University of Minnesota Community
City and community come together at the University of Minnesota. The urban Twin Cities campus is large and diverse - with 32,000 students and 12,000 faculty and staff of varied ethnic and geographical backgrounds. A world of educational and cultural opportunities is here--including world-class libraries and technology centers and more than 200 academic programs--including well-established programs in African American and African Studies, Asian Studies, and Chicano Studies; and one of the few existing American Indian Studies programs.
But community is key. The University campus is a lively, livable community in the heart of the city, complete with convenient campus buses, restaurants, a full-service credit union, a daily campus newspaper, recreation centers, outstanding bookstores, and even a global travel agency. Cultural centers (such as La Raza and the Africana Student Cultural Center) offer a place to relax, connect with other students, enjoy educational and social activities, and find campus and community mentors.
The campus is also one of the city's safest areas, with its own security force, motorist assistance program, well-lit walkways, and 24-hour escort service.
"World-class research experiences were one reason I chose this school;
also, my family was here. It was definitely the right decision. Already
I've worked with one of the country's leading researchers on sickle-cell
anemia and done a clinical rotation at an outstanding neurological clinic
at a city hospital. I've also been able to adjust my curriculum around
my role as a parent--a five-year program instead of four, financial assistance
for day care, and so on. You can get whatever you need here."
- Michelle A. Knight, St. Paul (BA, Carleton College), 2nd-year student
"The research experiences here are amazing. This school offers a great
environment--a challenging, supportive, and very interactive program, with
good teachers and strong opportunities for both clinical work and research--an
especially good combination for someone like me who wants to be both a
scientist and a doctor. Right now I'm doing bone marrow research with well-known
researchers in the Cancer Center. When I want to relax, there's plenty
to do on the University campus. Plus Minneapolis is a great place, a big
city with low crime and lots going on culturally. The winters are a little
different than what I'm used to, but all the seasons are beautiful here.
I'm even learning to ski."
- Morayma Reyes, San Juan, Puerto Rico (BS, University of Puerto Rico), 2nd-year MD/PhD student
"Clinical opportunities at the University of Minnesota are pretty amazing--they're
broader and start earlier than at most medical schools. In your first year
you do preceptorships, where you shadow doctors. You also have opportunities
to work in clinics with a wide variety of patients. This is a very student-oriented
medical school--it seems to care a great deal about the welfare of students,
whether you're talking about clinical experiences, learning opportunities
outside the medical school, financial aid, or diversity. It's also a school
where patient relations and human relations really matter. We've met with
nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, and other health care professionals
to talk about how to work as part of a team. The school's Twin Cities location
is a huge advantage--there's a plethora of stuff going on here. I grew
up in St. Paul's Hmong community, and I wanted my family and home community
to be part of my Medical School experience."
- Steve Mouacheupao, St. Paul (BA, Brown University), 1st-year student
"I wanted it all, and that is exactly what I got from the University of
Minnesota Medical School: academic excellence, a culturally competent faculty,
a diverse student body with good cultural support, outstanding research
opportunities, an administration that is sensitive and responsive to the
needs of its students, and a national reputation that enhanced my ability
to acquire a desirable residency. The clinical experiences are incredibly
broad--from heavy-duty inner-city trauma cases to the suburban 'worried
well'; I've also had unique opportunities to work with Native American
physicians and to explore how traditional medicine can be melded with the
cultural health practices of diverse communities. I expected the best,
and I was not disappointed."
- Susan Sloan, Chattanooga, Tenn. (BA, Middle Tennessee
State University), 4th-year student and cofounder of the Intertribal Alliance
of Medical Students
"There's a very supportive community here. I was admitted as a sophomore
through the Advanced Admissions Program, given a mentor, and encouraged
to explore varied interests as an undergraduate--I majored in sociology
and anthropology and took a year off after college to study herbal medicine
in Asia. My experiences as a medical student have been challenging, but
also highly positive. The teachers are approachable and the students pull
together, especially since there's pass-fail grading the first two years.
At the medical fraternity where I live, we share cooking and help each
other study. Many of us are involved in the community, helping to meet
people's health needs. Minneapolis is a nice place to live--one of the
great pluses is that the people are so much friendlier than many other
places."
- YouaPa Yang, Eau Claire, Wisc. (BA, Carleton College), 1st-year student
