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Lycoming College has announced a unique program to help aspiring physicians secure admission to medical school: Lyco White Coat pairs pre-med students with accomplished professionals in the medical field who can provide one-on-one mentorship to students, increasing their likelihood of securing medical school admission.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the national acceptance rate for medical school applicants sits at just 41 percent. The Lyco White Coat program is challenging this statistic by tapping into the College’s 16,000-strong alumni network to match pre-med students with alumni physicians who share similar professional interests. Students obtain valuable guidance from their Lyco White Coat advisor beginning their first year and continuing until they have gained admittance into medical school. Our mentors leverage their extensive medical school admissions experience to help students develop a strategy for achieving medical school admission requirements and coach them on curricular requirements and application procedures.
Lyco White Coat advisors provide pre-med students with:
- MCAT (Medical College Application Test) preparation and support
- Individualized feedback on personal statements and essays for med school applications
- Unlimited medical school mock interviews
- Comprehensive motivational coaching to build resilience, confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills
The Lycoming curriculum offers pre-med students multiple pathways to medical school with academic programs in biochemistry, biophysics, biology, chemistry, neuroscience, and psychology. Students can strengthen applications by acquiring research experience through nationally competitive programs, including the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program and the Summer Undergraduate Research Programs (SURP), as well as through faculty-led research projects on campus.
Williamsport, Pa., is home to UPMC Susquehanna, a world-class healthcare system boasting multiple hospitals and other facilities within walking or driving distance from the Lycoming College campus. Along with other local providers, Lycoming students are afforded countless opportunities to log clinical shadowing hours and to secure internships and other volunteer work that is critical for bolstering medical school applications.
“The pre-medical industry is bursting with consulting services that promise to help people claim their place in medical school. These services, however, can cost many thousands of dollars. Lycoming is offering a very competitive — and very personalized — service at no additional charge to its students,” said Marina N. Vernalis, D.O. ’73, former chief of cardiology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General. “Working as a physician is an extremely rewarding and stimulating career, and at a time when more doctors are needed to address an aging and growing population, Lycoming College wants to help students overcome barriers to entry and pursue their passions.”
“Lycoming recognizes that admittance to medical school is an achievement that may elude even the most academically competitive students. The Lyco White Coat program aims to lower the barriers to medical school admission by providing personalized support and advice from a team of physicians and mentors with extensive medical school admissions experience” said Dave Andrew, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at Lycoming College.
In addition, through a pipeline affiliation program with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), Lycoming students receive preferred admission for the school’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program. This 4+4 program guarantees that PCOM will hold up to three spots annually for Lycoming College graduates who meet entrance requirements and are approved by the admissions committee at the private, not-for-profit medical school in Philadelphia. More information is available at https://www.lycoming.edu/pre-medical/pcom.aspx.