In this issue:
- EQI ISA Survey Response Rates & Follow-Up
- AOA Mentorship Matching Opportunity
- AOA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship
- Summer Oncology Research Fellowship (SORF)
- ICYMI: HCOP Ambassador Recruitment 2025-2026
- Career Advising Tip of the Month
EQI ISA Survey Response Rates
Thank you, MS1 students! Due to your outstanding participation, we’ve surpassed our goal—with a 91% response rate on the 2025 ISA Follow-Up Survey! Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the medical student experience and guiding ongoing improvements across UWSOM.
Your voices directly inform initiatives that support our LCME accreditation process and help make UWSOM an even better place to learn and grow. After analyzing the full data set, EQI will share the results soon!
AOA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship
The UW AOA chapter invites you to apply for the 2026 AOA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship. UW AOA will be nominating one student from UWSOM-WWAMI to represent the UW chapter at the national selection. The award includes a $7,000 scholarship to support your research, to be conducted over a 2-12 month period (minimum of 240 hours). The research should focus on clinical investigation, basic laboratory research, epidemiology, social science/health services research, leadership, or professionalism.
This opportunity is open to first- and second-year students who do not already have and are not pursuing a PhD. You do not need to be a member of AOA to apply, and the opportunity is open to students at all WWAMI sites. Additional information, including a list of required application components, can be found here.
All application materials must be submitted via email to the members listed below by 11:59 PM PST on December 21, 2025.
Cheri Chambers [cheriliu@uw.edu]
Miranda Li [mli62@uw.edu]
Brian Riley [briley1@uw.edu]
Crystal Tam [crysjt8@uw.edu]
AOA Mentorship Matching Opportunity
Medical school can be challenging—academically, physically, and emotionally. A little wisdom from someone who’s been there can make a big difference. The UW chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) is offering mentorship between MS4 AOA members and any interested pre-clinical or clinical students across all WWAMI sites.
Whether you’d like guidance on residency choices, research, Step study strategies, or simply how to stay healthy and balanced in med school, an AOA mentor can help.
Sign up to be paired with an MS4 Mentor: Survey Link
Use your UW Google account to access the form. The survey closes Friday, November 14 at 11:59 PM PST.
Matches will be shared in December. Spots are limited, so sign up early!
Questions? Reach out to Heidi Taggart (htaggart@uw.edu) and Armita Norouzi (anorouzi@uw.edu).
Summer Oncology Research Fellowship (SORF)
The Summer Oncology Research Fellowship (SORF) is an NIH-supported summer research program for US medical students. It is a full-time, 8–12-week program held over the months between school years in medical school (May to August). It focuses on students who are considering a biomedical career that involves cancer research. SORF takes place at two sites: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Keck School of Medicine of USC.
- Applications to SORF 2026 will open November 1, 2025
- Early Application Deadline: December 7, 2025
- Regular Application Deadline: January 4, 2026
HCOP Ambassador Recruitment 2025-2026
Program Overview
The Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) is a team-based, interdisciplinary approach to prepare health professions students working in rural and medically underserved communities.
Eligibility
Open to students with ~ two years of their health professional program remaining.
Requirements
- Mentor a pre-health student
- Self-paced Canvas modules on rural health and underserved populations. Graded on completion, not academic credit
- Final Presentation (e.g., an existing program presentation, Triple I poster, RUOP presentation, community education presentation)
- Complete 80 clinical hours (your clinical rotations will qualify)
Stipend
Students will receive a $1,000 stipend.
The priority deadline to apply is Sunday, October 26. Applications submitted by this date will receive priority review. After October 26, applications will still be accepted on a rolling basis.
Career Advising Student Advisory Board Tip of the Month
This advice is for all students and includes first-generation and BIPOC student lenses.
You’ve now heard about our school’s summer Independent Investigative Inquiry (III) requirement. There are multiple ways to fulfill this requirement.
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 and Global Health Immersion Program (GHIP) are valuable no matter which specialty you end up choosing.
If you’re aiming for a very competitive specialty that recommends research, it’s a good idea to do research next summer. Don’t stress if it’s not directly related to your field of interest – that’s pretty common! Residency programs value 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.
Check out the advice from specialty career advisors in the UWSOM Specialty Guides under “Foundations Phase Planning” on how to “Get Engaged with this Specialty” and “Extracurricular Planning.” 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 MS4 Cara Chapman. Originally written by alum Shanelle Briggs, MD.
We welcome tips and ideas from all students. Please reach out to Career Advising at medadv@uw.edu.
This link will take you to past information for MS1s.