My first “official” service trip took place the summer before I turned 16 in Mexico. When I heard we were going to be working with children I was immediately on board. In preparation for the trip we were told that we would be helping run a yearly vacation Bible school  for children ranging from 4-15 who came from various backgrounds where many of them had experienced abuse, neglect and even abandonment. In my mind, I was going to help them. I was going to show them love and was eager to teach each one of them, not thinking I would gain anything beside the experience itself. Little did I know the significance of that summer. 

My most vivid memory is of a young homeless child who had experienced domestic violence and was being housed at the church with his mother and 4 siblings. He was tall, skinny and always wore the same pair of worn-down jean shorts. We quickly made a connection and on our second day there, he turned eight. With limited funds, the director took him to the plaza to pick out a gift. He was so excited and invited me to go with them so I tagged along. He picked a box of caramel gummies with 11 individual pieces. He was beaming and offered me a piece as soon as we left the store. I declined, thanked him and thought he was just being polite in offering me some. 

But the first thing he did when we arrived was offer his family a piece of candy. Then, with 5 pieces left, he offered each teacher a piece. He continued until he had asked everyone present if they wanted a piece of his birthday caramel after which he finally ate a piece with only 3 pieces to spare. 

I was speechless. I had never experienced something so self-less. Here was this child, who was so young, had so little and yet was willing to give everything he had to others. I reflected on this and my other experiences with the children on the plane ride back. Upon my arrival to the states, I felt…different. In those 7 days I learned. I grew. I matured. I felt such gratitude for all that I had. As a young female of color, I had never felt privileged or at least acknowledged my privilege but that trip changed everything. It put my life and my purpose into perspective. I wanted to have a heart for others like that young child. I wanted to reach that level of love and service and was eager to be involved in service again. 

I quickly started teaching Sunday school, volunteering at my high school and making care packages for children. Initially I thought I wouldn’t have the same profound experiences here, like what I had felt that week in Mexico but realized that there were many opportunities for service around me. With each “act of service” I learned something. My heart, my perspective on life and my mindset changed. My love for people grew. I saw that I didn’t need to travel 2,000 or even 20 miles to find those types of experiences. Service became a part of me, it became my lifestyle.

In undergrad I continued to do service, started mentoring and organized community service events for my fellow centennial scholar dukes. Currently, I direct the high school youth group at my church, Manantial de Vida, volunteer at the free clinic and pick up any other service opportunity I can get my hands on when not in class or at work.  

Service is now my lifestyle. I actively try to reflect it in my interactions at work as a Spanish medical interpreter, with my family as the oldest daughter and sibling, and with my friends by simply being someone they can count on to be present and offer my support in whatever way that is to them.  

Ultimately I’ve learned that service is: continuous, has to be willingly given and cannot be produced from an empty well. It is more than a one-time event. It cannot be forced and must come from a willing heart. 

Once you practice and adopt a mindset of service, you begin to realize that service opportunities are all around us. It could be asking a classmate or co-worker to lunch who you’ve noticed has been acting differently. It could be stopping to talk to the homeless individual. Service is so much more than physical resources or “big picture” events. True service to me, goes unacknowledged by others. It is not seeking recognition for your action but rather an engrained practice that actively pauses the focus on oneself to check on others. There is a joy and fulfillment in helping or giving to others that I haven’t experienced anywhere else.  But we cannot give what we do not have and therefore we must practice self-care in every aspect. This is different for each person but can be spiritual, emotional, physical or mental self-care.  We have to be aware of ourselves and continuously self-evaluate our intentions and our heart. 

To this day, 8 years later, I reflect on that experience of that summer and ask myself if I’m on that child’s level of love and service to others. 

Developing a plan to submit your application when the application cycle opens will relieve some of the stress. We recommend our students begin the process approximately six months before the cycle begins. Below are some tips for a smoother application experience.

