Rhode Island Society of Physicians & Surgeons (RISOPS)

Student Recruitment & Placement Committee

The RISOPS Student Recruitment & Placement Committee will provide Rhode Island pre-med students the opportunity to interview with the committee for possible recommendation to the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM). Rhode Island students applying to UNECOM will receive notification of the Student Placement & Recruitment Committee interviews directly from UNECOM. In addition, students may be referred by local schools or DO’s.

RECRUITMENT

The committee’s mission is to recruit students through visits to local Rhode Island colleges and universities, including but not limited to, University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, Providence College, Salve Regina University, Bryant University, and Roger Williams University. Early in each calendar year, the RISOPS President will send a letter of introduction to the pre-med departments at each of these schools. The letter will explain the mission of the Student Recruitment & Placement Committee and request the opportunity to visit with pre-med students. If there is interest on behalf of the college or university, the committee will arrange a meeting for the students. A committee member will make a presentation featuring osteopathic medicine, careers in the profession, and the committee’s interview/recommendation program.

Program Introduction Process Timeline:

DATE / RESPONSIBLE PARTY
Letter of introduction to colleges/universities / 1st quarter of calendar year / RISOPS Executive Director
Follow-up with pre-med departments if no response received / Within two months of date of President’s letter / RISOPS Executive Director
Campus visits to introduce program to pre-med students / To be completed by 5/30 of each year / Student Recruitment & Placement Committee members

PLACEMENT

If a student is interested in the committee interviews, he or she must contact the RISOPS Executive Director (ED) for process details and instructions. Contact information for the ED will be provided by UNECOM or during the campus visits. Students will be responsible for submitting the following information to the Executive Director for interview consideration (the ED will be the primary contact and will instruct the students where to send the packet of information):

·  College transcripts

·  MCAT scores

·  Copy of AACOMS Application

·  At least two (2) Letters of Recommendation, unsealed

·  Proof they are Rhode Island residents or grew up in this state

·  Personal Statement

Pre-interview Process Timeline:

Executive Director contacts UNECOM to confirm student notification / → / To be completed by the last week in August
Student contacts Executive Director / → / ED informs student of required materials. Submission deadline is October 17
Executive Director receives required materials from student / → / ED will contact committee members and provide them with copies of the materials
Executive Director will work with student to schedule interview according to “interview timeline” (below) / → / ED will inform committee of interview schedule and logistics

Interview Process Timeline:

DATE / TIME / PLACE
First interview with committee / First Saturday in November / 10:00 a.m. / Kent County Hospital Emergency Department Conference Room*
Make-up interview
(date not published) / Eleven (11) days following first interview date / 6:30 p.m. / Kent County Hospital Emergency Department Conference Room*

*455 Toll Gate Rd, Warwick, RI (www.kenthospital.org)

The interview date will be published on the RISOPS’s website and announced in the annual president’s letter to all osteopathic physicians in Rhode Island.


Post-Interview Process Timeline:

Interviews completed
(including makeup) / → / Committee discussion and recommendation of candidates
Committee provides RISOPS Executive Director with information for each candidate (based on Committee discussion and recommendations) / → / RISOPS ED creates a letter to the Committee that summarizes each candidate and the Committee’s recommendation for the UNECOM seat (on RISOPS letterhead)
RISOPS ED sends the letter via email to all Committee members / → / Further discussion of the recommendation will occur by phone/email within three (3) days
If changes occur, the RISOPS ED will edit the letter and resend to Committee members / → / If no further discussion occurs within three (3) days, the letter will be signed by the Committee Chairman and returned to the RISOPS ED
The RISOPS ED will send the signed letter to UNECOM and a copy will be sent to AACOM (**) / → / Letters must be delivered by December 1st

** UNECOM AACOM

Lisa Lacroix Lane Tom Levitan

Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions VP, Application Services

11 Hills Beach Road 5550 Friendship Blvd, Ste 310

Biddeford, ME 04005 Chevy Chase, MD 20815

The seat will be awarded to a student in the upcoming class, provided they meet the minimal standards for enrollment. If there are one or more students worthy of the seat, the Committee will offer it to the most deserving, by way of majority vote. Should there be a tie in the vote, a Committee discussion will take place to determine the recipient. If there is no student worthy of the seat, it will not be given.

UNECOM will send a letter of acceptance to the awarded student as notification. If the student does not commit to UNECOM, the seat will be given to the next most deserving, if applicable.

Committee Contacts: RISOPS Staff:

Steven Peligian DO – Chairperson Jennifer Wolff Jones

Student Recruitment & Placement Committee 142 E Ontario St, 4th Floor

270 Hamilton-Allenton Road Chicago, IL 60611

North Kingstown, RI 02852 800-454-9663

401-942-1450 

Karl Felber DO – President

RISOPS

19 Cargil Road

Cumberland, RI 02864

401-725-4100