Dear Student,

Greetings!

As Assistant Dean of the Office for Diversity and Cultural Affairs (ODCA) at Ohio State’s College of Medicine, I would like you to strongly consider pursuing your medical education at OSU. The ODCA is committed to helping you realize your dream of becoming a physician and to making your stay here both personally and professionally rewarding.

Leon McDougle, MD, MPH

At OSU, which is located in Columbus, Ohio, we believe a diverse population enriches the educational experience of all our students, and we know that minority physicians are key health care providers for our nation’s underserved population. The college accepted 20 students who are underrepresented in medicine (URM) in its entering class of 2007. Some of these students completed our MEDPATH postbaccalaureate program, while others were awarded renewable merit-based scholarships currently valued at $80,000 over four years. That pays the lion’s share of tuition at Ohio State!

The medical college is affiliated with The Ohio State University Medical Center, recently recognized as one of America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report in 13 categories: cancer, digestive disorders, geriatrics, gynecology, heart and heart surgery, hormonal, kidney disease, neurology/neurosurgery, orthopedics, respiratory, rehabilitation, urology, and ears, nose and throat.

Student groups are popular at the college, offering their members numerous educational, social and volunteer opportunities. Organizations such as the Ohio State chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and the Aprovechando Salud y Educación (Embracing Health and Education) assist communities by providing medical education and health screenings. The ODCA assists the SNMA in providing stimulating speakers for its popular Black History Month lecture series.

Columbus, Ohio, the fifteenth largest city in the United States and Ohio’s capital city, boasts an increasingly diverse population that includes African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Somalians. Our Somalian community is, in fact, the second largest in the United States. The medical college’s affiliation with the Columbus Free Clinic and the Clinica Latina provides excellent opportunities for medical students to hone their clinical skills and assist culturally diverse patients at the same time. In fact, the September 2005 issue of Hispanic Business rates Ohio State’s College of Medicine and Public Health as one of the “Top 10 Medical Schools for Hispanics.”

The OSU College of Medicine offers two pathways for the preclinical years to appeal to students’ different learning styles. The Integrated Pathway (IP) combines body systems content with basic and clinical sciences. This curriculum blends student-centered active learning, small group case-based discussion, and lectures. Each subject area includes normal histology and physiology as well as pathophysiology, pathology and pharmacology. The Independent Study Program (ISP) provides students with highly-structured resource guides, and web and computer-based materials to learn on their own. The ISP curriculum, organized into study units called modules, is arranged by organ systems, focusing on the Normal Human the first year and Pathophysiology the second year.

The ODCA is committed to creating an environment that will facilitate the academic achievement of URM students. That means we will be committed to you. Our services include academic and career counseling, student advocacy, and notification of grants and scholarships for which you may be eligible. The ODCA also helps to support educational and recreational experiences that promote personal growth and cultural sensitivity, including travel expenses to attend professional conferences. At your request, we will help to locate mentors who are compatible with your professional goals and cultural background. We also encourage students to “drop in” at our office in 066 Meiling Hall to let us know how things are going and to assist them in any matter, however small.

Looking ahead, Ohio State medical students pass the United States Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE) at a rate above the national mean, ranging from a 95% (Step 1) to 98% (Step 2) first-time pass rate. The medical college also prepares you well for residency. Nearly 90 percent of residency program directors surveyed nationally rate Ohio State’s medical school graduates as equal to or better prepared for residency than other medical school graduates.

The ODCA web site will assist you in learning more about the college and to provide food for thought as you pursue your professional goals. The application deadline for Ohio State’s College of Medicine each year is November 1. For more information, please call Ms. Muntaqima Furqan, associate director of the ODCA at (614) 688-8489. Even better, come visit with us. Our office in 066 Meiling Hall is located at 370 West Ninth Avenue in Columbus, Ohio. We will be delighted to answer any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Leon McDougle, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Dean
Office for Diversity and Cultural Affairs

Muntaqima Furqan
Associate Director