Interview with Dr. Michelle Schmude, Associate Dean of Admissions at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine [Show Summary]

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine is focused on admitting students who are passionate about community service, as well as allowing as many students as possible to graduate from medical school debt free. Dr. Michelle Schmude, Associate Dean of Admissions, shares information about what makes the school unique, and what makes a successful applicant and graduate of the program.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine: A unique program emphasizing community service and clinical exposure  [Show Notes]

Today’s guest, Dr. Michelle Schmude, has spent her career in higher ed administration and med school admissions. After earning her BA in history and business, she went on to earn an MBA and then a doctorate in education from Wilkes University. Since 1996 she has worked in admissions first as Dean of Full-time Admissions at Point Park University, then at Kings College, and since 2015 as director and then as Associate Dean of Admissions, Enrollment Management & Financial Aid at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. She is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at Geisinger. Now that you know a little about Dr. Schmude, let’s find out about Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.

Can you give an overview of the Geisinger Commonwealth Medical School program focusing on its more distinctive elements? [1:55]

The school was founded in 2008 and enrolled the first class in in 2009. We have a few key hallmark programs that make us unique. First is the 100-hour community service requirement, which goes along with our mission of being a community-based medical school. We admit students who align with the mission of the school and are passionate about community service. Second is the family-centered experience, which pairs med students with individuals in the community experiencing chronic illness, so the students can follow along with the patients throughout their journey, which helps the students grow in empathy, kindness, compassion, and caring. Third is the two research programs that students engage in during years one and three. The first is a community health research project – partnering with local organizations to help identify community needs and design interventions. The second is a quality improvement research project to address issues within the community.

Is the community service component you mentioned non-clinical, or does it matter? [4:45]

Most are non-clinical, and students get really involved with the community. A few weeks ago our students hosted a Turkey Trot and raised almost $18K for Friends of the Poor. They raise funds for autism, do things both inside and outside of the school, host a health fair for the community, have a trick-or-treat event in the hospital – a haunted hallway so children are safe. Those are just a few. Some volunteer at clinics in the area.

What is the “distributed campus model” and does it shape the med student experience at Geisinger? [6:19]

The first two years of the program are spent here in Scranton and the third and fourth are out at regional campuses where students are participating in clinical rotations in the third year, and in the fourth year participating in rotations and away rotations where they will visit other clinical environments.