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Transforming Pre-Med: Program Gives Future Doctors a Leg Up

Dickinson’s UPMC Central PA Rotational Program is an in-depth, eight-week mini-residency for students interested in medical careers. Every week, Dickinson undergrads shadow a different doctor or resident to gain a clearer understanding of their career options and what medical area or specialty they most want to pursue. This empowers them to make more educated decisions and plans as they build professional experiences and contacts—all long before the first day of med school.

“I've never found another program that offers such a comprehensive experience of the entire world of medicine,” says Dr. Thomas Pineo ’92, P’21, P’23, medical director at UPMC Community Osteopathic Hospital (Harrisburg, Pa.), who partnered with Dickinson educators and staff to develop this unique program seven years ago. “By the time [students] complete this eight-week rotation, they have seen what would normally be reserved for third- and fourth-year medical students.”

Pineo based the program on his own rotational internship. In addition to gaining career-shaping insights and connections, that experience taught him the importance of learning to communicate well with a broad cross-section of patients during a stressful and vulnerable time for them. He remains closely involved with the program and is gratified to offer similar opportunities to students at his alma mater.

“It was amazing to be part of that and see how rewarding the experience could be,” Pineo says. “I think taking a person who's very early in their development and giving them that experience—where they can shift from the fantasy of being a doctor to a tangible, concrete understanding of what healthcare really looks like and feels like—is tremendously valuable.”

This program was made possible thanks to the generosity and support of the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation.