The purpose of the University of Connecticut’s Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Center is to provide systematic and sustained resources and advising to students and alumni of the University community for students interested in pursuing professional careers as doctors of medicine and dental medicine, or as physician assistants.

The Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Center, with the support and direction of the Pre-Professional Faculty Advising Committee, provides individual advising, informational group and workshop activities, and professional school application process services to prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, and University staff.

We offer an annual MCAT/DAT Prep Test course for students preparing to take the exams. Course enrollment increased by 28% this past spring over its inaugural year. In late 2013, the certificate-granting Post-Baccalaureate Program was relocated to the Storrs Campus from the School of Medicine. The administration of the Post-Baccalaureate Program is now housed within Enrichment Programs and maintains close affiliation with the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine. For Fall 2014, the program received 58 applications and 12 applicants accepted admission into the program. A full slate of workshops for Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental students, and dinner events for students and alumni in the Special Programs in Medicine and Dental Medicine and the Post-Baccalaurate Program, are being planned and scheduled for the 2014-2015 academic year.

The Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Center encourages any student interested in a health profession to meet as early as possible with the Director. Appointments can be scheduled via AdvApp or by contacting the Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Office, listed under the Pre-Professional Programs heading.

Keat Sanford, Ph.D.
Advisor, Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Center
(860) 486-1655
keat.sanford@uconn.edu

Return to Enrichment Programs Faculty Update Fall 2014

The Individualized Major (IMJR) is a self-designed, interdisciplinary major that allows students to create a program of study that fits their own interests. First established in 1974, the program has graduated more than 1900 students. Currently the program graduates 55-60 students per year. Students have chosen a wide range of topics for their majors, some unique, others more popular. International studies, health studies, and law, rights and justice themes are among the most popular. But there are many other themes, including individualized majors focused on religion, human sexuality, Deaf studies, neuroscience, public policy, and film studies. Admission to the major is by application.

New Gateway course
Following consultation with the CLAS and CAHNR CCCs, the Individualized Major Program obtained approval from the UICC to offer a one-credit gateway course to the Individualized Major, UNIV 2600 Individualized Study Across Academic Disciplines. The course uses TED talks, multidisciplinary case studies, as well as the individualized major proposal writing process to explore:

• the commonalities and differences among the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities
• the key characteristics of the disciplines in which the student is particularly interested
• what it means to be interdisciplinary (or multidisciplinary) and how an interdisciplinary approach might be effective in understanding certain issues.

This course is particularly appropriate for students who are freshmen, sophomores, and first semester juniors considering an IMJR.

Application Deadlines in 2014-15
Sept. 8, 2014
Oct. 6, 2014
Nov. 10, 2014
Feb. 23, 2015
March 30, 2015

Last Opportunity for Juniors to Apply
The Individualized Major Program requires students to apply before they begin their last 30 credits. This allows the student’s advisors and the Individualized Major Advisory and Admissions Committee to play a significant role in advising the student and shaping his/her plan of study.

In order to be able to do this effectively, the Individualized Major Advisory and Admissions Committee has set the following deadlines as the last opportunity for current juniors planning to graduate in May 2016 to apply:

• Students planning an IMJR as single major: Feb. 23, 2015
• Students planning an IMJR as a double major or additional degree: March 30, 2015

Please encourage students interested in an IMJR to apply early so that they have adequate time to plan their studies!

If you have questions about the Individualized Major Program, please contact the director at monica.vanbeusekom@uconn.edu or 860-486-0324.

Monica van Beusekom, Ph.D.
Director, Individualized and Interdisciplinary Studies Program
(860) 486-0324
monica.vanbeusekom@uconn.edu

Return to Enrichment Programs Faculty Update Fall 2014

The University Scholar Program is one of the most prestigious programs for undergraduates at the University of Connecticut. Available to students from all of the University’s schools and colleges, the University Scholar Program allows students to design and pursue an in-depth research project and to craft an individualized plan of study that supports their intellectual interests during their final three semesters. This program is especially appropriate for intellectually curious, creative, and talented students who are juniors and ready to take the initiative to craft an innovative project. Please encourage them to apply.

Students apply during the first semester of their junior year. Students intending to apply this Fall submitted a letter of intent in September. Their full proposals are due Nov. 7, 2014. For details start here: universityscholars.uconn.edu/application-overview

It is not too early to encourage sophomores to consider the University Scholar Program. These students might benefit from enrolling in a relevant course or engaging in independent study focused on their potential research or creative interests during Spring 2015. We will hold information sessions in April 2015 for students who may wish to apply to the University Scholar Program in Fall 2015.

If you have questions about the University Scholar Program, please contact the coordinator at monica.vanbeusekom@uconn.edu  or 860-486-0324.

Monica van Beusekom, Ph.D.
Coordinator, University Scholar Program
(860) 486-0324
monica.vanbeusekom@uconn.edu

Return to Enrichment Programs Faculty Update Fall 2014