Berkeley Premedical Advisor Training
Instructor Contact Info:
Wijin (Jason) Kim: [email protected] (909.450.7561)
Andrew Huang: [email protected] (925.698.2373)
Synopsis: This decal is from Student Premed Advising Network and is divided into two portions. The
first portion focuses specifically on what at Berkeley you need to know to be a premedical student. We
begin by talking about the pros and cons of a career in medicine, serious considerations for anyone
interested in medicine. Then we help you make a four-year plan considering your major, time of
application to medical school, MCATs, and any other extracurricular activities during your time as an
undergrad. We spend time giving appropriate overviews of classes, preparing and taking the MCAT,
getting letters of recommendation, sending your AMCAS primaries and secondaries, and more! Our
knowledge base is a collection of the things you would have to learn anyway during your time as an
undergrad, but do not usually write down to tell later. The hope of this portion is to give a somewhat in
depth look into specifically Berkeley premed knowledge.
The second part of this decal is about learning how to advise. We are no experts, nor are we
academics in education. But we have a good amount of useful, empirical experience. In this more
workshop based part of the decal, we talk briefly about education and then go in to do activities that allow
you to practice skills involved in teaching and advising. The best way to become a better advisor is to
practice doing it! You will practice planning another person’s four year plan, advising other premeds, and
practice explaining ideas and concepts! We will give a somewhat conceptual framework for education,
with some pedagogical concepts and time for you to apply them. The goal of this part is to give you an
introduction to education and some helpful workshops to develop some of these skills.
This decal contrasts to Premed101 in a few different ways. If a student wants to learn about
medicine generally, as a doctor, medical student, or particular parts of medicine (being a resident, PA,
being in the ER, various medical specialties), this is covered particularly well in Premed 101. In contrast,
the key learning outcomes of Berkeley Premed Advisor Training include a more detailed knowledge
about a student’s four years here at Berkeley. Additionally, a completion of this will allow the student to
be eligible to become an advisor for SPAN. As a whole this decal aims to give you good perspective on
being a Berkeley premed and introducing some useful skills for advising so to share knowledge and
develop a stronger premedical community here at Berkeley!
What is SPAN?
Student Premed Advising Network (SPAN) is an organization started and run by UC Berkeley
students. Its primary goal is to share premed knowledge, resources and give advice to the campus to build
a stronger premed community in Berkeley and ultimately, better increase the medical school acceptance
rates of UC Berkeley students. SPAN advises students thought personal appointments, workshops, 24
hour email response to questions ([email protected]) and by training premed peer advisors for
the campus. To learn more about SPAN, visit our website at www.SPANberkeley.com.
Methods of Instruction:
The first section of the course, covering premedical knowledge, will be instructed through the use of
PowerPoint presentations. The second section of the course, covering advising skills and techniques, will
be instructed through discussions, workshops, activities and practice.
Learning Outcomes:
1) Know medical school pre-requisite courses and common premed major pre-requisite courses
2) Learn to plan balanced semester schedules, considering major requirements, breadth, AC, MCAT,
and time of application.
3) Be familiar with the various extracurricular activities that are available around bay area.
4) Learn to develop rapport and being a receptive, responsive advisor.
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5) Understand the difference between teaching and advising.
6) Learn some educational concepts so to develop a pedagogical framework towards
advising/education.
7) Understand medical school application process (including all 9 aspects of the AMCAS primaries
as well as approach to secondaries and interview process)
8) Gain a better understanding of what medical school admissions are looking for.
Frequency of Class Meetings
This class will meet every Wednesday from 5-7pm.
Course Requirements & Methods of Evaluation (350 points - 245 points are required to pass)
Attendance: 140 points (~40%)
One unexcused absence will result in a 50 point deduction. Tardiness (more than 5 minutes after
Berkeley Time) will result in a 5 point reduction.
Homework: 105 points (~30%)
There are 7 assignments for the course worth 15 points each.
Final Advising Assignment: 105 points (~30%)
Outline of Course Content (Includes readings and assignments):
Week 1
1. Course Coordinators Introductions, CCNs
2. Go Over Syllabus (requirements, grading, expectations)
3. Ice-Breaker
4. Are you sure about medicine?
5. Intro to Education/Scope of Class - PowerPoint Slide, Education Cultural Context (Banking vs.
Problem Solving Models of Learning)
6. Assignment #1 (due at the start of the class of Week 2):
-Part 1: Watch PBS “Doctor Diaries” documentary and write a one-page personal reflection. (9
points)
-Part 2: Questions from Education cartoon Reading. (6 points)
Week 2
1. Choosing a Major
2. The Difference between Advising vs. Teaching; Situational workshop
Week 3
1. Classes/Prerequisites
2. Student Dialogue; method to advising;
3. Assignment #2: (due at the start of the class of Week 4)
-Part 1: Make a personal academic plan up to applying to medical school that includes: your
major, requirements for your major, pre-med requirement, MCAT, when you will apply,
extracurriculars you are involved in or plan on doing. (8 points)
-Part 2: Short Worksheet - (7 points)
Week 4
1. Scheduling/Resources
2. Student Motivation and comfort
3. Assignment #3: (due at the start of the class of Week 5)
-Part 1: Plan a 4-year-plan for a physics major that includes physics major requirements and
pre-med requirements. In which the student will take a MCAT course and MCAT in the
summer after their junior year and will apply to medical school in the summer after their senior
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year. (so no summer school available for the summers after junior and senior years) (15
points)
Week 5
1. Extracurriculars (Finding a niche)
2. How to give explanations, boxing and framing, Part 1
Week 6
1. How to give explanations, boxing and framing, Part 2
2. Extracurriculars (Organization presentations)
3. Assignment #4 (due at the start of the class of Week 7)
-Part 1: Read a paper on giving explanations and boxing and framing. Respond to the review
questions about it. (15 points)
Week 7
1. MCAT - Undergraduate speakers who have recently taken the MCAT
2. How to give explanations, boxing and framing, Part 3
3. Assignment #5: (due at the start of the class of Week 8)
-Part 1: Research about the new MCAT in 2015 and write 3 differences between the old and
new MCAT, explain and suggest ways to prepare for that section. (10 points)
-Part 2: Plan out which parts of the MCAT that you think you will have trouble with and
discuss what you can do to prepare. (5 points)
Week 8
1. AMCAS Primary Application
2. Asking Questions and Giving Answers
Week 9
1. Personal Statement & Letters of Recommendation Logistics
2. Scaffolding & Zone of Proximal Development – Part 1
3. Assignment #6: (due at the start of the class of Week 10)
-Part 1: Read the paper on Zone of Proximal Development and write a 1 page description
outlining what we talked about in class regarding Scaffolding & Zone of Proximal
Development. (15 points)
Week 10
1. How to get a Letter of Rec (Dr. Beatty speaker)
2. Scaffolding & Zone of Proximal Development – Part 2
Week 11
1. AMCAS Secondary Applications/Interview
2. Calibrating your Student
Week 12
1. Alternative Routes to Medicine & Premed Outlook
2. What If Scenarios
3. Assignment #7: (due at the start of the class of Week 13)
-Part 1:How would you advise a previous medical school applicant who has failed to get
accepted into a medical school. What kind of plans would you suggest for applicants who
have low GPA? MCAT? Extracurriculars? etc. (15 points)
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Week 13
1. Methodology of Advising Revisited/Education Pedagogy
2. Question & Answer
3. Practice Advising with actual students
4. Take-home Final Assignment: (due at the start of class of Week 14)
Week 14
1. Conclusion!
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