PreProfessional Externships (premedical, predental)

Most medical and dental schools require that applicants have a series of up-close, hands-on experiences with a medical doctor or a dentist, respectively.

Since 1998, the Stephen Hatten Premedical Externship Program has paired premedical students with local physicians, giving students hands on "shadowing" experience. The late Stephen Lane Hatten was a Southern Miss graduate who was accepted for admission to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He deferred entering medical school to the fall of 1998, but died of leukemia on May 2, 1998. The Southern Miss Stephen Hatten Premedical Externship Program was named in his honor at the request of his parents, Dr. Lewis Hatten and Betty Bly Hatten, and his brother, Andrew Hatten, who wanted Stephen to be remembered.

The Preprofessional Office, with the guidance of a local oral surgeon, began a similar externship program for predental students who "shadow" with local dentists.

Each Preprofessional Externship comprises a one-credit course designed to assist preprofessional students to become more competitive applicants to professional school by providing a hands-on experience in the medical or the dental field, so the student will become familiar with the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of these professions. Sophomores and Juniors are encouraged to apply; Seniors may also participate but typically students have already applied to a professional school by the end of the Junior year.

The Preprofessional Externships are available during the Fall semester of each academic year. Students meet as a group during the first several weeks and near the end of the semester to learn about and discuss some basic issues that health-care providers face including, but not limited to, the patient-physician (or patient-dentist) relationship, confidentiality, taking patient histories, measuring blood pressure and pulse, professional conduct, professional dress, and legal and ethical matters.
Premedical students undergo a mandatory orientation session through Forrest General Hospital to learn what is expected of them as externs.
Predental students have at least one separate meeting to discuss issues specific to the dental field. Each student completes at least 20 hours of shadowing during the semester.

Requirements
In order to participate in a premedical or predental externship students must:

  • have successfully completed (minimum grade of C in each course) the following prerequisite courses
    –   ENG 101 and ENG 102
    –   BSC 110/L and BSC 111/L
    –   CHE 106/L and CHE 107/L
    –   (MAT 101 and MAT 103) OR (MAT 167 or MAT 314)
  • have a minimum overall GPA of 3.2 and a minimum GPA of 3.2 in the above required courses
  • have a recent (less than 6 months old) negative Tuberculosis skin test
  • have completed the Hepatitis B vaccination series
  • undergo a criminal history background check

 

Student Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of the externship students will:

  • have a greater understanding of day to day events in a clinical or professional setting
  • have a greater understanding of patient-physician (patient-dentist) trust and confidentiality and of professional ethics
  • have written documentation about one medical or dental exposure to be used on their professional school application

 

Preprofessional Externship Files
Forms

Hatten Externship_Application Form

Helpful Links
AMCAS website

For more information about the Stephen Hatten Pre-medical Externship Program or the Pre- Dental Externship, please contact:

Preprofessional Office
Ms. L. Machell Haynes, Preprofessional Aasistant
601.266.4741
ladonna.haynes@usm.edu
College of Science and Technology
118 College Dr., #5165
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001

Dr. Patricia Biesiot
Associate Dean and Preprofessional Advisor
601.266.4883
patricia.biesiot@usm.edu
Pre-Professional Office
College of Science and Technology
118 College Dr., #5165
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001