The SMBHC and UMMC have partnered to allow a limited number of honors students to observe physicians in a clinical environment. In Summer 2025, each honors student selected will be able to participate in up to two 2-week rotations. You will participate in this experience with rising M3s (third year medical students) from UMMC. You will also have the opportunity (and expectation) of helping at the Jackson Free Clinic on Saturday mornings, gaining further experience. The summer shadowing program is open to rising juniors or rising seniors in the SMBHC. The application deadline for Summer 2025 is February 14, 2025.
In addition to the summer shadowing program, UMMC invites two current honors juniors to shadow from January 6 to January 17, 2025. This winter shadowing session will see students spend one week in internal medicine and one week in pediatrics (trading places after the first week). The application deadline for the winter shadowing session is Friday, October 18, 2024.
To be considered for either experience, you must
- Have at least a 3.50 GPA,
- Be in good standing with the SMBHC for your year (honors hours; CAC hours reported; capstone project, if applicable),
- Show evidence of pursuing a career in medicine (through coursework or extracurricular activities such as Community Action),
- And exhibit professionalism indicative of a medical student.
Students selected for the summer program may choose to participate in only one 2-week rotation, but to make the most of this experience, we expect most students will participate in two 2-week sessions in order to experience two areas of medicine. Rotations will be determined by Dr. Jerry Clark, Chief Student Affairs Officer, Retired, at UMMC, with his assignments based on the student’s preferences.
Stipend: Participating students who are not from the Jackson area can apply to the SMBHC for a fellowship of up to $500 for each two week session. Stipends may not exceed expenses related to the shadowing program.
Application Process: Interested students should submit the following items by the deadline for the program to which they are applying. Note: It is your responsibility to collect the letter of evaluation and submit it with your other application materials. Learning to follow application instructions will help you later when you apply to medical school.
- Resume of your college and relevant high school experiences;
- Unofficial Transcripts (include transcripts from any college or university where you have earned credit);
- An essay of no more than two pages that responds to the following prompt:
Why are you interested in a career in medicine? What have you done so far to explore this interest? How would this shadowing program fit with your previous exploration?
- A letter of evaluation from a faculty member at the University of Mississippi who knows you well.
Students selected by the Honors College staff to participate in the shadowing program will need the following items ready to submit to UMMC:
- a copy of your immunization records – COVID-19, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, Hepatitis B and Flu vaccine (only during flu season).
- Proof of a negative TB test;
- Copy of driver’s license;
- Proof of health insurance.
All application items (including the faculty letter of evaluation) must be collected by you and submitted by the deadline to room 123 in the Honors College.
Selection Process: Students for this program will be selected by the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College administration and recommended to Dr. Clark.
For summer participants, the medical school has three 2-week shadowing sessions available for honors students. Honors students selected for the shadowing program can choose up to two sessions from the following:
- Session 2 June 16-June 27
- Session 3 July 7-July 18
- Session 4 July 21-August 1
Housing: The student will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and travel. A number of extended-stay hotels are located nearby. Also, Dr. Clark’s office will ask current medical students if they are interested in housing an honors student participating in this program.