Baylor Pre Health (PHP) Course Notes

Course Purpose and Overview

• Baylor Pre Health (PHP) aims to help you navigate Baylor's vast resources for pre-health students and to be academically successful as a freshman.
• Highlights differences between high school and college: more learning outside the classroom, different professor expectations, and the need to adapt to a college workload.
• The course also introduces how to get involved in extracurriculars that strengthen your application later on.

Course Structure and Syllabus Highlights

• Instructor-led overview of course structure, syllabus, major assignments, and important contacts.
• Emphasis on peer mentorship and peer groups throughout undergrad, including during the application cycle.
• Overview of programs and components designed to support pre-health students:
  • Peer mentorship across undergrad
  • Pre-health organizations and active membership requirements
  • Pre-health degree chats that simplify prereqs and MCAT-related planning
• Yearly cadence: freshman through senior year experiences tied to application readiness (MCAT prep, interviews, etc.).
• Note: about $70\%-75\%$ of Baylor Pre Medical applicants currently in the program for the semester.

Baylor Pre Health Programs and Offerings

• Peer mentorship is a core feature of the program.
  • Students form peer groups to support one another.
• PHP 2105 is the first-year focus; PHP 2102 is the junior/senior focus (MCAT prep and application season).
• Pre-health organizations are required to participate in as part of the course.
  • Benefits: community, volunteering, clinical opportunities, leadership, and exposure to speaker panels from health professionals.
• Pre-health degree chats provide guidance on prereqs and recommended classes before MCAT.
• The program emphasizes a culture of support and active engagement to strengthen future medical school applications (e.g., service orientation, cultural competency, work ethic).
• MentorMatch and MentorMASH database as tools to connect with mentors and extracurriculars.

MentorMASH Database and Mentorship Process

• MentorMASH: a repository of extracurriculars that mentors are involved in; includes an instruction manual and example mentor-mentee matches.
• Example workflow:
  • Sally wants cancer research; she uses the Research tab and searches for “Cancer” using Ctrl+F.
  • Sally finds mentors (e.g., Sofia, Graham, Hailey).
  • Sally fills out a mentor interest form; link is on the Canvas homepage under the "Mentor Match" section.
  • She receives an email from Greg and Juliana informing her that her mentor is Hailey.
  • Students must initiate contact with their matched mentor (mentee-initiated outreach).
• Extra credit: submitting a Word doc with a photo of you and your mentor and a sentence describing what you discussed earns $3$ extra credit points.
• Resources to access MentorMatch: Canvas homepage -> Mentor Match section/links.

Staff and Culture

• Michael Olson, Director of Partnerships, introduces himself:
  • Senior biology major with a business minor on the premed track.
  • Involvements include a cell/molecular biology lab, medical scribe at a local hospital, and involvement with USA.
  • Emphasizes a culture of lifting each other up and preparing for a future in patient care.
• Emphasis on active participation, mentorship, and event attendance as pathways to success.

Peer Group Details

• Peer groups consist of $10$ students who sign up for four sessions across the semester via SignUpGenius.
• Groups are categorized as green or gold students.
• Rosters are on Canvas; if your name isn’t listed, contact the instructor to be added (preferably today).
• Sign-up process:
  • Sign-up slots go out via Canvas announcements on Thursday evenings.
  • First-come, first-served; no guaranteed switches even if you contact the instructor.
  • Choose a slot you can commit to for the entire semester.
• Start dates for green group sessions: $09/09, 09/10, 09/11$; times are set and repeat biweekly thereafter.
• Attending peer groups is mandatory; there are $6$ meetings in total, and attendance affects your grade (each missed meeting deducts $10$ points).
• If you miss due to illness or travel, you can still do well as long as other coursework is submitted on time and you complete extra credit opportunities.
• Important reminder to calendar your sessions (iCal, Google Calendar, Outlook, etc.) and set reminders.

Event Attendance Requirements

• You must attend $5$ events across five categories:
  • One interprofessional or global health event (often labeled as Global Health Interprofessional or PUB)
  • One cultural unity and belonging event (referred to as Cub)
  • One volunteering event (you must find a volunteering opportunity yourself)
  • One campus event
  • One event hosted by pre-health faculty or the pre-health board
• Purple events correspond to Global Health Interprofessional or PUB categories.
• An events calendar with sign-up links (SignUpGenius) is provided; first-come, first-served.

Peer Group Curriculum and Course Schedule

• Ella (student speaker) explains:
  • Weekly Canvas homepage updates with upcoming due dates, which peer group attends, and event locations.
  • A course schedule PDF is available on Canvas; Green Week aligns with peer group activities.
  • A key explains week-by-week activities.
  • Sunday quizzes are part of the schedule and relate to the textbook content.
• Textbook:
  • Emphasized as a valuable resource; readings quizzes are tied to the textbook chapters and due on Sundays.
  • Access is included with tuition; if problems, contact the instructor or reach out after class.
• Final exam window: open from $Dec 5$ to $Dec 8$ (year not specified in transcript).
• Office hours and staff support are available for questions and guidance.

Assessments, Major Assignments, and Policies

• Major assignments:
  • Event development (the first major assignment): an Event Log you download as a Word document, fill out, and submit on Canvas.
  • Midterm reflection (second major assignment): discusses your understanding and experiences; includes an optional alternative if pre-health is not the right path.
  • Final peer group presentation (worth $10$ points): rubric available on Canvas with detailed slide-by-slide expectations.
  • Final exam (multiple-choice): worth $30$ points.
  • MentorMatch confirmation assignment (Word doc with screenshot): contributes to your grade; requires evidence of mentor meeting.
• Additional notes:
  • An AI detector is active on Canvas; using AI to complete assignments results in a zero.
  • There is a built-in calendar for events; students should avoid excessive SignUpGenius requests (only signs up as needed).
  • There is a “three matches” limit for MentorMatch (maximum number of mentor connections).
• Open inquiries: students can attend office hours or email the staff for help with scheduling, access to the textbook, or assignment questions.

Practical and Ethical Considerations

• The program emphasizes ethical mentorship and proactive outreach: students should reach out to mentors instead of waiting for mentors to contact them.
• The emphasis on community, volunteering, and cultural competency aligns with professional expectations in medicine.
• The syllabus includes an AI policy to ensure academic integrity.
• Real-world relevance: exposure to clinicians through mentor relationships, regular event participation, and hands-on activities that demonstrate commitment to service and leadership.

Quick Reference: Key Numbers and Dates

• Peer group size: $10$ students per group
• Peer group sessions: $6$ total; attendance directly affects grade; $10$ points deducted per absence
• Event categories: $5$ total (interprofessional/global health, Cub, volunteering, campus, hosted by pre-health)
• Major assignments: Event development (first), Midterm reflection (second), Final peer group presentation ($10$ points), Final exam ($30$ points)
• Extra credit: MentorMatch submission earns $3$ points
• MentorMatch limit: up to $3$ matches
• Reading quizzes: weekly, due on Sundays
• Final exam window: Dec 5 to Dec 8 (calendar dates may vary by year)
• Textbook access: included in tuition
• AI policy: using AI leads to a zero on the assignment

Contacts and Support

• Instructors and staff available for questions: office hours, Canvas announcements, and email.
• MentorMatch and MentorMASH resources accessible via Canvas homepage under the Mentor Match section.
• If roster issues occur, contact the instructor quickly to be added to the roster.