USU students set path to med school

For four years, University of Utah Physician Assistant Program admission committee chair Doris Dalton has visited Utah State University to speak to students about how to prepare and apply for medical school.

During her visit on Thursday, Dalton told students that it’s important to consider more than simple coursework.

And that’s just what USU students are doing — even though they may be attending a university not well known for producing doctors.

Undergraduate pre-med adviser Yvonne Kobe said it isn’t all about the school that a student attends, but the determination a student has to excel.

“Where a student does their pre-med courses shouldn’t be determined on the school’s acceptance rate to medical schools after, but by what the student puts into the exploration of their future career field,” Kobe said.

USU is a research-based school, which presents a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience, Kobe said.

“There are many students that go to universities without medical schools,” Kobe said. “It is a common misconception that schools with a medical school are better for pre-medical courses. Many schools, such as the University of Utah, have no tie with their pre-medical students and their medical school.”

“We really don’t hear about many problems from students as to why they can’t do their pre-med courses here at Utah State,” said Mason Andersen, a senior majoring in biology composite teaching, who is one of five peer advisers in the biology department who help pre-medical students. “We just try to catch students right as they are coming into the university, because it is a long process.”

Students can major in anything from art to Spanish and still complete their pre-medical courses. According to the university, in the years 2004-2011, 15 students completing pre-med courses were psychology majors, 25 were liberal arts and science majors, and 112 were biology majors, among 27 other majors.

The Prehealth Professions Evaluation Committee Process is a unique program at USU that helps pre-med students prepare to apply to medical schools.

“Students will generally do it in their junior year of school,” Andersen said. “They have to compile letters of recommendation and sketches, and they are put through a rigorous interview with advisers, health professionals, and other health related individuals.”

Once the interview process is completed, students are given a letter of recommendation they can use when applying to medical schools.

“A student can truly do whatever they want to do, at any school, in any place,” Kobe said. “It’s the amount of work that they are willing to put in to achieve exactly what they want.”

David Thomas, Brie Geller, Mackinzie Hamilton, Marissa Shields, Ashley Howell and Danielle Manley contributed to this report.