1. Schedule and prepare for the MCAT or other admissions tests – Research and select a test date that works for your schedule. Allow six to eight months to prepare. For those taking the MCAT, investing in an MCAT course will help refresh concepts and develop test-taking strategies, but will also offer scheduling and discipline to keep you on task. Take the test when you are ready, but the sooner, the better. You will want to know your test score before you hit the submit button on your application. If your test score is not competitive, you may want to consider delaying your application to the next cycle.

• Strong personal statement – Your academic performance and readiness will speak for itself in your transcripts, test scores and in the recommendation letters. Use the personal statement to address your reasons for pursuing a career as a healthcare practitioner. Expand beyond the “I want to help people” statement. Consider including the defining moment when you were called to this career. Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses; how have you grown and developed in areas that needed improvement, and how can you continue to grow.

• Secure recommendation letters – You will want to select your references carefully. Natural science professors are a must, as well as a practitioner you have spent time with shadowing/observing. It goes without saying, you should be confident they will provide an honest but positive recommendation. Give them ample time to prepare and send the letter. Remember that they are busy professionals and should not be expected to provide a letter on short notice.

• Begin the application – Don’t wait until you have all of your documents ready before beginning the online application. The application is a work in progress, and it is set up to allow you to update with additional information. You will want your part of the application to be finished when recommendation letters, transcripts, and test scores are uploaded.

• Advocate for yourself – Monitor your application and supporting documents carefully. If there is a delay in the uploading of some documents, it is fine to inquire why and when they may be ready. Just be sure to be respectful when following up, but remember – you are responsible for your future and assuring everything is in place for review.

• Prepare for the interview – It is imperative to carefully review your application and personal statement before the interview. Schedule a practice interview with Careers Service or a friend. Get plenty of rest the night before. Dress professionally and be yourself. Be prepared to ask questions; you are interviewing the school as much as they are interviewing you. You’ve come this far, and the interview is to determine if you and the school are a good fit.

• Stay in touch – When you’ve been accepted, share the good news with your professors and others who have supported you during the process. They want to share your excitement and joy.

Be intentional in preparing your application to professional health school by scheduling self-imposed due dates for certain tasks as you move through the process. Having a plan is a great way to combat being overwhelmed and stressed, which allows you to give proper attention to continued academic studies or work. The professional school application process is a marathon, not a sprint; a stronger beginning will translate into a stronger finish.

The United States health care system is permeated with racial disparities and biases. As physicians, we are inclined to perform several tests to confirm a full diagnosis; however, during this process, racial bias is fairly common. Today, African Americans are less likely to receive necessary examinations than White Americans with similar health issues. Therefore, I ask, what if the health care system developed their own artificial intelligence to help minority groups and reduce racial bias? In my opinion, artificial intelligence (AI) can offer the potential to provide personalized care to all by taking into account the glandular patient differences. With AI, bias can be encoded by modeling choices or within the data itself. This can be used to allow quick access to databases such as Electronic Health Record (EHR) in order to create representative models for diagnosing diseases, predicting adverse effects, and recommending ongoing treatments. AI will serve as a neutral party within the health care system, as opposed to a possible health care provider that portrays racial biases. This will provide an advancement within the system, and likely lead to equal treatment for all populations. Minorities are less likely to possess sufficient health insurance in comparison to the white population. Thus, providing sufficient and necessary examinations without monetary issues such as increasing medical bills is essential. In my mind, the future will consist of multiple AI systems in order to make an optimal impact for all populations. I sincerely hope that AI will be able to aid with solutions and assistance for things such as, administration of birth control at a low cost for all, vaccinations to low-income families, and/or translation services for non-native speakers. If artificial intelligence works as I imagine it, it would democratize health care by boosting access for under-served communities, lowering all costs, and assist with an abundance of other services.

When I ask other students why they became interested in the medical field, the most common sentiment I hear is, “I want to help people.” When I dig deeper into their histories, I often hear stories of a grandfather with cancer, a mother who was a nurse, or a little sibling with diabetes. It’s true that watching someone you love experience the ins and outs of the healthcare system firsthand can be deeply moving. Something within us says, “I see you, I hear you, and I want to help you too.” But does this still resonate when the patient is you?

