A Program Offered in Collaboration with the School of Medicine at Washington University and Cornerstone: The Center for Advanced Learning, for Pre-Freshmen

Offered Yearly in August: 2013 program dates are August 18-21.

Description

For a sample schedule, see what we did in 2010.

Medicine and Research Connections is a unique program offered by the School of Medicine and Cornerstone: The Center for Advanced Learning.  It introduces incoming freshmen to cutting-edge medical practice and research conducted at Washington University and in the greater St. Louis area.  Students meet and hear from physicians, scientists and faculty members, and attend classes at the School of Medicine “mini” medical school.  Connections provides an opportunity to meet and talk with patients and faculty, and to tour research facilities and participate in fun team-building exercises.

In the Mini Medical School students will learn about the latest in medical research and practice-from high tech surgical techniques to cochlear implants.  They may also learn how physicians work up patients and review actual Emergency Medicine cases.  Students will tour the medical school, the Center for Advanced Medicine, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Surgical Vivarium and Genome Sequence Center, where over 25% of the Human Genome was sequenced.  Additionally, life science program advisors and a panel of students will be available to answer questions about the WU Life Sciences, the pre-med curricula, and summer internships.

Goals

• To increase students' interest in and understanding of research and underlying science
• Develop students' knowledge of cutting–edge topics in science and medicine
• Provide students with an understanding of how to organize their coursework in basic and applied science over their undergraduate experience at Washington University
• Provide students with knowledge about the various careers they might want to consider
• Establish an ethos that supports student efforts to develop productive and sustainable relationships with their peers and Washington University faculty
• Orient students to the resources available to them at Washington University and help students access services to ease their transition from high school to the University

For information about more Pre-Orientation programs, please visit the First Year Center.

Cornerstone is recruiting 10 undergraduates to be leaders for Connections 2013. 

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on April 6!

Cornerstone: The Center for Advanced Learning is looking for leaders to staff a pre-orientation program August 18-21, 2013 for incoming freshman interested in the life sciences. This program, Medicine and Research Connections, will introduce students to the clinical and basic science research opportunities at Washington University (WU) and in the greater St. Louis area.

Students will meet and hear from the talented physicians and scientists at the WU School of Medicine, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and WU Departments. In the mornings, students will attend The Mini-Medical School, which brings the latest in medical research and practice to students. They will also learn how physicians work up patients and review actual Emergency Medicine cases. In the past, students have met the Medical School Dean, Dr. Larry Shapiro, and taken tours such as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Surgical Vivarium and the Genome Sequencing Center.

Your responsibilities as a leader will include:

• Leading the incoming freshmen as we travel around the St. Louis Life Science community
• Helping the students connect to their new university and community
• Introducing our guest speakers (examples from the past include Chancellor Emeritus William Danforth and Peter Raven of the Missouri Botanical Gardens)
• Logistical coordination
• Facilitating team-building in small groups

Participants in this program agree to be available:

• For interviews in mid-April
• In April for 2-3 training and planning meetings (to be determined based on leader’s schedule)
• For training and the pre-orientation, August 18-21 (Must be available all day during the pre-orientation.)
• Wrap-up Leader’s lunch August 22

This is also a chance for you to move back to campus early. If you are an undergraduate student living on-campus, we will pay for your housing. The earliest you may move in is August 16th. Leaders receive free meals during the program, in addition to getting to participate in all the activities for the week. As a leader this is a great chance for you to network with important members of the St. Louis Life Science community. Remember, 80% of jobs come from networking.

For additional information, contact Courtney Boddie 935-5970, cboddie@wustl.edu.