Workshop Presentation Details

SATURDAY, APRIL 5 9:15-10:30 A.M.

The Abstract: The Key That Opens the Scientific Paper
Dr David Cohen, Dean of Richard L. Connolly College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Biology & Dr. Gladys Palma de Schrynemakers, Assistant Provost, Long Island University

Students attending this workshop will be presented with the basic requirements for preparing a well-organized, effective abstract, one having the following characteristics: According to Day (1979), scientific abstracts are short and simple, seldom more than 250 to 275 words that summarize the problem and the results without including any details of the methodology or mentioning of previous work; moreover, well-prepared abstracts include the research objectives, a short description of the methodology, a summary of the results, and the major findings. The abstract must stand as a summary of the information in the paper (Houghton, 1975) and provide enough information for the readers to evaluate whether it is significant to their research for them to read the entire paper (American National Standards Institute, Inc., 1971. Students will then be presented with examples of well and poorly prepared abstracts and asked to assess each using the criteria set forth during the presentation.

"Why Did I Get Up This Morning?" Recognizing and Understanding the Power of Motivation
Dr. Robin L. Eubanks, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Recognizing and understanding the power of motivation is the theme of this dynamic presentation. We will examine the importance of developing and maintaining a healthy self-esteem and the need to recognize purpose. Participants will be challenged to identify and access personal strengths which can result in an increase in personal productivity. We will recognize the importance of risk taking and discuss the impact of fear in becoming successful. We will introduce the idea of creating, nurturing, and leaning on dreams and visions. Finally, a variety of thought provoking quotations will be presented for purposes of stimulation, humor, and personal evaluation.

Turning Dreamers into Health Professionals: Secrets to Success
Dr. Lynne Holden, Montefiore Medical Center Emergency Medicine Department; Founder & Executive Director of Mentoring in Medicine

Mentoring in Medicine (MIM) is a nonprofit formed in March 2006 by three minority physicians and an educator. Our mission is to increase the diversity of the health care workforce and to promote healthy living. We strive to ignite an interest in health careers and to help students create a strategic plan for graduation from health professional school. Our goal is to create a seamless system of mentorship, academic enrichment and leadership development. In 2007, MIM programs have reached nearly 2500 students and we have recruited close to 500 health care professionals. MIM has been featured in the NY Times, NY Daily News, Essence, JET, and the Amsterdam News. In this interactive workshop Turning Dreamers into Health Professionals: Secrets to Success, MIM covers the essential steps needed to attain admission into health professional school-preparation and presentation. Students receive information about strategic planning during every step of the process. Students also learn the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

The Nuts & Bolts of Law School Admission
Sonji S. Patrick, Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund (PRLDEF)

In this workshop, we’ll focus on the admissions process to law school including timelines and in-depth discussion of each component, especially the two components that students have THE MOST control over: GPA and personal essay. We also spend some significant time discussing the LSAT, because this is the source of major anxiety for most pre-law students; and unfortunately, minority students underestimate the preparation needed to get their best score. We therefore discuss in more detail the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). We talk about how to choose a law school and about financial aid (We are not financial aid experts, but we can cover the basics). Finally, we emphasize the importance of creating an admissions plan, being proactive, networking and building both the resume and transcript.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5 10:30-11:50 A.M.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Career Opportunities in Engineering
Dr. Tara M. Ruttley, N.A.S.A. Johnson Space Center

This workshop will discuss an interdisciplinary approach to education, research, and careers in engineering. It will be presented from a biomedical engineering point f view, and will focus on university interdisciplinary academic programs. The speaker will share her personal experience with swapping degree fields and the science/engineering experience in her career. She will also discuss different degree and career paths to explore.

Career Opportunities in Public Health
Dr. Robert L. Jansing, NYS Department of Health, SUNY Albany

The world today is confronted with many diverse and complex public health issues such as emerging infectious diseases including HIV/AIDs, West Nile virus, methacillin-resistant infections, and the threat of bioterrorism. Workplace safety, availability of clean water, suicide prevention, eliminating health disparities and prenatal care are also significant public health concerns. Addressing these challenges requires the combined efforts of a variety of public health professionals including physicians, medical research scientists, epidemiologists and health service researchers. Many universities throughout the United States, have established Schools of Public Health that offer extraordinary opportunities for students interested in careers in public health. There is acute need for highly trained, competent professionals from a variety of disciplines, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and engineering, to address numerous global public health challenges.

