Hi everyone! My name is Lacey Martin. I am a junior majoring in Biological Sciences with a Human Biology Concentration. I am hoping to attend medical school following my few, great years at NC State. To reach my goal, I take advantage of the Pre-Health resources CALS has to offer; but there is so much, I cannot possibly do it all, much less mention it all here!
The key to all these resources is the Health Professions Advising Center, or HealthPAC. This office provides advising, interview preparations, entrance exam preparation materials, information on professional schools and internships, and so much more. Personally, I'm in the HealthPAC office at least once every two weeks meeting friends, asking questions, or looking at materials.
I am also about to start the application process for medical school. One thing I know I will take advantage of is the NCSU Health Professions Committee Review process. The HealthPAC website has a portfolio system which allows students to upload activities and descriptions as they complete them. That way, you don't have to try to remember everything when the time comes to apply. Also, once you complete the Medical School application, you have the option of submitting it to the review committee. This committee examines all your information and writes a recommendation for you, which is then sent to the schools to which you are applying. This committee review is nationally recognized. Of course, you're not required to use this resource, but it is definitely a great option!
I am also a member of the Pre-Health Club. This club meets once per month and holds many different workshops, as well as hosts various speakers, all of which help the members prepare for applications, interviews, professional school, and our future careers in the medical field. The Pre-Health Club also holds many different service events throughout the year which members can take advantage of. In order to meet the needs of every member, the club is divided into ten different interests group. These groups include the Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, Pre-Optometry, and Pre-Pharmacy groups, as well as many others. Each of these groups meets at a different time of the month. There are also two medical-related honor societies: Alpha Epsilon Delta (Pre-Medical) and Delta Delta Sigma (Pre-Dental). These societies also meet for workshops, service activities, and social events.
Right now, I am in a class called “BIO 295” on campus. This class meets on Tuesdays for 75 minutes. We have a wonderful Kaplan instructor who teaches us critical thinking skills that help on tests like the MCAT, PCAT, DAT, or OAT. These are the standardized tests you must take to get into professional school (sort of like your high school SAT). Also, for an amazingly low price we received a full set of brand-new, newly-revised Kaplan MCAT test preparation books! No other school in the area has this! The idea behind this course is that by beginning it as a freshman and continuing it every semester, you will have four full semesters of it completed by the time you take the test (usually in your junior year). This is the equivalent of a full preparation course. It is just spread over an extended period, which is much more preferable than cramming all of this information into just a few months before you take your exams!
I know all of these options can seem overwhelming, but keep in mind everything is optional. These are simply a few of the ways NC State and CALS helps prepare you for your next step after college. If you work hard and participate in these activities, you will get so much out of it -- not just another entry on your resume, but a lot of friends, support, and fun!
Lacey
For more info:
HealthPAC: http://harvest.cals.ncsu.edu/health_pac/
Pre-Health Club: http://clubs.ncsu.edu/premed/
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Dining Options
Eating Out-
NC State students have a wide variety of off campus food options. There are four well patronized eating locations within walking distance of campus: Hillsborough Street, Western Boulevard, Mission Valley Shopping Center, and Cameron Village.
Hillsborough Street (directly across from the NCSU library) offers students about 25 restaurant, bar, café, or deli options. There is a little something for every culture and palette, with Mexican, Greek/Mediterranean, Indian, American, Chinese, Japanese and Italian options ranging from casual to fine dining.
Western Boulevard (between Main and Centennial campus) is home to many well known convenience food options including McDonalds, Wendy’s, Bojangles, and Pizza Hut. A student favorite, Cookout (an all American hamburger and milkshake joint) is also located here.
Mission Valley Shopping Center (on the corner of Western Boulevard and Avent Ferry Road) is like Hillsborough Street in that it offers a broad selection of cultural food. Ethiopian, Oriental, and Mexican restaurants are among American delis, cafes, and bars.
Cameron Village (off of Oberlin Road, about 5 minutes driving from campus) is the longest walk from campus so students typically drive. The restaurants, amid local shops and boutiques, are convenient for lunch between shopping. The village’s reasonably priced American style bars and grilles make this location well known for its thriving nightlife, and the perfect spot for a date or a night out with friends.
Most of these restaurants offer discounts or daily specials for students. Coupons can be found in the Technician (our university newspaper) and at Talley Student Center.
