"Second Look" is a traditional event in every medical student's impending career. Last Thursday and Friday, April 20 and 21 UNLV Medicine held a "Second Look" for students who have been admitted to our charter class, beginning July 17, 2017.
Second Look offered students a chance to learn more about the school and its values, see how the curriculum works, and meet the faculty and other students who will become their friends and colleagues. It's a critical time, because more than 40 percent of the students admitted to the UNLV School of Medicine have been accepted at more than one medical school. Second Look gave us another opportunity to showcase all that we have to offer before students make their final selection.
Of the 60 students who received acceptance letters from the UNLV School of Medicine, 47 attended Second Look, with several others unable to make it because they were overseas, working or still in school and preparing for finals.
When I greeted these 47 young men and women Thursday morning, you could sense their joy, excitement and, yes, a bit of trepidation, about the journey ahead. Our faculty felt the same-overjoyed, excited and humbled to meet this group of amazing young people.
Admissions Process
Students apply online to the medical schools to their medical schools of choice via the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) system, who then forwards applications to the designated schools. School administrators then review applications, conduct interviews with the students, and inform AMCAS which students they've decided to accept.
Students have until April 30 to make their final decision.
The only exception to the April 30 deadline is for students who are placed on a waiting list and receive a letter of acceptance after that date. Like all medical schools, we have a waiting list filled with the names of many excellent candidates to whom we can offer admittance if some of the students we initially selected decide to attend another school.
In our first year, AMCAS provided us with more than 900 applications, including nearly 400 from candidates who either reside in or have strong ties to Nevada. Our admissions committee reviewed every application, selecting approximately 300 for individual interviews. This process resulted in the acceptance of 60 students.
they've decided to accept.
During the first day of Second Look, we introduced students to several components of our curriculum, including problem-based learning, virtual anatomy and the intersessions program. Stephen Dahlem, MD, director of case-based learning, led students through a patient case study and diagramed the immunologic processes that contribute to appendicitis. Next up was a discussion about our exciting virtual anatomy curriculum, followed by the intersessions program, during which students were led through an exercise on how a doctor's positive energy can influence their relationships with patients.
Two of the highlights for me were the Thursday evening's get-acquainted mixer, held at the Gold Spike Hotel in downtown Las Vegas, and the panel discussion on Friday morning with eight physician faculty members who shared why they chose their medical specialty, and how they will support our students during their four-year journey. I was impressed by the students' excellent questions and by the panel presentation-we are so fortunate to be inheriting this group of experienced and outstanding teaching faculty from the University of Nevada, Reno. It would have taken years to assemble a group of faculty with this much teaching experience with medical students and residents.
We look forward to finalizing our charter student class in the coming weeks. I am very proud of this class of stellar individuals and I know that you will be too.