Third-Year Medical College Rotations for Premedical Honors Program Undergraduates

Authors

Harvey G. Stenger Jr., Binghamton University—State University of New York
William L. Ziegler, Binghamton University—State University of New York

Date of this Version

2024

Document Type

Article

Citation

Honors in Practice (2024) 20; National Collegiate Honors Council; Guest editor: John Zubizarreta

Comments

Copyright 2024, National Collegiate Honors Council. Used by permission.

Abstract

Honors programs typically enroll many students interested in the healthcare field, and honors administrators and faculty do their best to ensure that those students’ dreams are fulfilled. With Medical Doctor (MD) program acceptance rates averaging just 6.1%, students need a standout application. Experience has shown that getting accepted into a medical school is more than earning a great GPA and excelling on the MCAT exam; it also requires convincing a committee of professionals that an applicant has the right personal qualities and work ethic to succeed in the field of medicine, and applicants need to highlight their clinical experience as a method of standing out from the crowd. The authors describe an honors program internship for undergraduate students to participate in a unique experience that emulates the third-year curriculum of medical college, referred to as clinical rotations. The full-time, semester-long medical internship becomes an extraordinary and unusual asset on any student’s medical school application. Of particular interest is that this program can be adopted by other higher education institutions for a relatively low cost to the college/university, contingent on a committed partnership with an appropriate medical facility.