Nearly 100 percent accepted into med school - Summer 2007 Wartburg Magazine - Wartburg College

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Orange Anatomy Nearly 100% accepted into med school

Joel Reynolds The Wartburg College science department continues to make a name for itself as the percentage of students accepted in graduate schools “soars.” College statistics report nearly 100 percent of Wartburg students who applied to dental, physical training, optometry, veterinarian medicine, occupational therapy, nursing, chiropractic medicine and medical technology schools were accepted in the past decade.

Rachel Young ’07 of Mount Vernon, Iowa, consults with Dr. Roy Ventullo, Burk-Will Chair in Biology, during a microbiology lab session. A biology and chemistry major, Young transferred to Wartburg from another college and says small class sizes helped her get to know her professors.

Dr. Ferol Menzel, vice president for academic affairs, notes there are a number of factors that contribute to this success.

“First, we have a strong faculty that challenges students in the classroom and provide excellent advising,” said Menzel. “Second, the new science center includes state of the art scientific equipment and dedicated laboratory space for students and faculty to work together, and, third, the undergraduate research program provides students with the problem-solving, research, and communication skills necessary to be successful in graduate school.”

Dr. Edith Waldstein, vice president for enrollment management, says having such an incredibly high placement rate speaks to the quality of our academic programs, especially in science programs. These numbers aren’t hurting recruitment efforts, either.

“Even for those students who do not plan to go into health-related fields, it is impressive to know that you will be at a college that has such a high rate of success in the sciences,” says Waldstein.

Those statistics were the reason Rachel Young ’07 of Mount Vernon, Iowa, chose Wartburg when she opted to transfer colleges after one semester at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minn.

Young, a biology and chemistry major, says students get to know their professors at Wartburg with the small classes. She says many also take advantage of the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) preparation course offered by faculty members. These classes have been paying off, too. Dr. Ed Westen, assistant professor of biology, notes that in the past two years, Wartburg’s M CAT scores have risen 4.5 points.

The postgraduate process involves a lot of work, and Westen says his students know what they want and work hard to fulfill their goals from the beginning. “We have them come in and evaluate the plan during their first year,” said Westen. “We talk extensively about medical school. Some want to throw in the towel and don’t want to spend the time, but my job is to encourage them.”

As a first-year student in the physician’s assistant program at Des Moines University, Jacqueline Novak ’06 (left) worked directly with patients. She says her experiences at Wartburg helped her transition to graduate school.

One motivator is firsthand experience. Students are immersed in the field by a new partnership with the Waverly Health Center. There is also an informal relationship with Bartels Lutheran Home where students can work as Certified Nursing Assistants. Recently, Allen College of Nursing in Waterloo, Iowa, agreed to partner with Wartburg in medical programs.

Menzel says the increase in the number of majors has gone from 196 in fall 2000 to 285 in fall 2006. Wartburg’s faculty is known for preparing students. Recent graduate students say professors and the curriculum that includes biology and chemistry prepared them for their graduate courses.

Joel Reynolds ’05 of West Des Moines, Iowa, a dental student at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, had a full plate when he attended Wartburg. He was a busy biology major and a member of the baseball team. Wartburg definitely gave him a solid background and prepared him for graduate courses at Iowa.

“Wartburg focuses its curriculum on courses relevant to health sciences, which has given me a good background on which to build in my science courses at Iowa,” said Reynolds. “I felt very prepared for most of the science classes offered at the College of Dentistry because of my strong background from Wartburg.”

Derek Solheim ’93, associate director of Pathways Center for career services, says his office plays a small role in helping students interested in medicine, noting that faculty’s help is best. Solheim says professors’ referrals and associations with the college have given students a great advantage.

Jacquelyn Novak ’06 of Waukon, Iowa, is a first-year physician’s assistant student at Des Moines University. She credits Solheim and the Pathways staff for helping her in the graduate school interview process. Novak says the professors at Wartburg went above and beyond in helping her, too.

“They not only gave me books and resources, they wrote letters of recommendation and counseled me on choosing the right school and prepared me for interviewing and even classes at PA school,” said Novak.

Novak also noted that, when interviewing, schools were very impressed with the college’s methods in writing and actually doing the research projects, writing manuscripts and the teamwork in the classroom.

Many credit the success in large part to the faculty. However, Westen considers himself a “guide” for students to help them find schools and prepare them for continuing education.

“The program [at Wartburg] is just so established,” said Young. “We are known [by graduate school professors] to be prepared, so it is nice to go to a school [Wartburg] with such a reputation.”