Conemaugh Health System’s Mentoring in Medicine Program Accepting Applications for 2022
December 10, 2021
Conemaugh Health System’s Mentoring in Medicine program is accepting applicants for 2022. Now in its 19th year, the program is a 10-week summer experience for undergraduate students interested in pursuing their medical education to become physicians.
Throughout the program, students shadow physicians across the Conemaugh Health System, exposing each student to a variety of specialties. In addition to providing unique clinical experiences, the program also prepares students for the process of applying to medical school, writing a personal statement, interviewing, and building a network of physician mentors.
“Our goal is to give local students the tools they will need on their journey to becoming physicians, while hopefully inspiring them to one day serve patients in our community,” said Alex Pozun, DO, an Emergency Medicine physician at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center and an alumnus of the program who now oversees it alongside Melissa Pozun, DPT.
Since its inception, 174 students have participated in the program, which boasts an 80 percent acceptance rate into medical school. Today, there are ten Mentoring in Medicine alumni serving within the Conemaugh Health System and an additional physician committed to return after residency. Mentoring in Medicine is underwritten by a stipend from Conemaugh Health System, so pre-med students earn an income for the summer.
The application process to become an intern is rigorous. There are 10 spots open annually for college and/or medical students. Each student must be a rising junior or senior in college with a focus in pre-med, or the applicant must be a first-year medical student and have taken four out of the five required courses (pre-med, calculus, biology, organic and/or inorganic chemistry and physics). Participants must be from Cambria, Somerset, or Bedford counties.
Interested students can contact mentoringinmedicine@outlook.com to request an application. Applications are due by February 14, 2022. To learn more about the program, visit Conemaugh.org.