When it comes to healthcare, I was always the patient first. I was the one being diagnosed, treated, and accommodated for. When you’re chronically ill, it is understood that some days you will experience pain, fatigue, and setbacks. Unlike a mild sprain or catching a cold, what we live with is not going to be a temporary thing. With that understanding, I didn’t believe being a healthcare provider was achievable for me. I felt weighed down by stigma that many of us living with chronic illnesses face, and we question what is realistically within our reach. In hindsight, I think this was partially because I didn’t see people like me on the other side of this equation (at least not that I was aware of).

Truth be told, we want to help people too. We want to help people because we thoroughly understand what it’s like to be a patient. We want patients to know that they can still live happily and productively, however that may manifest in their lives. We know that the diagnosis of a chronic illness is not the end, but a map to help navigate us on our respective journeys. We know we need representation, including in the medical field, where it can feel like our roles have already been laid out for us. Deciding to pursue medicine was, by no means, me chasing after a lifelong dream. In every way, it was a lifelong dream chasing after me.

 I’m not going to sugarcoat this though, I was running from it for a reason. It is challenging to go through professional health programs, and it is uniquely challenging to be chronically ill while doing so. If you’re like me, I invite you to remember just a few things when considering this program and a career in healthcare:

1. Know your rights! Being a student and being someone with a chronic illness are not mutually exclusive. You are entitled to reasonable accommodations, and the Office of Academic Access at ����Vlog is such a helpful resource for you to be able to achieve your academic goals while caring for your health and wellbeing.
2. Chronic illnesses can feel like our baggage. It’s the thing dragging us down, making things heavy, wearing us out. It’s time to unpack that here. This is the place where you hold the key to some valuable insight. You have an important voice.
3. You are inevitably going to be surrounded by people who care. We all want to help people, remember?

Financial responsibility isn’t a subject that’s commonly discussed with or amongst students, and many students feel they haven’t been given the proper tools or advice to save and spend their money wisely. The cost of an undergraduate or graduate degree is a significant financial investment, and it can be a very wise investment if that degree will launch you to your desired career and dream job.

The Master’s in Biomedicine and Health Care Management programs at ����Vlog decided to start the dialogue on this important conversation. We invited a local financial planner to speak with our students about financial responsibility.

Here are some of the highlights he shared with our students:

• Our views about finances are strongly rooted in the experiences we’ve had in our families growing up.
• It’s smart to start thinking about money now and to make a plan.
• The reality is that not many students know how to budget or currently live on a budget.
• Work to set up a budget – there are online tools like that can help you do just that.
• Try using an “envelope system” containing cash (especially if you’re an impulsive spender) to spend on eating out and other fun expenses each month. Once that cash is gone for the month, it’s gone.
• Practice being different from others when it comes to spending your money – if others are spending too much, it’s ok for you to not be spending as much as them!
• People’s financial habits don’t change for the better because they get older or make more money. You have to choose to change your financial habits now. Don’t bank on the fact that you will simply make more money one day.
• What are your expectations for your time and your life when you become a doctor, dentist, physician assistant, etc.? Should you automatically get a nice car like the other people you work with? Should you buy that expensive home before you’re financially ready because others have expensive homes? Think about these things now, and when you’re done with your medical training, focus on prioritizing paying back your loans first before you adopt a lifestyle you’re bank account isn’t ready for.

He left our students with the final take-home message:

You can be building healthy financial habits now that can have a significant impact on your future financial security.

Aspiring pre-health students who have an interest in oral healthcare and preventing oral pathologies often hope to become dentists one day. However, getting into dental school is not as easy as it seems. There is a very rigorous one-year application process that consists of writing and submitting a primary application, supplemental essays and interviewing. According to the admissions statistics from the American Dental Association (ADA) for the year of 2018-2019, only 55.3% of dental school applicants were admitted into the 66 accredited dental schools in the US. With each dental school having its own set of requirements and admissions criteria for acceptance, obtaining a MS in Biomedicine at ����Vlog will give applicants a competitive edge.

