If you have asked a question using the contact form found under the "Contact" tab, look for the response here. Also, read other students' responses to learn from what others are asking.
Asked on 4/3/2015:
I was just accepted into SMDEP at UNMC and I was just wondering how much time you got to spend in the hospital and if you get to choose the area to shadow. Also, are visitors allowed?
Congratulations on your acceptance. An memorable part of your experience at SMDEP at UNMC is shadowing. When I took the program, I shadowed at the main hospital on campus and the student-run clinics off campus. While you do have input into what area you shadow, there are limited areas and you may not get your number one choice. Nonetheless, the shadowing experience is terrific and important! With shadowing, you get to spend time in the hospital. Also, you spend time in the hospital during lunch and other events, but most of the "learning" time is spent at the medical school. Please, keep in mind that the program curriculum may change for the summer that you will attend.
With respect to the exact visitors policy, it is best to directly contact the program coordinator and learn from them.
Good luck!
Asked on 11/16/2014:
Does University of Nebraska SMDEP offer a CPR certification at the end of the six-weeks? I am a CA resident. Does SMDEP care what my state residency is?
When I completed SMDEP in summer 2012, a CPR certification class was given. Passing students passing were given CPR certification. If you would like to learn more about CPR certification in the summer you plan to attend SMDEP, I suggest directly contacting the program site to learn more. They would be happy to let you know more about some of the events that SMDEP scholars participate in!
Regarding residency, I saw students from all over the country at UNMC-SMDEP in summer 2012, including: California, Texas, Iowa, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama, Virginia, and Hawaii. Many students were from Nebraska and the surrounding states because UNMC-SMDEP receives many applications from those states, which I think is also similar to other state SMDEP programs. I highly encourage you to apply to UNMC as its program welcomes many students from around the country which contribute to the uniqueness of the program! Of course, you can also direct specific residency questions to the program office contact information found at smdep.org.
Asked on 5/3/2014:
What are you supposed to write for the personal comment?
The words "personal comment" make it seem as if this essay could be very casual and quick, but the personal comment is really a personal statement of who you are, your professional goals in medicine, how those goals and the preparation for those goals is reflected in your experiences, what motivates you to pursue those goals, key experiences that have allowed you to mature and grow as an individual, etc. In other words, this is an essay that should be taken seriously!
To start writing, I suggest doing some brainstorming. Reflect deeply about who you are. This is not what your favorite color is, your favorite sports team, etc. Meaningful things in the "who are you category" include: your racial and social background, your socioeconomic background and how that contributes to your perspective on being in health care, your education, etc. For example, if you grew up taking care of a disabled/disadvantaged family member and later helped elderly individuals in a nursing home, you can talk about how this has taught you self-sacrifice and putting others' needs ahead of your own, which is something you learned from an early age as the oldest child because your siblings looked up to you as both a leader and a friend . . . which is something that has helped prepare you for being a physician that puts others first. This is, of course, a small starter example. From that topic you would progress and describe your other experiences and learning moments, especially those that served as learning moments for ethics, integrity, teamwork, etc. In a personal comment/statement, it is important to have a unifying voice throughout the entire essay, but not to dwell on the same theme/topic. That unifying voice provides a background for your reader to understand and lets them read your essay as if they have known you for a long time--but offer your reader a wonderful variety of experiences to get to know you through!
Of course, being creative in a personal comment/statement earns you bonus points. However, focus on delivering a strong message through your writing and content first before working on the creativity of your essay. There is never a good excuse for bad grammar--so be sure to get your essay proofread to the bone! Hope this helps!
Asked on 4/21/2014:
I will be participating in SMDEP UNMC this summer and I have a couple questions.
First, did you have a lot of spare time where you could relax or take care of other things? Also, was some of the material covered review for you? Too easy, too difficult?
Regarding spare time, a typical daily schedule would usually begin with classes at 8 AM. You return to the dorms at around 4-5 PM. After dinner, some required evening talks or programs are arranged on various days and some optional "fun" trips are also offered. You may also have homework assignments to complete. The business of the evening schedule will vary from week to week, but is not usually too overwhelming.
Whether or not the review material is difficult depends upon where you are in your undergraduate studies and the background information you have on the subjects. Although you may be exposed to completely new areas or topics in which you have never had any previous study, there is no need to be anxious, as the material is presented so that there is more focus on engagement and learning, as opposed to assessment.
