 800 alumni
now practicing in medicine during the last 22 years.
Dr. Lewis teaches Professionalism, Leadership, and Quality,
and sets high standards for her Advisees.
Lewis Associates will save you money and heartache on your preparation
and application process.
Contact the health career experts! For more
information email imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
or call 805-226-9669 and ask to set up your first appointment.
n e w s & l i n k s
N E W S
FEATURED NEWS
AACOMAS
AACOMAS has initiated a transcript request form this year for the first time, but it is to be used only if you wish, and is NOT required. Additionally, check your status frequently: transcripts received, school list designated for application, payments made, MCAT scores (must request throughout the AAMC.org THX system, and upon processing your submitted application, your GPA calculations will be visible.
Use the Application Check List:
Ethnicity (can select more than 1)
Work experience
Personal Statement (essay) 4500 characters with a counter
Extracurricular activities and honors (put in chronological order)
MCAT self-reports must be sent via THX
All colleges attended (do NOT list foreign institutions if study abroad is listed on a US institution)
All classes taken
School designations for application
AACOMAS will process an application without an MCAT score if there isn't a score at the time of processing.
Deadlines (but you are flirting with disaster IF you simply meet a deadline…no guarantee you will be competitive that late!)
Oct 07-April 08 for various schools
Application + transcripts by Jan 1
Secondary due by Feb 1 most schools
Fee waiver: 3 free schools if you meet criteria
Must apply before submitting AACOMAS and they will process within a week. Need:1. Letter with justification
2. FAFSA for current year OR current tax returnTell AACOMAS ASAP if your email or other contact information changes during your application process!
New Medical School in Colorado
20% of all US medical students are now Osteopathic; by 2019, it will grow to 25%!
The Class of 2007 had 11,459 applicants
For the Class of 2008, there will be about 3900 seats for Osteopathic Medical School
New Type of Medical Practice (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Innovative doctor creates a one-man medical office. Dr. James Ochi is an ears, nose and throat pediatric surgeon in solo practice since 1992. A laptop computer transformed his practice to he limits his workday to about 8 hrs so 12-15 patients each get about 30 min. He is a 1-man show with almost no overhead and no employees. He schedule appointments through his website, rents an exam room, he keeps all records on his laptop and dictates patient notes directly into the computer. He keeps full medical histories for all patients on tiny thumb drives, and he feels that his patients are like friends visiting. He earns about $125K, less than his colleagues, but he can schedule life around family and donating time to medical missions abroad.
Natural Orifice surgery…Turning surgery inside out (The Economist Technology Quarterly)
Click here for full article.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) California News has a special report on Health reform moving forward in California (see July-August 2007 article) including express bus trips to lobby lawmakers in Bakersfield, Fresno, Modesto and Sacramento.
Breast cancer death rate falling (Globe and Mail (Canada))
Progress in detection and treatment of breast cancer over the past 20 years has reduced the death rate from the disease by 25 per cent, the Canadian Cancer Society says.
Click here for full article.
Brain Linked to Emotional Stress That Harms Heart, Study Says (Bloomberg News)
A newly discovered link between the brain and the heart may give researchers some insight on cardiac events induced by emotional stress such as grief and surprise, a study found.
Click here for full article.
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, opening for the Class of 2008. And, is there a second new Osteo school for 08.
L I N K S :
American Assn of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
AACOMAS
Download AACOMAS College Information Book (PDF)
Online AACOMAS College Information Book
AACOM Recruitment Events
Application Deadlines for Osteopathic Schools
Osteopathic Medical School Admissions Data
AACOMAS 2008 Application Webcast
2006 Annual Statistical Report on Osteopathic Medical Education
What is Osteopathic Medicine?
Profiles on the Interesting Lives and Careers of DOs!
Osteopathic Medical Schools
Find these and other useful links on Lewisassoc.com's Links Page.
a l u m n i u p d a t e s
Sam Bartholomew, MD, in plastic and reconstructive surgery Fellowship, UC Davis
June 6, 2007
How's life? Have you broken ground on the new house? Life in Sacramento is great. Kelly and Michael are both doing well. Michael turns 1 next week! I will be in San Diego next May 1-9, 2008 and was interested in giving a talk to CUHRE students at SDSU…I would like to give something back to the students. Let me know if you have any ideas.
