SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN THE SCIENCES

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN THE
SCIENCES

• Susana C. Sandoval, M.A.T.
• Jose J. Rea, M.A.
• UC Irvine

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES

• FIRST THINGS FIRST!
• DECIDING WHAT YOU WANT
• DEVELOPING A PLAN OF ACTION
• BE PRO-ACTIVE

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES

• WORK HARD
• WORK SMART
• WORK EFFECTIVELY
• RISE ABOVE THE STUMBLING BLOCKS
• BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE
• ENJOY THE JOURNEY CHALLENGES SUCCESSES

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
TOOLS

• ESTABLISH EDUCATIONAL PLAN WITH COUNSELOR

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
TOOLS

• LEARN REQUIREMENTS FOR HEALTH PROFESSION
  EXAMPLE-PRE MED
• -- 2 YRS BIOLOGY WITH LAB, include biochemistry
• 1 YR GENERAL CHEMISTRY WITH LAB,
• 1 YR ORGANIC CHEMISTRY WITH LAB,
• 1 YR PHYSICS WITH LAB,
• MATH WILL VARYRECOMMEND 1 YR COMBINATION OF
  CALCULUS STATS
• DIVERSITY OF COURSES IN HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL
  SCIENCES

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
TOOLS

• LEARN POLICY IN YOUR MAJOR AND UNIVERSITY
• BUILD A REALISTIC SCHEDULE Know pre requirements
  for the sciences

• AS YOU PROGRESS WORKLOAD WILL INCREASE YOU WILL
  ADD TOOLS TO BOX

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
STUDY SKILLS

• Attend study skills workshops at your university,
  most provide this academic support service

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES

• OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION
• GOAL SETTING PRIORITIES
• Have a daily, weekly, monthly planner of all
  activities, academic and non academic
• TIME MANAGEMENT
• Planner mandatory, build in tutoring, professor
  office hours, clinical experience, and time to do
  a non academic activity such as swimming, salsa
  dancing, other-work, house keeping, family visits

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES

• NOTE-TAKING - take lecture notes and make
  summary sheets of lecture
• TEXTBOOK READING - take notes as you read
  material, rewrite notes as you review textbook
  and select most important topics and the
  application of the knowledge presented
• MEMORY CONCENTRATION
• PROBLEM SOLVING - writing summary of notes from
  lecture will be helpful in solving problems on
  exams

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES

• EXAM PREPARATION
• Lecture notes, summary sheets, rewriting of
  notes from readings, and study groups will be
  helpful also meet with course discussion group
  and professor office hours to clarify points,
  attend review sessions, appropriate sleep
  proper nutrition are key factors
• VOCABULARY BUILDING - this is constant

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES

• STUDY GROUPS after you have read material/taking
  notes, studied lecture notes re wrote lecture
  notes with summary of important points---study
  group discussion will help you internalize and
  reinforce information and problem solving skills,
  
• TUTORINGmost successful students use dept.
  tutoring in the sciences and also becoming a
  tutor is great preparation for the MCAT, DAT,
  OAT, OTHER EXAMS

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
READ OUTSIDE OF YOUR COURSES

• LA TIMES - DAILY
• NEW YORK TIMES
• NEWSWEEK
• ATLANTIC MONTHLY
• NEW YORKER

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
FIND A MENTOR

• DEVELOP NETWORKS BY CONNECTING
  TO
• COUNSELORS
• PROFESSORS
• RESEARCH - key in building your analytical and
  problem solving skills in the sciences, plus
  communication skills in working with the research
  team

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
MEDICAL SCHOOL CONTACTS

• NEXT CONFERENCE AT
• STANFORD SCHOOL OF MEDICINE,
• FEB 9TH 2008
• http//summa.stanford.edu/

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
SCIENCE PROFESSIONAL CONTACTS

• SPECIALISTS/ATTEND SCIENTIFIC SEMINARS AT YOUR
  SCHOOL THAT WILL ADD TO YOUR SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE
  AND AWARENESS OF ISSUES EXAMPLE A SEMINAR ON
  STEM CELL RESEARCH. IF YOU ARE NOT AT A FOUR YEAR
  SCHOOL ---YOU CAN ALWAYS GO TO THE WEB OF THE
  CLOSEST UC CAMPUS AND LOOK UP DATES FOR
  SCIENTIFIC SEMINARS AND EVENTS.

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES

• CLUBBING STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS---CCM/ Chicanos
  for Community Medicine is a great resource, honor
  societies as well
• KEY - FIND A MENTOR/S

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
ADD TO YOUR ACADEMIC TOOL BOX
SUMMER PROGRAMS INTERNSHIPS NATIONAL
INSTITUTES OF HEALTH http//www.training.nih.gov
UROP/Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program
AT UCI www.urop.uci.edu
APPLY FOR EDUCATION ABROAD PROGRAMS
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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES

• ORGANIZATIONS
• ANNUAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE FOR
  MINORITY STUDENTS
• www.abrcms.org
• SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF CHICANOS NATIVE
  AMERICANS IN SCIENCE
• www.sacnas.org
• AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF
  SCIENCE
• www.aaas.org

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES

• COMMUNITY SERVICE
• MUST ESTABLISH SOLID CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
  LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
• STRONG COMMUNICATION SKILLS ORAL WRITING

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
ISSUES TO RESOLVE PART OF THE JOURNEY AND ALWAYS
EVOLVING

• FAMILY
• FRIENDS POSITIVE PEOPLE IS KEY
• MONEY KEEP A GOOD BUDGET
• TRANSPORTATION
• OTHER, ON GOING SUPPORT SYSTEM

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SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE SCIENCES
Yes I can do it! Building the solid science
foundation is key in moving your academics
career dream forward

• SIEMPRE ADELANTE