Prospective students tour with Dr. Nick Sears
Every year, from early August to late January, students all around the world are applying and interviewing for various medical schools. During the competitive and thorough process, students are able to exemplify their passion and dedication for the world of medicine. Similarly, medical schools are just as eager to showcase what their program has to offer by hosting a Second Look event for students to look a little deeper into their desired medical school.
On Feb. 10, Texas A&M School of Engineering Medicine hosted their inaugural Second Look for outstanding candidates to strengthen their confidence in choosing the right fit for medical school. Rolling out the red carpet for their top candidates, the School of Engineering Medicine welcomed their prospective students from across the country. From campus tours to mock classes, prospective students received the whole EnMed experience.
Alyssa Garcia Zarco, the School of Engineering Medicine’s admissions coordinator, planned and executed the school’s very first run of Second Look. Prospective students raved about the EnMed program during and after the event, relishing in the world where engineering and medicine converge. Garcia Zarco stated that, “Interview days gave students the chance to express what makes them a good fit for the EnMed program. Second Look gives us the opportunity to show students what it truly means to be a physicianeer.”
The all-day event highlighted the real-life perspective of an EnMed student. From the moment students checked in, they were greeted by the Student Affairs team and introduced to the School of Engineering Medicine. Students and their guests participated in campus tours of EnMed Tower, Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE), and Houston Methodist Hospital.
After getting a feel for the school in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, students participated in a mock class, hosted by EnMed’s very own instructional associate professor, Dr. Rhome Hughes. From classroom instruction to hands-on medical experience, students were able to participate in the Clinical Learning Resource Center simulations, just as current students do on a day-to-day basis.
Prospective students got to hear from EnMed’s Inaugural Dean Dr. Roderic Pettigrew, the Director of Innovation Dr. Michael Moreno, and our remarkable current students. Prospective students had the chance to live the life of an EnMed student and be taught by a few of medicine’s finest. The School of Engineering Medicine’s pilot launch of Second Look gave students more than a double take, it gave them a real-life experience in the world of engineering medicine.
The EnMed program, in the words of Garcia Zarco, is “for cutting-edge individuals who never stop thinking outside of the box—people that long for more.” The integration of engineering and medicine creates physicianeers, and prospective students who long for just that. Second Look’s intent was to captivate the attention of those who want to do more than what a traditional medical school has to offer, and with its tremendous success, the School of Engineering Medicine is ecstatic for next year’s go of Second Look.
