Freeing the Power of the Individual

Pre-professional Externships (pre-medical, pre-dental)

Most medical and dental schools require that applicants have a series of up-close, hands-on experiences with a medical doctor or a dentist, respectively.

Since 1998, the Stephen Hatten Premedical Externship Program has paired premedical students with local physicians, giving students hands on "shadowing" experience. The late Stephen Lane Hatten was a Southern Miss graduate who was accepted for admission to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He deferred entering medical school to the fall of 1998, but died of leukemia on May 2, 1998. The Southern Miss Stephen Hatten Premedical Externship Program was named in his honor at the request of his parents Dr. Lewis Hatten and Betty Bly Hatten and his brother Andrew Hatten who wanted Stephen to be remembered.

The Preprofessional Office, with the guidance of local oral surgeon Dr. John Roberson, began a similar externship program for predental students who "shadow" with local dentists.

Each Preprofessional Externship comprises a one-credit course designed to assist preprofessional students to become more competitive applicants to professional school by providing a hands-on experience in the medical or the dental field, so the student will become familiar with the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of these professions. Sophomores and Juniors are encouraged to apply; Seniors may also participate but typically students have already applied to a professional school by the end of the Junior year.

The Preprofessional Externships are available during the Fall semester of each academic year. Students meet as a group during the first and last several weeks of the semester to learn about and discuss some basic issues that health-care providers face including, but not limited to, the patient-physician (or patient-dentist) relationship, confidentiality, taking patient histories, measuring blood pressure and pulse, professional conduct, professional dress, and legal and ethical matters. Premedical students undergo a mandatory orientation session through Forrest General Hospital to learn what is expected of them as externs. Predental students have at least one separate meeting to discuss issues specific to the dental field. Each student completes at least 20 hours of shadowing during the semester.

Requirements
In order to participate in a pre-professional externship students must:

  • have successfully completed (minimum grade of C in each course) a minimum of 28 hours of "pre-professional" course work, to include the following:
    –   BSC 110/L and BSC 111/L
    –   CHE 106/L and CHE 107/L
    –   (MAT 101 and MAT 103) OR (MAT 167 or MAT 314 AND 1 upper level course in BSC, CHE, MAT, PHY)
    –   ENG 101 and ENG 102
  • have a minimum USM GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.2 in the above required courses
  • complete the assigned readings (revised readings will be available online in July)
  • have a recent (less than 6 months old) negative Tuberculosis skin test
  • have completed the Hepatitis B vaccination series or sign a waiver
  • undergo a criminal history background check

Student Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the externship students will:

  • have a greater understanding of day to day events in a clinical or professional setting
  • have a greater understanding of patient-physician (patient-dentist) trust and confidentiality and of professional ethics
  • have written documentation about one medical or dental exposure to be used on their professional school application

Click here for the Preprofessional Externship Application Form.


Preprofessional Externship Readings

Required:

1.) PreProfessional Experience Description

Optional Readings:

2.) PreProfessional Premed

3.) Hatten Rotation Form

4.) Amcas 2010 Instructions

5.) 2010 App check list

6.) 2010 App tips

7.) 2010 Glossary of terms

8.) Self assessment guide

9.) The 39 steps to choosing a major

10.) Thirty-three questions I wish I had asked


For more information about the Stephen Hatten Pre-medical Externship Program or the Pre- Dental Externship, please contact:

Ms. Sharon Hokanson
Development Coordinator
601.266.4741
sharon.hokanson@usm.edu
Pre-Professional Office
College of Science and Technology
118 College Dr., #5165
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001

Dr. Patricia Biesiot
Associate Dean
601.266.4883
patricia.biesiot@usm.edu
Pre-Professional Office
College of Science and Technology
118 College Dr., #5165
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001