Additional information on off campus eating:
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~misra/LieConf2005/foodguide.pdf
Eating In-
Students can also prepare their own meals. Food Lion (with Western Boulevard and Avent Ferry Road locations) is closest to campus. The Avent Ferry location is on NC State’s Wolfline bus route, which provides transportation for students without a vehicle. Harris Teeter (in Cameron Village) is also a popular option.
One of the most cost efficient and sustainable locations to purchase produce is the North Carolina Farmers Market (off of Lake Wheeler Road, about 5 minutes driving from campus). Local farmers sell fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, nuts, cheese, milk, bread, pastries and more. This semester, NC State University worked in collaboration with the NC Farmers Market to provide weekly markets on campus.
North Carolina Farmer’s Market website:
http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/raleigh/index.htm
Hope this helps in choosing from NC State’s wealth of off campus food options. Happy eating!
-Erin Whitley
NC State students have a wide variety of off campus food options. There are four well patronized eating locations within walking distance of campus: Hillsborough Street, Western Boulevard, Mission Valley Shopping Center, and Cameron Village.
Hillsborough Street (directly across from the NCSU library) offers students about 25 restaurant, bar, café, or deli options. There is a little something for every culture and palette, with Mexican, Greek/Mediterranean, Indian, American, Chinese, Japanese and Italian options ranging from casual to fine dining.
Western Boulevard (between Main and Centennial campus) is home to many well known convenience food options including McDonalds, Wendy’s, Bojangles, and Pizza Hut. A student favorite, Cookout (an all American hamburger and milkshake joint) is also located here.
Mission Valley Shopping Center (on the corner of Western Boulevard and Avent Ferry Road) is like Hillsborough Street in that it offers a broad selection of cultural food. Ethiopian, Oriental, and Mexican restaurants are among American delis, cafes, and bars.
Cameron Village (off of Oberlin Road, about 5 minutes driving from campus) is the longest walk from campus so students typically drive. The restaurants, amid local shops and boutiques, are convenient for lunch between shopping. The village’s reasonably priced American style bars and grilles make this location well known for its thriving nightlife, and the perfect spot for a date or a night out with friends.
Most of these restaurants offer discounts or daily specials for students. Coupons can be found in the Technician (our university newspaper) and at Talley Student Center.
Additional information on off campus eating:
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~misra/LieConf2005/foodguide.pdf
Eating In-
Students can also prepare their own meals. Food Lion (with Western Boulevard and Avent Ferry Road locations) is closest to campus. The Avent Ferry location is on NC State’s Wolfline bus route, which provides transportation for students without a vehicle. Harris Teeter (in Cameron Village) is also a popular option.
One of the most cost efficient and sustainable locations to purchase produce is the North Carolina Farmers Market (off of Lake Wheeler Road, about 5 minutes driving from campus). Local farmers sell fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, nuts, cheese, milk, bread, pastries and more. This semester, NC State University worked in collaboration with the NC Farmers Market to provide weekly markets on campus.
North Carolina Farmer’s Market website:
http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/raleigh/index.htm
Hope this helps in choosing from NC State’s wealth of off campus food options. Happy eating!
-Erin Whitley
Monday, October 19, 2009
Off-Campus Medical Opportunities
Medical School: many people want to attend, few are admitted. So, what can you do to set yourself apart? And what resources can you find in Raleigh to assist you in attaining that acceptance letter? Whether conducting research, shadowing, or volunteering, N.C. State is surrounded by numerous opportunities to not only strengthen your resume, but also allow students to attain the experience necessary for medical and other professional schools.
Research is one essential aspect of a CALS student’s experience: it emphasizes discovery-based instruction to students not attainable in lecture halls. Conveniently, N.C. State is located adjacent to Research Triangle Park. RTP harbors many honorary individuals, including recipients of the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes, in addition to winners of the National Science Foundation Award and Presidential Award. Presently spanning 6,971 acres, Research Triangle Park is considered a “center of innovation.” This provides NC State students with an awesome (and convenient) opportunity to gain unique, discovery-based education through hands-on instruction.
If you are seeking shadowing experience or internships, NCSU is located a mere 4 miles from REX Hospital, and within 10 miles of WakeMed Hospital. If you want to branch out and experience individual practices, Raleigh is filled with fine facilities at which you can expand your outlook on medicine. I currently shadow an attending physician in WakeMed’s Emergency Department. The diversity of illnesses and interactions with patients I witness in just an eight hour day is amazing. Dr. Saad advises me to “doctor hop,” allowing me to not only observe a variety of patients but also a variety of physician’s diagnostic methods of treatment. Whether grabbing lunch with a doctor and discussing different aspects of medicine, or learning what to look for on a CT scan or X-ray, the physicians and faculty at WakeMed have significantly strengthened my knowledge of the medical field.
