FARMINGTON, ME (January 30, 2018) — The University of Maine at Farmington has created a Pre-Med Job Shadow pilot program that can provide a valuable window into a career in medicine and be a game changer for students interested in the medical profession.
The program was developed by a pre-professional advisory group of UMF faculty, medical school advisors and Maine Medical Center and Franklin Memorial Hospital physicians and residents. The experience provides students with the best clinical exposure possible, prior to medical school.
According to a 2017 study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. is on trend to face a shortage of more than 100-thousand doctors by 2030. The AAMC website states that job shadowing a doctor is a great way for students to become familiar with the many different medical and research specialties, gain experience to refer to on medical school applications and interviews, and discover if a career in medicine is the right path for them.
The UMF program launched in summer 2017 with its first two students with hopes to expand to additional University of Maine System campuses.
“I wasn’t sure about a career in medicine when I started,” said O’Connell. “But my job shadowing experience has been only positive. I have professional mentors to answer all my questions and am getting a first-hand view at the day-to-day world of day-surgery physicians.”
Courtney Frost, from Anson, a 2017 UMF graduate with a major in psychology, returned to UMF to finish her pre-med requirements. She worked for Allied Physical Therapy in 2017 and has been participating in the job shadowing program since June.
“This program was a life-changer for me,” said Frost. “I don’t have any physicians in my family and this experience showed me what it’s like to be part of a medical family. Now I know I want to be a pediatrician, and I have the necessary experience to help me get into medical school.”
While there is no universally recognized pre-medical major anywhere, medical schools typically require a solid background in the sciences plus, often one semester of calculus. UMF sophomores who have completed their first two years of the UMF pre-med program, including organic chemistry, and have an interest in a career in medicine, can apply for the job shadowing program.
“I am so appreciative of my collaborators in the Farmington medical community. Job shadowing a medical professional is one of the best out-of-the-classroom experiences a pre-med student can have,” said Mariella Passarelli, UMF professor of chemistry and director of the job shadowing program. “Medical school is so competitive, and this program partners students with physician mentors who can provide them with a wide array of medical options, professional feedback and encourage them in their medical career interests.”
More About UMF Pre-Med and Health Related Opportunities
In addition to offering coursework to prepare graduates for medical school, UMF also helps prepare students interested in any variety of health-related and medical schools including dental, optometry, pharmacy and veterinary.
UMF also participates in the Tufts Maine Track Early Assurance Program. Through this agreement, UMF Pre-professional health students who are in good academic standing at the end of their sophomore year can apply to secure a seat in two years in the entering Tufts medical school class as part of the Maine Track program.
Furthermore, UMF is one of a consortia of schools that partners with the world-renowned Jackson Laboratory biomedical research institution and National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center based in Bar Harbor and the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove, Maine.
Both institutions offer student training and internships promoting bio-medical research. UMF has an endowed paid internship at the Jackson Laboratory.
Media Contact
Mariella Passarelli, UMF professor of chemistry, mariella@maine.edu or 207.778.8151
EDITOR’S NOTE
Image can be found at:
https://www.umf.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1/2018/04/RP178-033-1024×683.jpg
Photo Credit: UMF photo
Photo Caption: Left to right: UMF students Brennah O’Connell and Courtney Frost, first participants in UMF Pre-Med Job Shadow program, are joined by Mariella Passarelli, UMF professor of chemistry and director of the pilot program.