Second Look brings nearly 100 admitted students to OUWB, Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital

For those admitted to medical schools for next fall, the deadline to decide which institution they will attend is rapidly approaching - and this week Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine made its final pitch.

Called Second Look, the two-day event essentially served as one more opportunity for admitted students to receive a comprehensive overview of OUWB. Nearly 100 attended, many from southeast Michigan and the Midwest region, while others travelled across the country.

Together, attendees learned more about the school's curriculum, various departments, support services, student organizations, had access to current students and alumni, and took advantage of opportunities to see where they very well could spend the next four years preparing to be physicians.

And it happened just before the April 30 deadline for medical school applicants to commit to one school.

"They showed us everything we need to know and then some," said Zerick Dill, an admitted student from Columbus, Ohio. "I don't have any lingering questions... (and) I got a feel for the different campuses."

"Overall, it gave me all of the information I needed, which I think is really important when making this decision," he added.

'A very rewarding feeling'

[Link] Christopher Carpenter, M.D., welcomes admitted students to Second Look.

According to Ray Wilson, MSA, director, Medical School Admissions, Second Look is viewed by OUWB as a crucial part of the school's student recruitment and engagement strategy. It's exclusive to students who are currently admitted to OUWB.

Wilson said during the event, "we try to introduce as many departments and experiences that they could take in over the two days." He and Monique Aftimos, MBA, coordinator, Medical School Admissions, spend months working on the event.

Wilson said it "went great."

"Seeing the excitement of prospective students here, on-campus, is a very rewarding feeling," he said. "But seeing them get to hear from more than 60 OUWB faculty, staff, and students over the two days really shows what OUWB is all about."

Among the first they heard from was Abhinav Krishnan, Ph.D., associate dean, Admissions and Enrollment Management, and Christopher Carpenter, M.D., Stephan Sharf Dean, OUWB.

"I want to welcome you all," said Carpenter. "I'm really excited you're all here today. This is a great opportunity to get to know OUWB much better."

Carpenter talked about top reasons he believes the admitted students should attend OUWB. Specifically, he pointed to school's high match rate and how OUWB students consistently place into top residency programs across the country.

He also noted the strong relationship between the school, Corewell Health, and especially Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital (WBUH) in Royal Oak, which is where OUWB students do much of their training.

Carpenter also talked about the importance of community at OUWB, both in terms of who the school serves and the "family of students that you're going to be going through this with."

[Link] Admitted students Nicolette Patsarikas (left) and Elizabeth Graham chat during an "ice breaker" session.

After an "ice breaker" that allowed the admitted students to get to know each other, an academic panel took to the stage.

Participants were Pierre Morris, M.D., associate dean, Clinical Education; Deidre Hurse, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Foundational Medical Studies; Berkley Browne, Ph.D., associate dean, Student Affairs; Sarah Lerchenfeldt, Pharm.D., interim co-chair, Department of Foundational Medical Studies; and David Thomas, Ph.D., associate dean, Preclinical Education.

The panel provided insights into the medical school's approach to medical education and offered details about the curriculum structure and how it has evolved, the comprehensive support system in place, and what kinds of clinical experiences students at OUWB might expect.

"Your clinical experiences start in your first and second year," said Morris. "Research shows that early clinical experiences - patient interactions and patient care - ultimately translates into better preparation for your third year and most importantly, leads to better patient outcomes because you're better prepared."

Browne highlighted the strong partnership between medical education and student affairs. She mentioned the many ways Student Affairs provides support including offering academic success advisors; coordinating study groups; conducting workshops on study strategies; helping students navigate specialty choices; offering career exploration opportunities; and more.

She also talked about how Student Affairs team members strive to provide personal support - and how smaller class sizes at OUWB facilitate meaningful connections.

"By the time a student graduates, I've probably met parents and loved ones and know all kinds of things that have nothing to do with school, but very much have to do with each student as a human being."

The panel had a big impact on admitted students like Anas Qaoud, who is from West Bloomfield and did his undergrad at OU.

"All of the panelists seem very, very kind," he said. "You can really tell that they care, and it makes you feel like you can succeed here."

'Share my experience'

[Link] Admitted student Zerick Dill (right) took advantage of a chance during Second Look to ask questions of Greg Ashe, associate director, Financial Services.

The remainder of the first day included an overview of Student Affairs, lunch sponsored by Diversity & Inclusion that allowed admitted students the chance to engage with OUWB faculty, details about the school's bioethics curriculum, a white coat fitting, more chances to chat with the various departments and student organizations, and a social event with current students at Grand Tavern in Rochester.

The second day was at WBUH. It began with a welcome and overview from Financial Services. Students then toured WBUH and heard from panels consisting of current students and OUWB alumni. Many admitted students also had family members join them.

Howard Randell's daughter, Rani Randell, has been admitted to OUWB. He and his wife, Savi Pai, travelled from the Chicago area for Second Look.

"Everyone is very friendly, welcoming, and supportive," he said. "I took away a good feeling from the alumni and current student panel in terms of their own experiences. I think that was the most insightful session."

During the panel discussion, the admitted students had questions on a wide range of topics including how well OUWB prepared its students for residency, what the adjustment to medical school is like, internship opportunities, student organizations at the school, and more. (See "Current students, alumni of OUWB answer questions for admitted students ")

First-year OUWB student Nedi Affas was a panelist.

[Link] OUWB M4 Hope Hefferan (left) and M1 Nedi Affas were part of a panel during Second Look.

"Last year, I was actually sitting in these same exact chairs, and I felt it was really important for me to give back, especially now that I've been through most of one year," she said. "I wanted to share my experience because I want to help new students feel more confident."

By the time she participated in OUWB's 2024 Second Look, Affas said she was "pretty committed" to OUWB and the event helped her solidify her decision.

"I felt like I was in the right place," she said.

Several admitted students at this year's Second Look shared similar feelings.

Elizabeth Graham, of Grand Blanc, Michigan, said Second Look "definitely gets me excited" about the possibility of attending OUWB.

"The faculty clearly care so much about their students and care about us (at Second Look)," she said. "I like how there has been emphasis on the fact that no student gets left behind. And that there are so many ways for students to get involved."

Sophia Maddux, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, said she's "always been drawn to the school because it has such an emphasis on community." Throughout the application process, Maddux said she has experienced it firsthand.

"You can see it in the faculty and how much they care for each other, and I felt that during interview day," she said. "Being here now…I can see that it was all real. There were people tearing up over their colleagues and you don't see that at a lot of places."

For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, senior marketing specialist, OUWB, at [email protected].

To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketing webpage.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.