Hands-on experience with cadavers

It is rare for a pre-health student to have experienced cadavers in their collegiate education. The Anatomy & Physiology cadaver lab helps many students not only get comfortable with dissecting but also helps build manual dexterity, which is required from pre-dental students. Manual dexterity is the ability to use your hands in a skillful, coordinated way to grasp and manipulate objects and demonstrate small, precise movement. Past pre-medical and pre-dental alumni have expressed gratitude towards being able to improve upon their hand-eye coordination and ambidexterity through the hands on experience that cadavers offered. 

Networking with alumni who are current dental students

Students in the program can contact past alumni to ask any questions about the application process as well as dental school. Being in a close-knit community of students, many of the past alumni are eager to help as much as possible which makes it extremely beneficial for the current students. Previous MS in Biomedicine graduates have gone on to attend VCU School of Dentistry and Howard School of Dentistry. 

Shadowing local dentist

����Vlog is located in heart of the Shenandoah Valley in Harrisonburg with plenty of dentists in the area to shadow. Many of the dentists are also affiliated with ����Vlog, giving the MS in Biomedicine student an advantage when completing shadowing hour requirements. The program also has a practicum component added in the program, where a student is required to shadow a doctor, dentist, PA, etc. for 40 hours over the summer.

Biomedical research

Although not always a requirement, having research experience may be advantageous in creating a competitive dental application. When many students think of research, they automatically think of laboratory-based bench research. However, students of the MS in Biomedicine program are able to be involved in a plethora of other research experiences some of which include: clinical, social science, and epidemiological. Pre-dental track students in the past have done lab research on topics such as “the effect of kombucha on a cow tooth” as well as social research on topics like “determining the link between smile symmetry and character perception at ����Vlog.” 

Challenging courses that prepare you for dental school

Courses a student takes in the program are a great introduction of courses in dental school. The program requires you to work hard with challenging assignments, exams, and presentations. It is through the rigors of the program that a student can build a good work ethic. Although the classes are challenging, ����Vlog also has a 12:1 student to facility ratio which makes the professor readily accessible to students.

DAT prep courses

The DAT can a big hurdle for a pre-dental students. It is seen as a monster of exams and requires 2-4 months of preparation on average. When taking challenging classes, it can be hard to start studying for the DAT.  The MS in Biomedicine program has a DAT prep course added as a part of the curriculum. This allows students to take a lighter course load that semester to study for the DAT. With the program advisor doing regular check-ins, you are required to keep on top of your studying for the DAT.

Cross-cultural experience

As a dentist, you’re bound to have patients from all different walks of life. As a MS in Biomedicine student, after your second semester, you spend 3 weeks in a different country learning about their healthcare system as well as delving deep into the culture of the country. This past summer, 2^nd year MS in biomedicine student went to Peru, where the pre-dental students were able to shadow and work with the local dentists as well as visit, tour and learn about a dental school in Lima, Peru.

Peer support of your peer

One of the main aspects that separates this program from many others is the camaraderie among the students. Students often collaborate on assignments, projects, and study for exams with each other. Not only does this help students form a long-standing relationship with each other, but it also helps hold each other accountable to get the work done.

Committee Letter Recommendation

If you’ve successfully completed one or two years of the program, the pre-health advising committee at the school will send a committee letter/packet for your application. This can be a huge advantage as you wouldn’t have to wait on individual letters from professors.

Overall, ����Vlog’s MS in Biomedicine not only prepares a pre-dental student for the rigors of dental school but also provides various resources so they can stand out during the application process. Each student is given individualized attention so they can put their best foot forward. That being said, the program is CHALLENGING and will require you to give your greatest effort. If you know dentistry is the path you wish to pursue and you’re ready to give your 110%  then ����Vlog’s MS in Biomedicine will make sure you get to your goals.

Resources

• The Importance of Manual Dexterity, .
• “How to Get Into Dental School and Become a Dentist.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, .
• (n.d.). photograph. Retrieved from https://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-1009293413-cartoon-gums-white-baby-teeth-molar-tooth

There is a traditional “calendar year” students primarily go through the educational system – August through May with classes in the summer. Students tend to have the mindset that this is what I’m used to, so this is what I will do. But, even though this is the norm, there are other options. ����Vlog offers their students a chance to start their biomedicine master’s program in January. While it is non-traditional to start taking classes in the spring semester, there are perks I want to share. Maybe these benefits will make you think more about being a non-traditional student yourself!