Volunteer opportunities in Raleigh are also very prevalent. There are countless organizations in need of assistance, and they are more than happy to receive help from N.C. State students. Students can discover and learn more about these volunteer opportunities through on-campus clubs, the CALS Career Services Office, and the CSLEPS (Center for Student Leadership, Ethics, and Public Service) website. These resources can all help you find the volunteer program that is right for you. I utilized the CSLEPS website and began volunteering at the medical clinic at Urban Ministries over a year ago.
So yes, the competition for acceptance to Medical School is tough. Fortunately, N.C. State and Raleigh have more resources than you can imagine, helping you create your own unique resume and compete with the very best applicants.
Research is one essential aspect of a CALS student’s experience: it emphasizes discovery-based instruction to students not attainable in lecture halls. Conveniently, N.C. State is located adjacent to Research Triangle Park. RTP harbors many honorary individuals, including recipients of the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes, in addition to winners of the National Science Foundation Award and Presidential Award. Presently spanning 6,971 acres, Research Triangle Park is considered a “center of innovation.” This provides NC State students with an awesome (and convenient) opportunity to gain unique, discovery-based education through hands-on instruction.
If you are seeking shadowing experience or internships, NCSU is located a mere 4 miles from REX Hospital, and within 10 miles of WakeMed Hospital. If you want to branch out and experience individual practices, Raleigh is filled with fine facilities at which you can expand your outlook on medicine. I currently shadow an attending physician in WakeMed’s Emergency Department. The diversity of illnesses and interactions with patients I witness in just an eight hour day is amazing. Dr. Saad advises me to “doctor hop,” allowing me to not only observe a variety of patients but also a variety of physician’s diagnostic methods of treatment. Whether grabbing lunch with a doctor and discussing different aspects of medicine, or learning what to look for on a CT scan or X-ray, the physicians and faculty at WakeMed have significantly strengthened my knowledge of the medical field.
Volunteer opportunities in Raleigh are also very prevalent. There are countless organizations in need of assistance, and they are more than happy to receive help from N.C. State students. Students can discover and learn more about these volunteer opportunities through on-campus clubs, the CALS Career Services Office, and the CSLEPS (Center for Student Leadership, Ethics, and Public Service) website. These resources can all help you find the volunteer program that is right for you. I utilized the CSLEPS website and began volunteering at the medical clinic at Urban Ministries over a year ago.
So yes, the competition for acceptance to Medical School is tough. Fortunately, N.C. State and Raleigh have more resources than you can imagine, helping you create your own unique resume and compete with the very best applicants.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Pre-Vet
Alright, so you think you want to be a vet “when you grow up.” First and foremost, understand that this is an extremely competitive field. There are only 28 vet schools in the nation, and there are plenty of students vying for these few admission seats every year. Don’t get discouraged though – just realize that becoming a vet requires a lot of passion and determination. If you think this is the area you’d like to go into for your career, start preparing NOW! Go talk to your local vet and ask them if you can volunteer. Shadow a large animal veterinarian in your area. And when you get to college, start animal-related research projects.
This is where CALS at NC State can help you. CALS faculty are constantly looking for undergraduate help in research projects. Though some of these projects may be unpaid, you can instead receive class credit in most situations. Personally, I became involved in research the summer before my freshman year, and have continued working in the lab ever since. I participated in the HHMI RISE Program, a 6-week summer research internship for incoming freshman, and began working in a poultry genomics lab on main campus in Scott Hall. Since then, I have presented three times at undergraduate research symposiums, and have even traveled to Australia to present my research at the 2008 World Poultry Congress.
But obviously research is not the only thing you need to focus on when it comes to building your resume for vet school; you also need to have a well-rounded body of veterinary and animal experience. This includes everything from assisting a large animal vet with restraint of a patient during an exam, to walking dogs for your neighbor. Just make sure you keep a log of how many hours you’re accumulating in each of your experiences – this will make applying to vet schools (and even filling out your resume) a much smoother process later!
When it comes to finding these fantastic internships, CALS Career Services is an invaluable resource. CALS is constantly sponsoring workshops to help guide you in your quest for internships, and networking events to help connect you with a professional who may be able to provide just that. The key here is that CALS Career Services is what you make of it. None of the events are mandatory; but of course, the more you participate, the more you will get out of them. So be proactive and take advantage of the resources made available to you! Coming this fall to CALS is an exciting new program called VET Pac! The program will reside in Riddick Hall, and will essentially be a mentoring program strictly for pre-veterinary-focused students. Faculty in the program will help students find internships, connect with local veterinarians, and most importantly, perfect those vet school applications!
