To Be...A Spartan MD

January and February have come and gone in a blink of an eye. It's March . At this point in the medical school  application process , people are wrapping up their interviews for spots across the country in the hopes of soon adding "med student" to their list of titles. If you've had interviews, your application has been competitive and you're on the right track. While some applicants will join the class of 2018 at their preferred medical school, others will still be overjoyed to enroll at a second or third preference.  Committee on Admissions decides which of four possible outcomes is rendered for each applicant Regardless of where you end up, all of the nation's medical school applicants will finalize their candidacies with each school through a number of possible scenarios and outcomes. Though the process to get to these scenarios may differ depending on the school, a general set of outcomes is usually imposed—acceptance, waitlist, and rejectio

The weather may not be alluding to it much lately, but season's will be changing soon enough here in Michigan. As spring approaches, it is that time for many premed students to begin thinking about the medical school application process. This stage can come with many questions that we would like to help clear up. The MSU College of Human Medicine (CHM) Office of Admissions has announced the date for our Spring 2014 Premedical Day . Taking place at the Secchia Center in Grand Rapids, undergraduate pre-med students can enjoy a great opportunity to meet the College of Human Medicine on the afternoon of March 14th . Registration is required. However, this event is not only open to #premed students. Non-traditional* applicants seeking information on how to apply to CHM are also welcome to see what the MSU CHM application process is all about. Upon check in, Dr. Joel Maurer, Assistant Dean of Admissions for CHM, will be discussing The Makings of a Great Applicant .  Admission

Are you an undergraduate student seriously interested in going to medical school upon graduating? Do you come from a disadvantaged background or have a strong interest in serving in a high-need medical specialty area? If so, you may actually be able to gain acceptance to the MSU College of Human Medicine (CHM) before graduating with your undergraduate degree. Early Assurance gives students the opportunity to apply to CHM in their junior year (or the year prior to completion of their undergraduate degree) at both public and private undergraduate institutions in the respective communities where the college already has partnerships in the medical training of third and fourth year students. This ability to apply prior to the regular pool of candidates offers several benefits. Perhaps the most obvious benefit of utilizing Early Assurance is simply securing a spot at a top-notch medical school and one of the nation's pioneers of community-based medical education. The real

Green. White. Golden. The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (CHM) was founded in 1964, making this year the 50th anniversary for one of the nation’s pioneer community-based medical education institutions.   With footprints that span the entire state of Michigan, the college is nationally recognized for the social mission of preparing physicians for service in underserved communities—a mission that has been in place since the start. After early 1960's reports suggested an immediate need for additional medical schools in the state of Michigan, MSU Board of Trustees responded in 1961 by implementing a new two-year medical program foundationally supported by other related areas of the university, such as the Institute of Medicine & Biology in the provost's office. The College of Human Medicine came into fruition after several grants further supported successful development of the program. The Board of Trustees soon named Andrew D. Hunt, MD, th

It's the closing of a new year and we, here at the College of Human Medicine Office of Admissions, reflect on a terrific 2013. Like any college, the students are the heart and soul of CHM and we feel we have some of the brightest, most talented future physicians in the nation. As we look forward to a new year, we're sure the incoming class of 2018 will follow suit. Our #SpartanMD's achieved much this year, not only across East Lansing and Grand Rapids, but across the globe. We're proud that the CHM student body took on so much this year in a variety of directions. Considering the many different roles (like teammate, employee, tutor or even mother, father, scholar , researcher , navy medic , and  board member ) each CHM student can play in their daily lives, staff and faculty have the opportunity to witness them take the role of student very seriously. Yet, as a community-based medical school , we also have the opportunity to witness students contribute to t

Throughout medical school, students can spend much of their time studying—exerting a good amount of mental energy taking in gulps here and swigs there of information that, well,   took humans quite a bit of time to accumulate. Yet studying can be most rigorous when proficiency with school curriculum is to be displayed. So the most intense stressful times during medical school focus around final examinations. Sure, finals can be stressful. Asking themselves what they could do to help alleviate some of that stress, the MSU College of Human Medicine Office of Student Affairs set out to give our terrific medical students an opportunity to sit back and, yes, unwind if at least for a bit. It’s all part of helping our CHM students succeed, even if that’s helping them catch a breather and have a little fun in the process. The Health & Wellness Team, comprised of MSU Faculty: Judith Brady, PhD; Laura Bennett, MA; and Patricia Brewer, PhD, among other Office of Student Affai

The MSU College of Human Medicine (CHM) was among an impressive list of medical schools to participate in Joining Forces Wellness Week this year, bringing awareness to the unique health care needs facing our military members and their families. Beginning on Veteran’s Day, the week-long initiative beginning on Nov. 11th saw over 100 medical schools across the entire country addressing those needs by holding various events such as clinics, seminars, and symposia to go along with a national webinar series—hosted by the Association of American Medical Colleges—focusing on a variety of military health-related topics. At Michigan State University , CHM hosted a Joining Forces presentation by 1st Lt. Stephanie Boltrick on Nov. 12th called “Understanding Our Veteran Population: Unique Considerations for Health Professionals,” which was simultaneously being shown live to Grand Rapids’ Secchia Center contingent. “Through Joining Forces, medical schools and teaching hospitals are ensurin

If you can see the MSU College of Human Medicine as a possible home to pursue your MD degree come next fall, don't forget to submit your AMCAS® (American Medical College Application Service) application by Friday, November 1st. AMCAS is a centralized application processing service provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges available to applicants to the first-year entering classes at participating U.S. medical schools. Many of the US medical schools whom grant Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degrees utilize AMCAS as a primary application method, thus requiring AMCAS submissions. As stated on the AMCAS website , "Regardless of the number of medical schools to which you apply, you submit just one online application to AMCAS." However, "AMCAS does not render any admission decisions and does not advise applicants where to apply." An overview of the 2014 AMCAS application including important information on coursework and transcripts, letters of evalu

The experience of being an MSU College of Human Medicine student is a challenging yet rewarding one. CHM students can have a lot on their plates journeying to become productive physicians who are respected across the state and country. Naturally, there's much to learn at CHM and students regularly take advantage of opportunities to practice many of the procedures they'll be implementing one day as full-fledged Spartan MD's. Clinics, lectures, exhibitions, demonstrations, and workshops are all great opportunities for students to get better insight into those procedures. One such workshop was put on by the Family Medicine Interest Group last Tuesday evening. Students were invited to attend a special casting clinic to learn how to place an arm cast — something they may come to be very familiar with as family practitioners. Experienced physicians from CHM and Sparrow Hospital were joined on the East Lansing campus by several Block I and II students at the Radiology

The area's most influential companies and individuals will be among doctors, alumni, donors, sponsors and friends alike when the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Black Tie/Green Heart Gala 2013 commences this Friday. Yet perhaps playing the most pivotal role of the evening are the medical students, themselves. CHM's student-body naturally plays a major part in this special evening. Taking on host and hostess duties, students also wear the hat (or in this case, white coats) of ambassadors exemplifying the MSU College of Human Medicine mission.   As the signature annual fundraising event for the College of Human Medicine, the 2013 Black Tie/Green Heart Gala benefits local medical education and research. Since the first gala in 2008, the events have raised more than $1 million for student scholarships and research.   The gala hosts over 1,000 guests and will be held in downtown Grand Rapids along the beautiful Grand River at DeVos Place. Ultimatel