The Admissions Ambassadors Program is a voluntary service group that offers opportunities for students to connect with prospective and current applicants to UWSOM. Interacting with current medical students can have a profound impact on potential future doctors, including:
- middle and high school kids who are still exploring if medicine is their path
- current applicants who need a calming, supportive influence during interview season
- accepted students who want to determine if UWSOM is right for them
Being an ambassador is an opportunity to have an impact on the future of the medical field.
Structure
The program is composed of current medical student volunteers from all years of study. The Admissions Communications and Outreach Manager oversees the group.
Use of Student Contact Information
Ambassadors will provide their contact information for a database accessible to staff. When staff has a request for student involvement for recruitment, they will email the appropriate students (i.e., by year or location) to identify volunteers. A contact list of current students, by foundations site, is available to interviewing applicants on a password-protected site. Applicants may also request to speak with students from Seattle/Spokane as they decide on their site preference in the Secondary. When prospective applicants ask to speak to current students, we ask them for a blurb about themselves and their contact information and send it to ambassadors to respond—student contact information is not directly given out to prospective applicants not currently in the application process.
How Many Ambassadors Are There?
There is no cap on the number of students who can be involved at this time.
Time Committment
Ambassadors are expected to respond to email requests to participate in opportunities, as they are able, throughout the year. Opportunities will be available to applicants across the region, will vary based on the needs of each site, and typically take between a few minutes (responding to an email) to a few hours (participating in a recruitment event). Many opportunities will be virtual, though there may be some in-person options—it will be clear in the request email which is expected. Opportunities to volunteer may include:
- Interview day help (varies by site): attending sessions with interviewing applicants, offering volunteer tours, hosting applicants, and sitting on student panels
- Helping coordinate and execute Second Look activities (including meetings to determine plan of action and volunteering during the Second Look event for several hours)
- Taking over the @uwsomadmissions Instagram account or providing pictures/stories for Admissions social media channels
- Participating in informational and recruitment events, including talking to middle and high school students as well as current college students, usually as part of a panel or at a pre-med conference
- Contact List: Current applicants will be provided with Ambassador names and email addresses on the password-protected Interview Day website or if they contact the office with questions for students. Prospective applicants will provide their information and staff will email Ambassadors to reach out to them.
Duration
Once students are members of the Admissions Ambassador Program, they may serve during their entire tenure at UWSOM, though they may need to sign up each year to indicate interest. During the clinical phase of the curriculum, particularly while doing clerkships, student members are not expected to volunteer, but are welcome to do so if it does not interfere with their clinical schedules.
Application Process and Timeline
A call for volunteers is sent out to the medical student email list serves in late Summer. Students fill out an online form with their contact information when they sign up and are contacted with opportunities as they arise throughout the year.