Asked on 12/22/2013:
I noticed there was a strong emphasis on being an under-represented minority. If I'm not, is it worth it to apply?
SMDEP is an enrichment program particularly geared for those who are from underrepresented minorities or have a strong interest in serving those from underprivileged groups. At SMDEP, there was a diverse range of individuals from all walks of life: Hispanic/Latino, African American, Caucasian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Filipino, multi-racial, etc. I would definitely encourage you to apply, regardless of your racial/ethnic make-up.
I don't really have any sort of relationship with my math and science professors - would English or writing professors be OK for a letter of recommendation?
Please, see the following link for the letter of recommendation guidelines stated on the SMDEP website: http://smdep.org/apply-to-smdep/letters-of-recommendation/
For the diversity essay, can I use my own personal experience?
The diversity essay is very important. SMDEP does not interview applicants, so make sure that your passion and motivation are communicated strongly in a meaningful, well-written essay. Using personal experiences to strengthen your message sounds like an excellent idea. I would only recommend that you make sure to directly connect your personal experience to the main subject of the essay. Write and re-read your essay several times over at least two weeks. Good essays take time to develop! Remember that your personal statement and diversity essay are two different essays. Be sure to address all of the essay guidelines in each essay.
Which schools do you think I should apply to if I am highly interested in dental school?
I attended SMDEP at UNMC for the pre-medicine path, and I may not be the most knowledgeable to speak on behalf of the pre-dental SMDEP experience. However, my fellow pre-dental SMDEP classmates at UNMC had an excellent educational and professional development experience that was filled with hands-on activities (such as making dental imprints), shadowing surgical procedures, and other great opportunities. Read more about the pre-dental SMDEP experience at UNMC at the following link: http://www.unmc.edu/studentservices/smdep_academic.htm
Asked on 12/28/2012:
How long was your essay?
In structuring your SMDEP application essays, there are two main things to keep in mind: 1) the character limit 2) the message you want to relay about yourself with respect to giving a relevant, meaningful answer to the essay topic. That being said, it is possible to write essays that do not require the entire character limit of the essay and still get accepted, as was the case with me. I suggest writing out your essay in a separate document and copy-pasting the final essay into the application. Before writing your essay, write out some questions you believe would be relevant to answering the essay. For example, "Why are you choosing medicine?"; "What do you hope to accomplish and what are you doing now to accomplish this?"; etc. Offer insight into the type of individual you are--beyond just the type of information found in the application's extracurricular activities portion. Doing this for both the personal statement and the diversity essay will help you create better essays.
Asked on 12/22/2013:
I noticed there was a strong emphasis on being an under-represented minority. If I'm not, is it worth it to apply?
SMDEP is an enrichment program particularly geared for those who are from underrepresented minorities or have a strong interest in serving those from underprivileged groups. At SMDEP, there was a diverse range of individuals from all walks of life: Hispanic/Latino, African American, Caucasian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Filipino, multi-racial, etc. I would definitely encourage you to apply, regardless of your racial/ethnic make-up.
I don't really have any sort of relationship with my math and science professors - would English or writing professors be OK for a letter of recommendation?
Please, see the following link for the letter of recommendation guidelines stated on the SMDEP website: http://smdep.org/apply-to-smdep/letters-of-recommendation/
For the diversity essay, can I use my own personal experience?
The diversity essay is very important. SMDEP does not interview applicants, so make sure that your passion and motivation are communicated strongly in a meaningful, well-written essay. Using personal experiences to strengthen your message sounds like an excellent idea. I would only recommend that you make sure to directly connect your personal experience to the main subject of the essay. Write and re-read your essay several times over at least two weeks. Good essays take time to develop! Remember that your personal statement and diversity essay are two different essays. Be sure to address all of the essay guidelines in each essay.
Which schools do you think I should apply to if I am highly interested in dental school?
I attended SMDEP at UNMC for the pre-medicine path, and I may not be the most knowledgeable to speak on behalf of the pre-dental SMDEP experience. However, my fellow pre-dental SMDEP classmates at UNMC had an excellent educational and professional development experience that was filled with hands-on activities (such as making dental imprints), shadowing surgical procedures, and other great opportunities. Read more about the pre-dental SMDEP experience at UNMC at the following link: http://www.unmc.edu/studentservices/smdep_academic.htm
Asked on 4/3/2015:
I was just accepted into SMDEP at UNMC and I was just wondering how much time you got to spend in the hospital and if you get to choose the area to shadow. Also, are visitors allowed?
