Cambridge Coaching MCAT Webinar: Theories of Development

 It's a weekly live webinar about a high yield MCAT topic. It's short, sweet, and packed with valuable insight into both the topic at hand and how it's tested on the MCAT. While we are in the process of developing these materials, we are offering the webinar for free. Consider yourself a pilot student for a future Cambridge Coaching MCAT course, or textbook, or self-study platform (only the future can tell). All we ask in exchange is that you keep coming, participate in Q & A, share your feedback, and let friends know about this resource. This webinar's topic will be Theories of Development, and will take place Friday August 28 at 1pm EST. 

Register for this week's webinar here. 

Caring for Communities of Color 2020 Conference

Caring for Communities of Color 2020 Conference, organized by a group of second year medical students at the University of Michigan Medical School, will take place virtually, August 31 - September 2, 2020. This free conference is open to participants across the country! To learn more and register, visit https://www.caringforhealthjustice.com/

From the conference organizers: "This conference emerges from our personal passions to improve healthcare for the marginalized, our commitment to innovate, and our efforts integrating these passions into our training as medical students.

This conference is a salient opportunity. At its core, primary care serving communities of color is a collaboration - of different fields, types of clinicians, agencies and organizations, and patients of diverse life experiences. We envision this to be a new space for all of these stakeholders to engage in dialogue that centers the health needs of communities of color, empowers clinicians and institutions to support one another in meeting those needs, and builds new partnerships for health equity work. This is an active space, a working space, and an accountability space.

Our conference and panelists are rooted in our communities of color we are accountable to serving, located in Southeastern Michigan. However, we welcome healthcare institutions & trainees across the country to the conversation."

Event: Interviewing for the Health Professions

Join Dr. Amanda Dye, Senior Associate Director, Health Professions Advising, for a presentation and workshop on interviewing for the health professions. We will discuss pre- and post-interview etiquette, what to expect on the interview day, interview formats (including virtual interviews!), common questions, and more. All prehealth students and alumnae are welcome, and current applicants to health professions schools are especially encouraged to attend! Register on Handshake. 

Interviewing for the Health Professions

Wednesday Sept 9

6:00 - 7:00 PM

MCAT Updates and Information

This October, the AAMC will release enhanced free resources and a new, low-cost MCAT Official Prep product to help students prepare for the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section. You can learn more and sign up to be notified when these resources are available. Below is a preview and a few operational reminders.

The MCAT Official Prep Sample Test is becoming a FREE Resource

• The MCAT Official Prep Sample Test can help examinees identify their strengths and weaknesses as they begin preparing for the exam. It includes 230 questions and solutions written by the test developers of the actual MCAT exam and will be accessible in the MCAT Official Prep Hub for free in October. 

NEW MCAT Official Prep CARS Diagnostic Tool

• The CARS Diagnostic Tool will be the first section-specific diagnostic product by the AAMC that helps examinees identify their areas of strengths and weaknesses in the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section of the MCAT exam. The tool includes the following features: 
• Video walkthroughs of how to approach answering two example CARS passage sets 
• 28 passage sets for learners to practice with 169 questions that have been created by the developers of the MCAT exam 
• Enhanced score reports to help learners evaluate their strengths and weaknesses
• Explanations for all answer choices written by the same developers as the actual MCAT exam
• Enhancements to the question review that enable learners to dive deep into the skills assessed in CARS
• Strategies to improve learners' critical analysis and reasoning skills 

The AAMC Fee Assistance Program MCAT Prep benefits will include the new MCAT Official Prep CARS Diagnostic Tool. Individuals who have opted to receive their MCAT Official Prep products benefit in 2020 will be granted access to this product, in addition to all online AAMC MCAT Official Prep products. Please visit our website for more information and the full list of  Fee Assistance Program benefits.If you or your students have questions about the Fee Assistance Program, please contact fap@aamc.org or 202-828-0600.


Enhancements to MCAT Official Prep Products and Resources


Updated FREE Road Map to MCAT Content in Sociology and Psychology Textbooks

• The AAMC reached out to more publishers of introductory psychology and sociology textbooks to expand the list of resources and information on where to find the concepts learners will need to know for the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section of the MCAT exam. The Road Map also includes open-access textbooks.