2 Summers
Like most master’s programs, the biomedicine master’s at ����Vlog is two years long. As a traditional student in this program, you have one summer to squeeze in all the required courses, practicum, work on your thesis research, do your cross-cultural experience. Not to mention all the stuff that happens on the side, like taking the MCAT or DAT, applying to schools, or, I don’t know, enjoying the summer?!

Me? Starting in January allowed me to complete these requirements in two summers instead of one. My first summer I spent completing the required coursework and practicum experience, while the second summer I started collecting data for my thesis and went on a cross-cultural trip to Peru. Splitting the requirements into two summers was a huge benefit to me. It allowed me more time to work over the summer, focus on my applications, and re-take the DAT. Trust me, having that extra summer allowed me to spread out my list of to-do’s as well as keep my sanity!

½ a Gap Year
Let’s pretend you just entered the biomedicine program in 2019. Here a general overview of your timeline as a traditional student:

Start Fall 2019 – Spring 2020 – Summer 2020 – Fall 2020 – End Spring 2021

Question: when would you typically apply for your professional school of choice? Well, if you want to complete the master’s program before you apply to schools, and have a superb, new cumulative and science GPA, you would then submit your applications in Summer 2021. You would not start school until Fall 2022 – one year later … I can hear the weird Spongebob voice in my head. You’re going to have to fill that gap year with something…

Now, let’s pretend you are going to enter as a non-traditional student:

Start Spring 2020 – Summer 2020 – Fall 2020 – Spring 2021 – Summer 2021 – End Fall 2021

Again, same question: when would you typically apply for your professional school of choice? Well, the summer after you’ve finished most of your coursework. Again, you will have a bomb GPA (of course), so you will apply in Summer 2021. You, too, will enter your professional school of choice in Fall 2022, BUT you only have ½ a gap year! I feel this is just enough time to get ready for your future without getting out of the school mentality.

Research…DONE!

The biomedicine thesis research is set up in such a way that we start working on our projects in the spring of our first year, gather data and start our paper in the summer, and present our project at the end of the following fall semester. But…you will then still have one more semester to complete before you graduate…yikes. #senioritis

Me? Oh, after the second fall semester, I’ll be DONE. I will present my thesis in the beginning of December, take finals, and I will GRADUATE. I feel the thesis project is the essence of the program and it takes a lot of energy out of you. Conducting your own research, writing a HUGE paper, and presenting your project to your peers is tough work. By the time your thesis is finished, you are mentally finished. Being finished with the whole program helps, too. #SpringForTheWin

Do you now see the perks of being a non-traditional student?

Those who have experienced success often say they didn’t do it alone. Having a support system is critical to success. Support can come in many forms, from familial support to financial support. Working towards becoming a health care professional is difficult and requires a large support system. ����Vlog provides resources to our students to help them succeed while they are enrolled and hopefully beyond their years with us. Students have a number of support services at their disposal including career services and counseling support.

As students begin to think beyond ����Vlog, it is important to build skills in career development. Most students will be interviewed for professional health programs so being prepared is imperative for a successful interview experience. “The mission of Career Services is to help students determine ‘next steps’ for achieving future goals and coaching students through action plans to complete those goals. Resume reviews, practice interviews, job and internship search strategies and graduate school preparation are services students may utilize as they move toward specific goals,” states Kimberly Phillips, Director of Career Services.

            ����Vlog’s Career Services webpage

It can be very stressful maintaining coursework, meet writing project deadlines, balancing study, work, and a social life all while thinking and preparing for the future. At times students may feel overwhelmed, and when they do, they are encouraged to get support from Counseling Services. Student mental health is the priority of ����Vlog’s counseling center. “We seek to serve ����Vlog students with the resources available to us, including knowledge, skills and staffing available to us. We are committed to student care and will provide outside referral options if necessary to provide the best student care available.”

