College of Medicine Curriculum

Scholars who express interest in medicine will receive additional opportunities at the Carver College of Medicine (CCOM).

Careers in Medicine: These opportunities will include a more extensive showcase of careers in medicine. Scholars will be exposed to fields that are taught at the CCOM from faculty in the following disciplines: Physical Therapy, Medicine, Physician Assistant Studies, and Graduate / Postdoctoral Studies (including anatomy and cell biology, biochemistry, radiation biology, immunology, microbiology, molecular and cellular biology, and pharmacology, neuroscience, medical scientist training program) to suit a wide range of SHPEP students’ interests.

Hands on Activities: Students will participate in suture clinics, cast simulations, and other skills labs, so that they can engage in hands-on activities relevant to various health professions.

Shadowing: We will provide direct and instructional shadowing opportunities for students with physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, physical therapists, and public health specialists based on their identified interests. These shadowing experiences will provide 1:1 mentoring of the student by the health professional as he or she shares their personal story of success and reveals what their day is like in that particular profession.

Admissions Process and Mentoring: There will also be extensive workshops on the application process. The scholars will have the opportunity to meet 1:1 with leadership from the CCOM Deans Office and Admissions Office to discuss their goals and develop career strategies that will assist them as they begin the applications process.

College of Pharmacy Curriculum

Scholars interested in a career in pharmacy will be able to explore their interests with pharmacists talking about their career paths and educational experiences. These sessions will expose participants to the broad range of career paths in pharmacy and the academic experiences that led these professionals to their chosen career. These sessions will include Community Pharmacy, Nuclear Pharmacy, Psychiatric Pharmacy, Clinical Pharmacy, and Research.

Sessions will be focused on creating an academic and extracurricular plan to put forward the best pharmacy application possible. Other sessions will create connections with students and mentoring opportunities.

Mentorship: Each student will be paired with a pharmacy student mentor who can be used as a resource during the 6-week program and also after when they apply to pharmacy schools. Additionally, faculty mentors will be utilized.

Application Process: Sessions focused on the components of the Pharmacy application process will include the following:

• Discussion of differences in Pharmacy Programs including the different pre-requisites, as well as types of pharmacy schools
• An introduction to the centralized application process with tips on how to assemble an effective application
• Pharmacy specific interviews, the process, and tips for success
• Components of a personal statement for pharmacy

Skills Labs: The students will have additional opportunities for hands-on learning. Labs will include:

• Hand Cream Compounding
• Lip Balm Compounding
• Shaving Cream Compounding
• Pharmacy History Scavenger Hunt

Presentations: Students will be able to practice their presentation skills by doing a brief presentation on a pharmacy topic of their choice after conducting research.

Leadership: The scholars will participate in a conversation with the Dean on the importance of leadership and opportunities for leadership in pharmacy.

Student Panel: These scholars will learn from current pharmacy students about their experiences in deciding to attend pharmacy school, what life is like during pharmacy training, and plans for the future.

College of Dentistry Curriculum

For scholars who express interest in dentistry, the college will provide opportunities with various components consisting of the following:

• Hands-on clinical activities intended to build hand skills, communication skills, and demonstrate various procedures completed by dentists
• Awareness of the various facets associated with the dental profession
• Information pertaining to becoming or being a dental student

Clinical Activities: Students will have the opportunity to have clinical experiences with faculty and dental students, including:

• Orientation to the simulation clinic, safety standards and protocols, HIPAA training
• Importance of fluoride in dentistry (e.g., community water fluoridation, toothpaste) and application of fluoride varnish to a dental model of teeth
• Diet and cavities records including a food journal, making a display showing the various amounts of sugar in common foods and drinks, research experiments placing extracted teeth in various solutions and observing the demineralization of the tooth
• Dental anatomy class (multiple sessions) to learn about the anatomy of teeth and practice making teeth out of wax (one of the first skills dental students learn)
• Make a mouth guard or bleaching tray - requires making impressions on classmates
• Simulation patients - These activities build communication skills necessary for patient-provider interactions; students learn how to take a health history or give instructions to patients
• Drill on an extracted tooth that has a cavity or on a dental model of teeth. Place a filling into the drilled tooth
• Digital dentistry - scan a mouth model using digital equipment, design a crown for a tooth using computer software
• Plate bacteria - use a tongue depressor to collect a bacteria sample from each person’s mouth and plate the bacteria; learn about the role of bacteria in causing oral health problems and how bacteria are transmitted from person to person
• Evaluate saliva - use a saliva check kit to test each person’s salivary flow, pH and buffering capacity; learn how salivary changes are associated with increased cavities
• Careers in Dentistry: The scholars will have the opportunity to learn more about careers and facets to dentistry. Opportunities would include:
  • Welcome by the Dean
  • Panel of faculty associated with the 9 dental specialties
  • Career choices beyond private practice
  • Treating underserved and special needs populations
  • Office of Practice Opportunities (e.g., practicing in rural communities, loan repayment programs)
  • Life after dental school,-,presentation by recent graduates
  • Service in dentistry/outreach opportunities
  • Public policy related to oral healthcare issues
• Tours  
  • Hospital based dental clinic
  • Dental lab (where crowns and dentures are made)
  • Oral B facility tour (makes toothbrushes)
• Shadowing of dental students, residents or faculty in College of Dentistry specialty and comprehensive care clinics

Dental Student

• Presentations
  • How to apply to dental school
  • Advantages of choosing the University of Iowa College of Dentistry
  • Financing dental school
  • Life as a dental student (i.e., panel of dental students)
  • Description of the dental school curriculum
  • Research opportunities as a dental student or undergraduate student

College of Public Health Curriculum

The focus of the curriculum and activities provided by the College of Public Health will be on students interested in pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH), which is recognized globally as the primary practice degree in the field of public health. Public health is an interdisciplinary field made up of a broad array of professionals in health, social work, nutrition, environmental science, education, biostatistics, epidemiology, health service, law and many other fields. Public health practitioners unite in a common goal of promoting health, preventing disease and injury, protecting the environment, and assuring optimal health services.

Careers in Public Health: Presentations will be given to introduce students to the field of public health and its disciplines. These sessions will provide participants with the broad range of career paths available in public health. Both public health practitioners and College of Public Health faculty will provide presentations. There will also be discussion on the process, including deciding what area of public health might be the best fit, combined degree options (e.g., MD/MPH, PharmD/MPH), SOPHAS application process, writing a strong personal statement, etc.

Shadowing: Provide experiences at a local public health department or other organization providing public health related services.

Tour of the State Hygienic Laboratory: As the state’s public health and environmental laboratory, the hygienic laboratory serves all of Iowa’s 99 counties through disease detection, environmental monitoring, and newborn and maternal screening.

Individual advising sessions: These sessions will occur towards the beginning, middle, and end of the six week program. Sessions will focus on creating an academic and extracurricular plan to strengthen the student’s application to the MPH program. These sessions will also provide the opportunity to discuss the summer program in general, potential mentoring opportunities. There will also be one-on-one conversations with current MPH students about their preparation for graduate school, curriculum, experiential learning opportunities, etc. These students will serve as mentors during the six week session.

Leadership: Conversation with the Dean on the future of the field of public health, the importance of leadership.