Congratulations on your acceptance. An memorable part of your experience at SMDEP at UNMC is shadowing. When I took the program, I shadowed at the main hospital on campus and the student-run clinics off campus. While you do have input into what area you shadow, there are limited areas and you may not get your number one choice. Nonetheless, the shadowing experience is terrific and important! With shadowing, you get to spend time in the hospital. Also, you spend time in the hospital during lunch and other events, but most of the "learning" time is spent at the medical school. Please, keep in mind that the program curriculum may change for the summer that you will attend.
With respect to the exact visitors policy, it is best to directly contact the program coordinator and learn from them.
Good luck!
Asked on 11/16/2014:
Does University of Nebraska SMDEP offer a CPR certification at the end of the six-weeks? I am a CA resident. Does SMDEP care what my state residency is?
When I completed SMDEP in summer 2012, a CPR certification class was given. Passing students passing were given CPR certification. If you would like to learn more about CPR certification in the summer you plan to attend SMDEP, I suggest directly contacting the program site to learn more. They would be happy to let you know more about some of the events that SMDEP scholars participate in!
Regarding residency, I saw students from all over the country at UNMC-SMDEP in summer 2012, including: California, Texas, Iowa, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama, Virginia, and Hawaii. Many students were from Nebraska and the surrounding states because UNMC-SMDEP receives many applications from those states, which I think is also similar to other state SMDEP programs. I highly encourage you to apply to UNMC as its program welcomes many students from around the country which contribute to the uniqueness of the program! Of course, you can also direct specific residency questions to the program office contact information found at smdep.org.
Asked on 5/3/2014:
What are you supposed to write for the personal comment?
The words "personal comment" make it seem as if this essay could be very casual and quick, but the personal comment is really a personal statement of who you are, your professional goals in medicine, how those goals and the preparation for those goals is reflected in your experiences, what motivates you to pursue those goals, key experiences that have allowed you to mature and grow as an individual, etc. In other words, this is an essay that should be taken seriously!
To start writing, I suggest doing some brainstorming. Reflect deeply about who you are. This is not what your favorite color is, your favorite sports team, etc. Meaningful things in the "who are you category" include: your racial and social background, your socioeconomic background and how that contributes to your perspective on being in health care, your education, etc. For example, if you grew up taking care of a disabled/disadvantaged family member and later helped elderly individuals in a nursing home, you can talk about how this has taught you self-sacrifice and putting others' needs ahead of your own, which is something you learned from an early age as the oldest child because your siblings looked up to you as both a leader and a friend . . . which is something that has helped prepare you for being a physician that puts others first. This is, of course, a small starter example. From that topic you would progress and describe your other experiences and learning moments, especially those that served as learning moments for ethics, integrity, teamwork, etc. In a personal comment/statement, it is important to have a unifying voice throughout the entire essay, but not to dwell on the same theme/topic. That unifying voice provides a background for your reader to understand and lets them read your essay as if they have known you for a long time--but offer your reader a wonderful variety of experiences to get to know you through!
Of course, being creative in a personal comment/statement earns you bonus points. However, focus on delivering a strong message through your writing and content first before working on the creativity of your essay. There is never a good excuse for bad grammar--so be sure to get your essay proofread to the bone! Hope this helps!
Asked on 4/21/2014:
I will be participating in SMDEP UNMC this summer and I have a couple questions.
First, did you have a lot of spare time where you could relax or take care of other things? Also, was some of the material covered review for you? Too easy, too difficult?
Regarding spare time, a typical daily schedule would usually begin with classes at 8 AM. You return to the dorms at around 4-5 PM. After dinner, some required evening talks or programs are arranged on various days and some optional "fun" trips are also offered. You may also have homework assignments to complete. The business of the evening schedule will vary from week to week, but is not usually too overwhelming.
Whether or not the review material is difficult depends upon where you are in your undergraduate studies and the background information you have on the subjects. Although you may be exposed to completely new areas or topics in which you have never had any previous study, there is no need to be anxious, as the material is presented so that there is more focus on engagement and learning, as opposed to assessment.