            ����Vlog’s Counseling Services webpage

Other resources on campus for graduate students include:

• Graduate Writing Center
• Pastoral care
• Health Center
• Fitness Center

Being willing to seek and receive support when needed is a sign a strength. And as our students begin their careers as health care providers, they will encourage and offer support to their patients. Being a model of the behavior of receiving support will assist our students in relating to their patients. At ����Vlog, we are blessed to a supportive resource of our students’ journey to success.

The healthcare industry in the US is rapidly expanding, as profound advancements towards therapies and techniques to combat various conditions have been made. Yet in the midst of such progress, some patients and their families note that quality of care and outcomes have become less favorable. Furthermore, critics of the system note that it has become less person-centered. As a result, many organizations are transitioning to a care delivery system that emphasizes and re-focuses on the needs of their patients and other individuals impacted by their services.

This transition can be thought of as an adaptive challenge, or one with no clear-cut solution; it cannot be comprehensively solved with technical or mechanical skills. Instead, organizations must assess their normative valuesand the manner in which they provide care to individuals. Adaptive organizations must then be able to generate novel approaches in response to such assessment. Leaders within these transitioning organizations have an especially important role in aiding team members to adapt to change and tackle these challenges. Physicians and other practitioners are usually in positions of leadership, and thus play a role in promoting change.

Three vital skills that are characteristic to effective adaptive leadership include:

• Delineating goals – An effective adaptive leader sets clear parameters and expectations of the team, so that everyone involved can begin the process of problem-solving.
• Empowering members – An adaptive leader fosters an environment where team members feel that their input and innovative ideas are welcomed and trusted.
• Challenging the status quo – Leaders must be able to not only identify blatant problem areas, but also confront complacency by assessing the organization’s normative values.

The effectiveness and quality of care that healthcare organizations provide depends upon its level of adaptability. A successful organization possesses the ability to grow and respond to external pressures appropriately. Adaptive leaders must able to face challenges head-on, while also motivating team members to innovate and make tangible changes towards more effective care.

In the most recent exit interviews we conducted with graduating students, one of the clear messages we heard was the appreciation for our program’s interdisciplinary courses and holistic approach to medicine. These courses, along with the Biomedicine, Faith and Ethics course, help to provide students with a broader sense of health and healing.

Seminar I taught by Dr. Julia Halterman

This is the first in a series of two interdisciplinary seminars that are designed to provide students with a broad understanding of biomedicine. Students will discuss the history of medicine and how cultural diversity and values play into our ability to heal and be healed. This course will guide students in an understanding of the current US healthcare landscape, challenge students’ understanding of ethics in medicine, and stretch students to explore various integrative medicine techniques and their role in healing. This course will provide a forum for open inquiry, honest discussion, collegial debate, and personal reflection. 

Julia Halterman says this course is different from the natural science courses students might be used to taking in that this is a graduate course involving a significant amount of reading, writing and group discussions. Halterman wants students to develop their reading and writing skills while in the Biomedicine program, and this is a course where we will begin to work on those skills together.

Seminar II taught by Dr. Carolyn Stauffer

This course challenges students to grow in capacity for leadership in the medical field. Strategies include: reflection on leadership history, aptitudes and style; creating an inventory of current leadership skills while identifying gaps for future growth. Special attention is also given to addressing population management risks as well as public health promotion opportunities. The course concludes with transformative medical leadership applications on the individual and collective levels.

Carolyn Stauffer says Seminar II provides a particular focus on interpersonal trauma because of its impacts on clinical care. For example, if a healthcare provider is highly traumatized this can interfere with their ability to be fully present in a clinical encounter. For the patient, carrying intractable trauma can lead to chronic hyper-arousal stress responses. In her work with HIV/AIDS palliative care, Stauffer recounts how high viral loads placed patients at risk for opportunistic infections. In like manner, Stauffer compares living with protracted trauma to carrying a heavy viral load: both can become health hazards if left unresolved.