This workshop will offer the opportunity to consider if a career in public health might be for you, and offer specific suggestions on how to go about pursuing such a goal. The workshop will include topics such as prerequisites, admission requirements, availability of financial aid, and opportunities for paid summer internships.

Direct & Alternate Pathways to Medical School
Dr. Gerald Soslau, Drexel University College of Medicine

Students may be denied admission to medical school for many different reasons. The major reasons include: lack of clinical/community exposure; grades, and/or; MCAT scores. Students need to be aware of these variables when applying to medical school. Also, many students are unaware of the differences and similarities between osteopathic and allopathic medical schools or their entrance requirements. After this information is discussed we would explore alternate pathways to medical school. There are many different types of post-baccalaureate and graduate programs available to help students improve their academic credentials for application to medical school. It is important to choose a program that will appropriately strengthen their credentials. For some students medical school will never become a reality yet they may still be interested in some other health profession. We will discuss how they should explore these possibilities and what type of graduate programs can help them.

The Ultimate in Goal Setting: Planning for Life Achievement
Pamala Brown-Grinion, Totally “You”-nique School of Charm & Etiquette

Planning for Life Achievement is the ultimate in goal setting for success in life. This workshop will give youth a sense of personal direction in their lives. It is designed to instill the importance of developing a plan, writing it down, and then putting it into action. This workshop is a holistic approach to defining what one’s future individual desires are. The objective of this workshop is to give students a tangible understanding and road map of their own personal goals. Also to encourage them to move on even the slightest possibilities instead of the being held hostage by the fear of the impossibilities.

Participants will develop a realistic short-term (today) and futuristic (thru year 2020) plan of action and will then be instructed through self-exploration and group brainstorming on how to implement each goal.

This workshop will help students develop their own strategy for accomplishing their personal goals. Each student will leave this workshop with a personal written plan of action for growth and development for the next 15 to 20 years of their lives.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5 1:30-3:00 P.M.

The Abstract: The Key That Opens the Scientific Paper
Dr David Cohen, Dean of Richard L. Connolly College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Biology & Dr. Gladys Palma de Schrynemakers, Assistant Provost, Long Island University

Students attending this workshop will be presented with the basic requirements for preparing a well-organized, effective abstract, one having the following characteristics: According to Day (1979), scientific abstracts are short and simple, seldom more than 250 to 275 words that summarize the problem and the results without including any details of the methodology or mentioning of previous work; moreover, well-prepared abstracts include the research objectives, a short description of the methodology, a summary of the results, and the major findings. The abstract must stand as a summary of the information in the paper (Houghton, 1975) and provide enough information for the readers to evaluate whether it is significant to their research for them to read the entire paper (American National Standards Institute, Inc., 1971. Students will then be presented with examples of well and poorly prepared abstracts and asked to assess each using the criteria set forth during the presentation.

"Why Did I Get Up This Morning?" Recognizing and Understanding the Power of Motivation
Dr. Robin L. Eubanks, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Recognizing and understanding the power of motivation is the theme of this dynamic presentation. We will examine the importance of developing and maintaining a healthy self-esteem and the need to recognize purpose. Participants will be challenged to identify and access personal strengths which can result in an increase in personal productivity. We will recognize the importance of risk taking and discuss the impact of fear in becoming successful. We will introduce the idea of creating, nurturing, and leaning on dreams and visions. Finally, a variety of thought provoking quotations will be presented for purposes of stimulation, humor, and personal evaluation.

Turning Dreamers into Health Professionals: Secrets to Success
Dr. Lynne Holden, Montefiore Medical Center Emergency Medicine Department; Founder & Executive Director of Mentoring in Medicine

Mentoring in Medicine (MIM) is a nonprofit formed in March 2006 by three minority physicians and an educator. Our mission is to increase the diversity of the health care workforce and to promote healthy living. We strive to ignite an interest in health careers and to help students create a strategic plan for graduation from health professional school. Our goal is to create a seamless system of mentorship, academic enrichment and leadership development. In 2007, MIM programs have reached nearly 2500 students and we have recruited close to 500 health care professionals. MIM has been featured in the NY Times, NY Daily News, Essence, JET, and the Amsterdam News. In this interactive workshop Turning Dreamers into Health Professionals: Secrets to Success, MIM covers the essential steps needed to attain admission into health professional school-preparation and presentation. Students receive information about strategic planning during every step of the process. Students also learn the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Career Opportunities in Engineering
Dr. Tara M. Ruttley, N.A.S.A. Johnson Space Center