Hope you and your family are well.
Attached are photos of us at Easter and the latest of Michael.
Talk to you soon, Sam
Adam Carewe, entering Class of 2004, New York Medical College
Hello friends and family:
Three big news items:
1) I am done with my 3rd yr of medical school!
2) I just moved in with my fiance (oops...that was supposed to be #3) to a new apt in NYC
3) I just got engaged (but you already now know that from #2)
Needless to say, I'm pretty happy right now. And to top it all off, I am heading out to CA to visit my family (and the newest addition, Dylan Haynes Carewe, my little Bro's new baby). Everything is going great. I've decided to go into Family Medicine, so I don't have to keep wondering, "what should I go into?" Beth and I are doing an away elective in Denver, CO in Sept to check out the place and see if it is somewhere we would like to end up for residency. My best friend from high school, Sean, is getting married in Aug, my bro in Sept, and my cousin in Oct...so I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon while it was hot. Just kidding, I've been planning this for a while now. Anyway, school's out for summer...that is 2 weeks in med school summer, and it's heating up in NYC. Hope all is well with each of you.
Some pictures of our apt are on my website at http://www.rewski.com if you care to take a peak.
Adam
Liana Olzewski Au, Class of 200 , University of Hawaii Medical School
Aloha everyone,
Just wanted to send updated photos of our family and let you know what we've been up to for the past half year! Finally got to update photos on our website from Zion's 7th month to his current pics. Can't believe Zion is 1 year old already! Please visit our website at www.kalaniandliisgrowingfamily.shutterfly.com.
We send our love to all of you!
Much love & aloha,
The Au's
s u c c e s s s t o r i e s
by Dr. Cynthia Lewis
Julia Endrizzi, Harvard Dental School Entering Class of 2005 (undecided career, going through medicine, PA, veterinary medicine to...dentistry)
Julia was born in the small town of Orange near Disneyland in Southern California to a nurse mother and a father who owned a housing construction company with his two brothers. It is interesting that Julia's father almost completed a degree in biochemistry before entering the family business. Julia's older sister has been her best friend.
Julia attended an academically rigorous Catholic elementary school, took piano lessons, and played soccer and softball. Her father coached her softball teams. In her autobiography Julia says, " I found a girl’s softball league in the city; I was a pitcher. My father wanted to instill a work ethic and discipline into his children, so he set up a target, and besides regular practice and games, I made at least 100 pitches a day. This conditioning helped me grow as a person and learn to set goals for myself and reach them even when no one was watching. In the summer of my sixth grade year, I played on the all-star team for girl’s softball and we made it to Oregon for the Western regionals, one step below the World Series for our division. We lost in single elimination, but the experience taught me how to better deal with pressure. When you have 30 parents screaming “You suck” if you strike out, you learn a certain sense of humor and an ability to distinguish your priorities from the priorities of others. My priorities were to have fun and do the best I could. I achieved that and learned how to tune out the negative feedback of others when I made mistakes."
When she was 10, Julia's family moved to Temecula. This town has mushroomed in the past 10 years and is now population is about 60,000. Upon moving, Julia entered public school and it is instructive that Julia was a bit frustrated. She says, "It was a big adjustment for me because the 2 school systems were drastically different. Children in public school talked back to the teacher and that was unheard of in the Catholic system. Children who presented a problem for the teacher in Catholic school were asked not to return the following year. Children who presented a problem for the teacher in public school often pushed boundaries until they monopolized a majority of class time." In 7th grade, Julia's father had liver problems that required hospitalization. The following year, he became ill again and was considered for a transplant. Upon performing a biopsy, the doctors found inoperable cancer that had spread. Julia says, " My sister and I were driven to the hospital by my grandparents where we stayed while my father was dying. He was in and out of consciousness the first few hours that I was there and could barely speak. The last thing he said before he stopped talking was that he loved my mother. We found out he had cancer on a Wednesday and he died that Saturday. When someone that you love dies, it doesn’t seem real. You wake up like you normally would and in fractions of a second it hits you...My father is really dead. Each day, it becomes a little more real. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. …I still miss my dad. I always will. One thing I took from the experience at a young age was an appreciation for life. Life is an amazing experience, and you need to take as much from it as you can."