Asked on 12/22/2013:
I noticed there was a strong emphasis on being an under-represented minority. If I'm not, is it worth it to apply?
SMDEP is an enrichment program particularly geared for those who are from underrepresented minorities or have a strong interest in serving those from underprivileged groups. At SMDEP, there was a diverse range of individuals from all walks of life: Hispanic/Latino, African American, Caucasian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Filipino, multi-racial, etc. I would definitely encourage you to apply, regardless of your racial/ethnic make-up.
I don't really have any sort of relationship with my math and science professors - would English or writing professors be OK for a letter of recommendation?
Please, see the following link for the letter of recommendation guidelines stated on the SMDEP website: http://smdep.org/apply-to-smdep/letters-of-recommendation/
For the diversity essay, can I use my own personal experience?
The diversity essay is very important. SMDEP does not interview applicants, so make sure that your passion and motivation are communicated strongly in a meaningful, well-written essay. Using personal experiences to strengthen your message sounds like an excellent idea. I would only recommend that you make sure to directly connect your personal experience to the main subject of the essay. Write and re-read your essay several times over at least two weeks. Good essays take time to develop! Remember that your personal statement and diversity essay are two different essays. Be sure to address all of the essay guidelines in each essay.
Which schools do you think I should apply to if I am highly interested in dental school?
I attended SMDEP at UNMC for the pre-medicine path, and I may not be the most knowledgeable to speak on behalf of the pre-dental SMDEP experience. However, my fellow pre-dental SMDEP classmates at UNMC had an excellent educational and professional development experience that was filled with hands-on activities (such as making dental imprints), shadowing surgical procedures, and other great opportunities. Read more about the pre-dental SMDEP experience at UNMC at the following link: http://www.unmc.edu/studentservices/smdep_academic.htm
Asked on 12/28/2012:
How long was your essay?
In structuring your SMDEP application essays, there are two main things to keep in mind: 1) the character limit 2) the message you want to relay about yourself with respect to giving a relevant, meaningful answer to the essay topic. That being said, it is possible to write essays that do not require the entire character limit of the essay and still get accepted, as was the case with me. I suggest writing out your essay in a separate document and copy-pasting the final essay into the application. Before writing your essay, write out some questions you believe would be relevant to answering the essay. For example, "Why are you choosing medicine?"; "What do you hope to accomplish and what are you doing now to accomplish this?"; etc. Offer insight into the type of individual you are--beyond just the type of information found in the application's extracurricular activities portion. Doing this for both the personal statement and the diversity essay will help you create better essays.
Asked on 12/22/2013:
I noticed there was a strong emphasis on being an under-represented minority. If I'm not, is it worth it to apply?
SMDEP is an enrichment program particularly geared for those who are from underrepresented minorities or have a strong interest in serving those from underprivileged groups. At SMDEP, there was a diverse range of individuals from all walks of life: Hispanic/Latino, African American, Caucasian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Filipino, multi-racial, etc. I would definitely encourage you to apply, regardless of your racial/ethnic make-up.
I don't really have any sort of relationship with my math and science professors - would English or writing professors be OK for a letter of recommendation?
Please, see the following link for the letter of recommendation guidelines stated on the SMDEP website: http://smdep.org/apply-to-smdep/letters-of-recommendation/
For the diversity essay, can I use my own personal experience?
The diversity essay is very important. SMDEP does not interview applicants, so make sure that your passion and motivation are communicated strongly in a meaningful, well-written essay. Using personal experiences to strengthen your message sounds like an excellent idea. I would only recommend that you make sure to directly connect your personal experience to the main subject of the essay. Write and re-read your essay several times over at least two weeks. Good essays take time to develop! Remember that your personal statement and diversity essay are two different essays. Be sure to address all of the essay guidelines in each essay.
Which schools do you think I should apply to if I am highly interested in dental school?
I attended SMDEP at UNMC for the pre-medicine path, and I may not be the most knowledgeable to speak on behalf of the pre-dental SMDEP experience. However, my fellow pre-dental SMDEP classmates at UNMC had an excellent educational and professional development experience that was filled with hands-on activities (such as making dental imprints), shadowing surgical procedures, and other great opportunities. Read more about the pre-dental SMDEP experience at UNMC at the following link: http://www.unmc.edu/studentservices/smdep_academic.htm