This workshop will discuss an interdisciplinary approach to education, research, and careers in engineering. It will be presented from a biomedical engineering point f view, and will focus on university interdisciplinary academic programs. The speaker will share her personal experience with swapping degree fields and the science/engineering experience in her career. She will also discuss different degree and career paths to explore.

Funding Your Graduate Experience
Dr. Gina Lee-Glauser, Syracuse University C.A.S.E. Center

How do you find funding sources to support your graduate experiences? This session will highlight the essential elements of writing winning proposals for graduate fellowship applications, and present writing tips and strategies useful in preparing applications. Come prepared to get funded for your graduate experience!

SATURDAY, APRIL 5 3:30-5:00 P.M.

Balance is Everything!
Dr. Ruth Hart, SUNY Upstate Medical University

When considering a career in the sciences is it possible or even advantageous to pursue concurrently interests in the humanities? Where do literature, poetry, music, history, art, theatre and other performing arts fit into the plans of a future of a biology, physics, or math major? Is it possible to have a non-science major if you’re thinking of a pre-med pathway? The pursuit of a degree in science does not necessarily mean “…giving up all the other stuff” and rule out the opportunity to explore other dimensions of learning. For example, approximately 15% of those entering medical school last year had majors in the humanities or social sciences. This workshop will examine how a student can effectively and successfully incorporate their various interests with the goal of enhancing both the personal and professional aspects of their lives. The presenter is a practicing emergency medicine physician with a background in science and the humanities, having undergraduate degrees in both biology and literature.

Career Opportunities in Public Health
Dr. Robert L. Jansing, NYS Department of Health, SUNY Albany

The world today is confronted with many diverse and complex public health issues such as emerging infectious diseases including HIV/AIDs, West Nile virus, methacillin-resistant infections, and the threat of bioterrorism. Workplace safety, availability of clean water, suicide prevention, eliminating health disparities and prenatal care are also significant public health concerns. Addressing these challenges requires the combined efforts of a variety of public health professionals including physicians, medical research scientists, epidemiologists and health service researchers. Many universities throughout the United States, have established Schools of Public Health that offer extraordinary opportunities for students interested in careers in public health. There is acute need for highly trained, competent professionals from a variety of disciplines, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and engineering, to address numerous global public health challenges.

This workshop will offer the opportunity to consider if a career in public health might be for you, and offer specific suggestions on how to go about pursuing such a goal. The workshop will include topics such as prerequisites, admission requirements, availability of financial aid, and opportunities for paid summer internships.

Direct & Alternate Pathways to Medical School
Dr. Gerald Soslau, Drexel University College of Medicine

Students may be denied admission to medical school for many different reasons. The major reasons include: lack of clinical/community exposure; grades, and/or; MCAT scores. Students need to be aware of these variables when applying to medical school. Also, many students are unaware of the differences and similarities between osteopathic and allopathic medical schools or their entrance requirements. After this information is discussed we would explore alternate pathways to medical school. There are many different types of post-baccalaureate and graduate programs available to help students improve their academic credentials for application to medical school. It is important to choose a program that will appropriately strengthen their credentials. For some students medical school will never become a reality yet they may still be interested in some other health profession. We will discuss how they should explore these possibilities and what type of graduate programs can help them.

The Nuts & Bolts of Law School Admission
Sonji S. Patrick, Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund (PRLDEF)

In this workshop, we’ll focus on the admissions process to law school including timelines and in-depth discussion of each component, especially the two components that students have THE MOST control over: GPA and personal essay. We also spend some significant time discussing the LSAT, because this is the source of major anxiety for most pre-law students; and unfortunately, minority students underestimate the preparation needed to get their best score. We therefore discuss in more detail the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). We talk about how to choose a law school and about financial aid (We are not financial aid experts, but we can cover the basics). Finally, we emphasize the importance of creating an admissions plan, being proactive, networking and building both the resume and transcript.