Julia's father encouraged her eclectic tastes in reading. She says," He gave me some of my favorite books when I was 13, Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell and Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut. He encouraged my interest in reading novels centered around social and cultural issues, and one of my favorite things to do is read. Huxley, Salinger, Kerouac, anything that gets me thinking and challenges cultural conformity is interesting to me, and I am so glad that world was opened to me by my father. My father talked to me as if we were equals and as if what I thought was important. It was very important to him that I learn to think for myself, and he helped me develop individuality."
Julia's mother worked as a Hospice home health care nurse. During high school, her mother often picked Julia up from school, then saw more patients on the way home. Julia saw the relationship formed between her mother and her patients which initiated an interest in a health career. Julia developed a "hard work" ethic from both parents and enjoys challenge. She worked as a cashier in a carwash in high school to save money, passed the U.S. History AP exam (history is one of her strong interests) and earned strong SAT scores. To give you a sense of her long range planning Julia says, " I saved most of my paychecks, as I had no bills, and when I graduated from high school, I put it into a mutual fund which will mature the year I graduate from college. I hope to travel to China and Japan. I have always had an interest in traveling, and seeing the Great Wall of China appeals to me." Julia worked 25-30 hours/week through college, from sales and waitressing to biotech.
Julia's chose to attend SDSU where she could commute and live at home, then moved to San Diego in her second year of college. Julia loved her first college art class and says, " I had the opportunity to attend optional field trips to the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Getty in Los Angeles. I was blown away by the architecture of the Getty and the Museum of Contemporary Art. There is something about art that expresses emotion in a serene and beautiful fashion." Julia's boyfriend, an artist, attends art school.
Then Julia fell in love with biology. In college, Julia matured personally, academically and found a career direction. She says, "I became more professional, responsible, and was more prepared to make a healthy break from my family. My family will always be a part of my life, but there is a point at which you begin to find yourself apart from your immediate family and think about building your own family. CUHRE helped me to find myself. I joined CUHRE my junior year of college." Dr. Lewis selected Julia to help develop fundraising for the CUHRE Alumni Conference that year. She says, "It was the first Alumni conference that I attended, and the President of the American Student Dental Association spoke. Although I had not strayed from the idea of being a physician, he left a positive impression on me about dentistry. Facial reconstruction and the patient care setting, the autonomy that dentistry allows, were all things that attracted me."
Julia says, "My time in CUHRE as an Enrichment Instructor for biostatistics, a Mentor, as secretary and CUHREbase officer, helped me develop into a better person. I improved my communication skills, am more open to new experiences, more professional, and I have raised the bar for myself." Julia went through several health career ideas - doctor, veterinarian, physician assistant, then dentist. She observed 3 dental practices which she discussed in her AADSAS essay. Julia says, "I found myself enjoying the shadowing experience as I never had in physicians' offices. The artistic aspect of dentistry is interesting and I like the idea of owning my own business. I feel that a family is also easily integrated into the life of a dentist."
In summary, the faculty who evaluated Julia said:
"Julia is a warm and caring individual with a gentle smile. She exudes a sense of self-confidence, which seems to be a result of her considerable experience dealing with people plus a knowledge of a broad range of topics. She is one of SDSU's most recognized students academically, yet she is modest and humble. She listens quietly and is respectful of others. She is and will continue to be a highly ethical and professional.
Julia has an exceptionally strong record of academic performance. She has a highly-developed sense of her responsibility to her patients for high quality, un-compromised care and seems willing to make the sacrifices that may become necessary should a choice have to be made between her principle to which she seems strongly committed, and expediency. She has a full array of social service activities. She also has a nice spectrum of extracurricular involvement, most notably in honor societies and in CUHRE. It is in this latter organization where her community service caught fire. She has done a fine job of shouldering a number of progressively more challenging responsibilities and has become a part of the core leadership.
