Admissions Tips for St. George’s University School of Medicine
Below is a transcript of the conversation with Laura Bruno, Dean of Student Enrollment and Vice President for Student Recruitment at St. George’s University.
An Introduction to Laura Bruno
My name is Laura Bruno. I am the Dean of Student Enrollment and the Vice President for Student Recruitment at St. George’s University. In that role that I’ve been in since 2019, I lead the work around creating opportunities for students, prospective students, their families, and others who guide prospective students towards medical school to learn about St. George’s University.
I’ve been in higher education for just about 25 years, and my experience and my passion are organized around creating access to the transformative experience that a formal education can offer.
My transition to SGU was a very exciting and logical one for me. The opportunity to actually address the doctor shortage and be a part of that solution by also simultaneously guiding students towards their dream of becoming a doctor, honestly, was a dream for me. And to do it at St. George’s University, an institution which is so intentional about the way that we support students, has just been a joy.
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What Makes A Pre-Med Applicant Stand Out?
I have had the privilege of talking to so many students who are interested in going to medical school. I think a student who can explain with conviction and passion why they want to be a physician really stands out. So does a student who has been able to take that dream or that aspiration to become a doctor and really test it by shadowing, by doing research, by being involved in activities, including leadership activities that allow them to really sync up the desire with the practical experience of the field.
What Are Some Recent Changes to the Medical School Admissions Process?
At SGU, we’re incredibly fortunate because we attract students from a variety of backgrounds, lived experiences, educational pathways, and those students have expressed to us, especially in the last few years, a desire to really serve communities that are reflective of their own background, especially communities where there are underserved populations. And so we are seeing a lot of students who are interested in giving back to those communities, going into primary care. Of course, that’s very gratifying for SGU, it’s a big part of our mission. So we’re seeing that. We also see students because medical school is so difficult, adding a lot of activities, taking that gap year, trying to show how they are different from other applicants. So we’re really seeing both people with a very clear desire to serve medically underserved populations and students who are taking a year off to really enhance their application.
What Makes the St. George’s University School of Medicine Special?
Well, SGU, as we like to call ourselves, St. George’s University, we are located in the Southern Caribbean in Grenada. We were founded in 1976, and in that relatively short period of time, we have graduated over 22,000 physicians. A remarkable achievement, um, for any medical school. We’re incredibly proud of it. But I think what makes SGU so special is the intentional way in which we support our students and get people to that point, starts with a very strong foundation in the basic sciences in which we give students lots of opportunity for early clinical exposure. But then we also wrap that around with opportunity for small group learning. We give students access to learning strategists to really help them maximize their potential. All of this happens on a beautiful 65 building campus that has been built for students’ comfort, for their safety, for their wellbeing, and to promote their academic success. When SGU students complete their basic science years, their two years of basic sciences in Grenada, they move on to their clinical training and they do so at one of more than 75 different affiliated hospitals. So students will have access to the same teaching hospitals and training that students in the United States have access to. There usually is a cohort of SGU students that are at that hospital. Um, so these affiliated sites are taught by SGU faculty and there’s SGU students. So there’s a good sense of community and collaboration as well at that point. So all of what we do is really designed to promote students’ success, to stay with them every step of the way with good advice, good guidance, and of course a great education to prepare them to be physicians.
What is Your Biggest Piece of Advice for Medical School Applicants?
I think the biggest piece of advice I would give to pre-med students or students who are interested in applying to medical school is to know your why. And I know a lot of people talk about that, but it becomes really important to be able to articulate to a committee with passion and integrity why it is that you want to become a physician. Committees are very interested in knowing that. Also, making sure that that application, the activities that you’ve participated in, sort of line up with what we know to be the important traits and qualities that make a great physician. So spend the time getting to know yourself, understanding more about the profession so that you can put those two pieces together in a compelling way on your application.
What Additional Tips or Info Would You like to Share?
I want to share that SGU is an extraordinary community of passionate and dedicated students and faculty and administrators. We recognize that getting into a school in the United States is extremely challenging. And if you are a student who’s faced with applying to the US and wondering, are you going to find a spot? I don’t want you to give up. Many students are faced with that choice and there are alternative pathways. SGU is here to assist you with your education. Um, we have a tremendous network of alumni who are out there, who are ready to assist, who want to talk with you, who even want to open doors for you when the time is right. So again, if you’re in a position where you’re thinking about medical school and you’re not sure, or maybe you’ve already heard from a medical school and you haven’t gotten that, yes, come and talk to us.
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