In this issue:
- Update on the ISA Survey
- 2025 Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring program application
- Tip of the Month: Tips for medical school activities
Update on the ISA survey
Here is a message from ISA Committee Co-Leads Nicholas Popp (MS4), Sarah Busch (MS4), Ben Henderson (MS3), Matt Lumsden (MS2) and Lila Faulhaber (MS2):
We thank so many of you for completing the Independent Student Analysis (ISA) survey, which serves as the backbone data for the medical school accreditation. Among all student cohorts, your class has recorded the highest response rate so far, of 30% with Seattle reaching 37%, followed by Alaska (35%), Montana (33%), Idaho (32%), Wyoming (30%), and Spokane (13%). Please see the graph below for the regional breakdown. Our goal is to reach 80% with your help.
Your campus has scheduled some time for you to complete the survey, with snacks.
Date/Time Set Aside for Survey Completion
- Seattle: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Oct, 14 (RM T550)
- 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Oct. 21 (RM T733; combined with MS2s)
- Wyoming: Lunchtime, Friday, Oct. 11
- Idaho: Noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14
- Sessions were already held for Spokane, Alaska and Montana
There are many opportunities to win a gift card as specified in the table below.
Thank you so much for your help!
Gift Card Incentives: Please see the breakdown below. There will be one $500 gift card for drawing from all four cohorts.
| Campus | # of Gift Cards ($10) if Campus Response Rates Reach 60% | # of Gift Cards ($50) if Campus Response Rates Reach 60% | Additional # of Gift Cards ($30) if Campus Response Rates Reach 80% | Total # of Gift Cards |
| Seattle | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Spokane | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Wyoming | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Alaska | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Montana | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Idaho | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Total | 12 | 6 | 14 | 32 |
*According to the UW policy, student employees (e.g., tutors, research assistants, hourly workers, etc. cannot receive a gift card. If you win the raffle as a student employee, we will send alternative items of the same value from Amazon.
The 2025 Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring program application is now open!
The American Academy of Ophthalmology offers the Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring Program for first-year medical students interested in ophthalmology. This program gives Underrepresented in Medicine (UIM) students resources, including one-on-one mentoring, programming, academic resources and more to help you become a competitive residency applicant.
For much more information about criteria and how to apply, visit the mentoring program website.
Deadline to Apply: Jan. 31, 2025, early deadline. Final deadline: Feb. 15.
Peer to Peer: Tip of the Month from Career Advising
We hope you’re adjusting well to medical school!
You’ve now heard about our school’s summer Independent Investigative Inquiry (III) requirement. Check out the advice from specialty career advisors in the first two sections of the UWSOM Specialty Guides on “Advice for MS1s/MS2s Exploring This Specialty,” “Extracurriculars,” and “Scale of Importance for Medical School Activities.”
The Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) is a great way to build up your clinical skills while making a real impact in a local community. RUOP, along with programs like Discovery and Integration, is valuable no matter which specialty you end up choosing. If you’re aiming for a more competitive specialty that recommends research, it’s a good idea to do some research next summer.
Don’t stress if it’s not directly related to your field of interest – that’s pretty common! Residency programs appreciate the experience and your ability to produce meaningful results in different areas of medicine. Research not your jam? No worries! Lots of specialties don’t need it.
Wondering where your career path may take you in med school? You can start exploring specialties with interest group events and the Career Advising Video Library.
- Reviewed by BIPOC MS4 Abraham Correa-Medina. Originally written by BIPOC alum Shanelle Briggs, MD.
ICYMI: Here’s the previous MS1 newsletter.