On Saturday, February 5, the Postbac Premed Student Council (PPSC), in collaboration with the Columbia GS Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program, will kick off their annual Medical School Fair. Over the course of the next two months, students will have opportunities to learn about some of the top medical schools from across the country without ever having to leave New York. Following last year’s first-ever virtual fair, this year’s events will take a similar online format, allowing students to speak directly with administrators and deans in virtual break-out sessions while accommodating ongoing travel restrictions and difficulties.
“We were so lucky to have the solid foundation of last year’s successful virtual school fair to build upon this year, bringing more schools and a broader variety of accessible content to students from around NYC,” said Hannah Ressinger, Postbac student and VP of Medical School Fair Operations for PPSC.
More than 20 medical schools and healthcare programs will be participating, with the kickoff event serving to prepare students for finding a medical school and learning how to assess their own needs and effectively learn about schools.
“Our inaugural event on Saturday, February 5 will be a panel discussion on how students can go about finding and communicating with medical schools that are right for them. I very much hope that this allows students to attend the following school info sessions from 20+ medical schools armed with powerful questions as well as insights into their own needs,” Ressinger said.
Subsequent events will focus on introducing students to various schools and programs, as well as covering the admission process, curriculum, and student-life aspects of medical school.
New this year, the PPSC added a panel discussion about the wider impacts of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in medical education and care. Hearing from leaders in the DEI field, students will learn about how professionals in the U.S. healthcare system are working to create a more universally equitable environment.
Ressinger hopes this panel—the fair’s closing event—will elicit “an incredibly interesting and critical discussion on the present and future of medicine. It feels like the right way to launch all of our students into their own careers in medicine.”
More information about the virtual fair and participating schools, visit Columbia University Medical School Fair.