My best advice is just to get out there and try things. Dabble in small animal medicine, give large animal practice a try, and even explore the field of exotic animal care. What is even more important than getting into vet school is making sure that being a veterinarian is really your dream career. And after all of that experience you decide you really do want to be a veterinarian, then you will already be well on your way!
This is where CALS at NC State can help you. CALS faculty are constantly looking for undergraduate help in research projects. Though some of these projects may be unpaid, you can instead receive class credit in most situations. Personally, I became involved in research the summer before my freshman year, and have continued working in the lab ever since. I participated in the HHMI RISE Program, a 6-week summer research internship for incoming freshman, and began working in a poultry genomics lab on main campus in Scott Hall. Since then, I have presented three times at undergraduate research symposiums, and have even traveled to Australia to present my research at the 2008 World Poultry Congress.
But obviously research is not the only thing you need to focus on when it comes to building your resume for vet school; you also need to have a well-rounded body of veterinary and animal experience. This includes everything from assisting a large animal vet with restraint of a patient during an exam, to walking dogs for your neighbor. Just make sure you keep a log of how many hours you’re accumulating in each of your experiences – this will make applying to vet schools (and even filling out your resume) a much smoother process later!
When it comes to finding these fantastic internships, CALS Career Services is an invaluable resource. CALS is constantly sponsoring workshops to help guide you in your quest for internships, and networking events to help connect you with a professional who may be able to provide just that. The key here is that CALS Career Services is what you make of it. None of the events are mandatory; but of course, the more you participate, the more you will get out of them. So be proactive and take advantage of the resources made available to you! Coming this fall to CALS is an exciting new program called VET Pac! The program will reside in Riddick Hall, and will essentially be a mentoring program strictly for pre-veterinary-focused students. Faculty in the program will help students find internships, connect with local veterinarians, and most importantly, perfect those vet school applications!
My best advice is just to get out there and try things. Dabble in small animal medicine, give large animal practice a try, and even explore the field of exotic animal care. What is even more important than getting into vet school is making sure that being a veterinarian is really your dream career. And after all of that experience you decide you really do want to be a veterinarian, then you will already be well on your way!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
University Scholars
When I first heard about University Scholars, I thought it sounded like another program that would benefit me academically. My first impression has definitely proved to be true! The Scholars program requires you to take honors courses and attend lectures on a variety of different subjects. I was very excited to Scholars would provide me with the opportunity learn about topics of business, engineering, and the arts, as I am a Biological Sciences major and do not have much exposure to these topics otherwise. University Scholars has also made me a more informed person; because of the program, I now make reading the news part of my daily routine. What is more, the community and trips the program has provided me with have ended up being one my favorite things about my freshman year here at North Carolina State University. Because scholars offered free transportation and tickets, I was able to see professional productions in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham. I even participated in a weekend trip to Virginia to see a Shakespeare play. I was so impressed with how the program helped to broaden my perspectives.
Although all these experiences were amazing, my very favorite activity was the Fall Break Backpacking trip. University Scholars offers a few trips each semester with the Outdoor Leadership Series. Having never backpacked before, I thought it would be a great opportunity to try something different and meet new people. This four-day excursion ended up being one the best outdoor trips I have ever been on because of great friends, leadership building, and the beautiful scenery. It was a great break from being on campus, and I learned much about myself and about surviving outdoors.
University Scholars has been a fantastic program for me and I highly recommend it to anyone who interested in learning about the world and what it has to offer. So if you have ever wanted to learn a native African dance, or travel downtown to see an original play, scholars might just be the program for you!
Although all these experiences were amazing, my very favorite activity was the Fall Break Backpacking trip. University Scholars offers a few trips each semester with the Outdoor Leadership Series. Having never backpacked before, I thought it would be a great opportunity to try something different and meet new people. This four-day excursion ended up being one the best outdoor trips I have ever been on because of great friends, leadership building, and the beautiful scenery. It was a great break from being on campus, and I learned much about myself and about surviving outdoors.
University Scholars has been a fantastic program for me and I highly recommend it to anyone who interested in learning about the world and what it has to offer. So if you have ever wanted to learn a native African dance, or travel downtown to see an original play, scholars might just be the program for you!
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