Updated FREE Online MCAT Study Plan Guide 

• Creating a study plan is a great way for students to organize their preparation, keep themselves focused, and track their progress. In 2019, the AAMC launched an online version of the How to Create A Study Plan guide in beta and has since made several enhancements based on user feedback.

Enhancement to the Layout of Practice Products in the MCAT Official Prep Hub

• The layout of practice questions in AAMC MCAT Official Prep Question Packs, Section Bank, Online Flashcards, and Online Questions from The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam will change. The passages will now appear on the left with the questions to the right to reduce the amount of scrolling required and improve the practice experience. 

Important Operational Reminders

• Between October 1-22, some AAMC MCAT Official Prep products will be unavailable for purchase in the AAMC Store:These products are the AAMC MCAT Official Prep Sample Test, Online-Only Bundle, and Complete Bundle.This will allow us to transition the Sample Test to a free product and prepare to include the new CARS Diagnostic Tool in our bundles.  

Virtual Event: Diversity in Osteopathic Medicine, with Tour4Diversity in Medicine & AACOM

AACOM is committed to increasing diversity in osteopathic medicine and we have teamed up with Tour4Diversity in Medicine to bring to you our first Diversity in Osteopathic Medicine: Virtual Event. 

On September 12, 2020 from 12-6pm ET, we invite students from Barnard College to join us for live workshops with physicians and current medical students on topics such as critical test taking strategies, the importance of mentorship, interview skills, and more!

Please use this link to register: https://www.careereco.com/Fair/EventDetails?fairId=b83a8fd5-d11c-4c4f-b8df-ac0e010a4672. 

Live Event Agenda: 

12:00 PM	Introduction and Welcome from AACOM
	Why Osteopathic Medicine? A Career with a Mission
12:45 PM	Introduction of Medical School Fair/Break
1:00 PM	Critical Skills: Test Taking
1:45 PM	The Importance of Mentoring
2:30 PM	Break
2:45 PM	Critical Skills: Interviewing
3:30 PM	Responding on the Front Lines of COVID-19
4:30 PM	Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Demonstration
5:00 PM	Question and Answer

We look forward to "seeing" you and your students on September 12!

Virtual Information Sessions: Sidney Kimmel Medical College

These info sessions are a chance for prospective students to get to know more about what SKMC looks for in an applicant as well as what a day in the life of an SKMC student is like. There will be a student panel and opportunities to ask questions about SKMC or med school in general. There will also be a presentation given by the director and dean of admissions that is more tailored to the application process.

The information sessions will be held via zoom on the following dates:

1.      Friday, August 28th 3-5 pm
2.      Saturday, September 26th 11-1 pm
3.      Saturday, October 24th 11-1 pm

Anyone who is interested can RSVP by sending an email with their name and contact information to SKMC.infosessions@jefferson.edu and I will send them the zoom link to join.

Job Opportunity: Research Technician Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Link: https://opportunities.columbia.edu/cw/en-us/job/508352?lApplicationSubSourceID=

Position Summary: The Technician B will join the laboratory of a Principal Investigator in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. The focus of the laboratory Is to understand how mucosal immune responses affect repair and maintenance of environmental barriers. Under the direct supervision of the Principal Investigator, the Technician B will assist with ordering equipment and supplies, organizing the laboratory space, and managing the laboratory's mouse colony to integrate in vivo models that assess immune function. These studies involve working with animals, preparation of immune cells from mouse tissue for flow cytometric analysis and sorting, and other molecular and cell biology techniques.

Responsibilities: Mouse husbandry, ordering and maintaining lab supplies, records and equipment; preparation of common stock solutions and reagents; and performing other related duties, as assigned. Experimental duties include: Isolation, tissue culture, and activation of primary mouse immune cells from lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues, including lymph nodes, spleen, lung, intestines, liver, adipose tissue and skin; and performing other related duties necessary to the functioning of the laboratory.