Brown University health students rely on health career advising for everything from first-semester course selection to support during the admissions process to medical school and other health-related programs.
But HCA has had a bad reputation among students for years, the Herald previously reported. In both 2016 and 2022, students cited inadequate on-campus advising support, highlighting difficulty making appointments and securing required application components from HCA in a timely manner. I did.
Now, with updates to HCA resources and student support, that may change.
Over the past two years, HCA has made a number of updates to its advising process, which Ginger Fischer, assistant dean of the College of Preprofessional Advising, believes will help “build a path to a career in medicine. “We believe in supporting our students,” she wrote in her paper. Email the Herald.
According to the Association of American Universities website, 258 students applied to medical school from the university during the 2015-16 academic year. Sarah Taylor, senior faculty member and academic advisor, told the Herald at the time that HCA was “significantly under-resourced” to meet the advising needs of pre-health students on campus. .
She said because of the small number of HCA staff, pre-med students who are also biology experts turned to the biology department for advising support.
In 2016, HCA was led by George Vasilev, the university’s former associate dean for pre-professional advising, but students say they received little support from the university. One student interviewed at the time called Vasilyov more of a “club bouncer” than an advisor.
Health students interviewed in 2016 also highlighted letters from the HCA committee as a source of stress in the application process.
Before starting the formal application process in June, students must complete the HCA dossier, which is “essentially a draft application to medical or dental school,” Fisher wrote. There is. In 2016, students submitted draft personal statements and activity lists as part of their documentation.
Applicants must then complete an interview with the HCA Committee, which will create a personalized committee letter based on each student’s interview and application materials. Ideally, the HCA will submit the committee letter to the student’s U.S. Medical School Application Services portal before the September application deadline.
However, some students noted that the letters were sent as late as early October, which they believe hurt their chances of admission. Some of these students believe that HCA is aware of the applicant’s chances of being accepted into medical school because medical schools do not consider applications until all materials, including letters, are submitted. I speculated that it may have affected how quickly I submitted my letter.
Six years later, students interviewed by the Herald in spring 2022 expressed similar concerns.
“I think[people]have to understand on some level that they may not get the letter from the committee as soon as possible, and that’s outside of their control,” Lan Liang said. ’22 said. He told the Herald at the time that he had applied to dental school.
Students also said they had limited access to advice appointments, both through committee letters and in person, and found it difficult to seek support throughout their pre-health lives.
Over the past two years, HCA has made a number of changes to both its staffing and advice processes.
In August 2022, Vasilev left the university. His role was temporarily taken over by Alan Tankel, who has been named the new Medical Career Advisory Specialist for the 2022-23 academic year.
That fall, HCA decided to replace the committee letter after “considering data from other schools and having many discussions about the role of the committee letter,” the pre-professional school said in January 2023. wrote Fisher, who has arrived as associate dean of advisors. .
Instead of writing a committee letter to each applicant, HCA is now compiling a letter addressed to each student. This package includes a cover letter explaining Brown’s open curriculum and any letters of recommendation the student has requested from faculty and supervisors.
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HCA’s primary reason for moving to the use of letter packets was that the committee’s letter process “caused a great deal of stress among students” and was perceived by students as “highly valued”; There are also benefits to advisor relationships, Fisher writes. It makes for a more relaxed environment. ”
Additionally, time previously allocated to writing HCA committee letters can now be spent advising appointments with students to discuss documents with an advisor to strengthen their application. .
Students can also do mock interviews with their advisors, where they “receive instant feedback to improve their interviewing skills,” Fisher wrote.
Still, such advisor appointments are “in short supply,” pre-health student Zoe Siegel, 25, wrote in an email to the Herald.
Isaac Zinn ’27 said he has limited time slots to meet with his advisors. However, he was able to schedule an appointment with Tunkel and received helpful advice about resources and clinical experience.
In the past two years, HCA has also created a Google Classroom that professional health school applicants can participate in in January before applying. Google Classroom organizes the resources and information applicants need and allows HCAs to set up advising meetings with students and write letters of recommendation.
In August of this year, HCA launched an updated version of its website offering informational sessions about careers in the medical field and the application process.
The new website is “something I actually wish we had” during my undergraduate days, said Sarada Miriyala ’23, a graduate who applied to the MD/PhD program this cycle, in an interview with the Herald. She said she wishes there was more “professional” support for students applying to MD/PhD programs and other non-medical specialty schools.
Fisher said the Health Career Peer Advisor program “has really taken off over the last two years.”
As an HCPA, a team of seven upperclassmen hosts an open hour to “address most of the first-year (and second-year) questions and overwhelming emotions,” according to peer advisor Samira Lakhiani ’25. and said that advisors help upperclassmen apply to medical school.
“Not only do MD/PhD students need advice, they also need community,” Lakiani added, noting that HCPA hosts events to help build community among MD/PhD students. did.
Being a pre-health student is “somewhat challenging” and can involve a “culture of gatekeeping,” said peer advisor Mmesoma Nwokolo ’26. “Our job is to silence that noise and help students focus on their passions.”