Normally, we would look at Julia's long list of activities and commitment to pro-bono work, which demonstrates her long-term commitment to the profession of dentistry. In her case, however, we felt her motivation and commitment were more obvious from her vocabulary and in-depth knowledge of a broad variety of subjects, from Hippocrates to politics. This young lady reads everything, not just her textbooks and classroom assignments. She knows what is going on in the 'real' world and has formed some convincing opinions, which she articulates in a calm self-assured manner. She knows more about her future profession than some people who are already in that profession. There are no surprises waiting for her. Julia appears to be unwilling to settle for anything less than the best.
In 2000, when Julia joined CUHRE, she discussed her interest in people, art and history with Dr. Lewis who advised that she consider the Interdisciplinary Studies major. Julia selected biology, chemistry and psychology as her 3 disciplines and graduated as CUHRE's second Outstanding Interdisciplinary Studies graduate. She understands that dentistry is a business and that many patients have fears. When asked to describe her future practice office, she talked about putting art on the walls."
Julia was one of our most outstanding applicants for the Class of 2005. We leave you with Julia's own words, "After watching my father die of cancer 6 years ago, I realized that I wanted to do something important with my life. The experience not only made me realize how real death is, but how it can happen to anyone at any time. Knowing this, I have spent my academic career trying to choose a profession in which I believe that I not only make a difference, but also believe in what I am doing. Now that I am applying to professional school, I look back on my experiences and do not regret anything because I know it is part of who I have become. I am ready to begin the next phase of my life, Dental School."
We got to visit with Julia and her Mom in person in June 2006 at Dr. Lewis' Alumni Reunion picnic in San Diego. Neato!
Email to Dr. Lewis if you wish to communicate about medical schools or other issues or to contact those profiled in Success Stories: imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
q u e s t i o n o f t h e m o n t h
by Dr. Cynthia Lewis, PhD
Continuing on the AAMC Professionalism Assessment Form
Feedback: "Inappropriate is 'makes excuses, places blame, resists feedback; appears defensive…and, appears afraid to act for fear of making errors, assumes blame inappropriately, requires constant reassurance and feedback.' Appropriate behavior is 'admits errors, seeks and incorporates feedback.'"
An easy example of inappropriate behavior is when I (or any Advisor) provide feedback about some weakness (we ALL have weaknesses) and how to address it in order to grow. Some Advisees use those behaviors labeled by AAMC as "inappropriate". For example, in writing the application personal statement, I often give specific deadlines for tasks in order to have accountability and provide guidelines to reach goals. Advisees give me LOTS of "excuses" as to why they did not meet their deadline…everything from I had to attend a wedding, to I was sick, I had an exam…etc. Only those things outside our control like death in the family and illness are "excuses" of some validity. Otherwise, the issue is truly learning better time management and prioritization skills. And, we all need to understand that feedback (sometimes labeled constructive criticism) is meant to help one improve. We should learn from our mistakes.
The old saying is those who don't learn from their mistakes are destined to repeat them! But, even more importantly, we must develop a "thick" enough skin to welcome feedback and use it. Health professionals will be getting lots of it during training…if you take it "personally"…meaning that your core being is threatened by feedback…you will have a VERY hard time in HP school!
We will feature an important question each month. Please submit one that interests you for Dr. Lewis to answer. Send your questions to imaclewis@lewisassoc.com with Newsletter Question in the subject line.
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applicants. Often, non-traditional students are older than 21 years
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Lewis Associates' services meet the needs of all types of students from
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"It's never too late to be who you might have been."
If this is how YOU feel, then, maybe Lewis Associates is the place
for you. Lewis Associates provides Mentoring and Coaching through
the rigorous and often circuitous pre-health preparation and application
process. Other consultants may support programs like Law and Business
or graduate school -- not Lewis Associates. We are the experts in
Health Professions based on 23 years of a successful
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Call or email today to set your first appointment!
805.226.9669 imaclewis@lewisassoc.com
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