The document summarizes highlights from a pre-med conference attended at UC Davis. It discusses key points made by medical admissions panels, including the importance of thoroughly knowing and understanding the mission and priorities of specific medical schools being applied to. Schools want to see that applicants have done their research on the institution and can explain how the school fits with their own goals and plans. The document also provides an example of how a student interested in rural healthcare may want to avoid schools not located near those environments, like Keck School of Medicine. Overall, the document emphasizes the significance of demonstrating a serious understanding of particular medical schools to admissions committees.

1. Volume 6, Issue 1
Page 2
A Letter from the
Editors
by Parker, Jeffrey,
Andrew A., Andrew
G., and Sam
Page 3
In This Issue
THEPPCJOURNAL
Faculty Profile of Elba Munoz, Assistant Director
by Andrew Gurewitz………………………………………………………………………………....…....... Page 4
UC Davis Conference Highlights
by Parker Sheldon………………………………………………………….……………........................….... Page 5
Second Year Wisdom
by PPC Alumni ………………………………………………………....………………....…..……..…....... Page 6
Mark’s Motivational
by Mark Krstyen………………………………………………………………………………………….....Page 7
First Annual PPC Census
by Andrew Alix ……………………………………………………….…………..…….……………....….. Page 8
Perhaps Another Day
by Sara Littrell …………………………………………………..………………….…...............................… Page 9
Where Are They Now?
with Courtney Hanlon and Janet Lee………………………….………………….…............................... Pages 10-11
A Word from Your Fearless Leader
by Laura Cantu…………………………………………………..………………….…..............................… Page 12
About The Editors
by PJAAS…………………………………………………..………………….….............................................Page 13
Pages 10-11
Where Are They
Now?
by PPC Alumni
Introducing the PPC
Class of 2016
by Joon Kim

2. Volume 6, Issue 1
2
Suspendisse lobortis,
quam ac euismod
sodales, diam turpis
luctus nunc, vel porta
mauris enim quis ipsum.
Introducing the PPC Class of 2016!
1
Dear KGI Family,
It is my absolute pleasure to share
with you our largest class of PPC
students in the history of our school.
Although the majority of our 58
students are from the Golden State,
they are among the most diverse in
terms of work, academic, and life
experiences. All have come to KGI
to move closer to their dream of
becoming medical doctors!
The program has grown by over
700% in just 5 years! This success
can be attributed to multiple factors,
including the students themselves.
The type of students drawn to KGI
has been those that are willing to
venture outside of their comfort
zone, committed to developing new
skills, pursue learning for the sake of
learning, and of course, commit
themselves to becoming leaders. The
opportunities at KGI to work in
teams provide an excellent source to
further interpersonal skills that are
necessary for success in medical
school. The exclusive course
designed specifically for postbac
students helps to elucidate a
confusing and unpredictable process.
2
Through relevant topics and
assignments, students are well
prepared to create their best
application when they apply.
Lastly, strong commitment to co-
curriculars have contributed to the
program's success. These include,
visits to local and out-of-state
medical schools, MCAT
preparatory course, financial and
debt education, mock interviews,
network opportunities with
medical school admission officials,
strong sense of community and
individualized advising and
mentoring. This year the PPC
program welcomed its first ever
Assistant Director, Elba Munoz.
She came to KGI from California
State University Los Angeles
where she served as advisor to
their pre-health and postbac
students. We are thrilled to have
her join us. Believe it or not, we're
at the halfway point of the
academic year. We've all
accomplished so much this fall
semester, but there's still much to
look forward to in the spring.
Enjoy the holidays and use this
time of year to rest and
celebrate with family, safe travels
to everyone!
Seasons Greetings,
Joon Kim, Ed.D.

3. Volume 6, Issue 1
3
A Letter from The
Editors
Dear PPC Family 2016,
In a previous life, the PPC Journal had been many things: amongst others, a place to examine the healthcare
systems of the world, a zeitgeist of the times for PPC cohorts past, and even a scrapbook of photos as reminders of
travel. This year, it is our vision that the PPC Journal may not only uphold this rich tradition but also serve as an
accessible platform to promote a sense of community, not only between members of the current PPC Class of
2016, but also between us and the PCC cohorts of years past. Perhaps you can imagine Volume 6 as an expanded
Sakai Forum of sorts, but with special guest appearances and with less typos! Because the inspiration for our
content is to ultimately speak to you, we cannot create it without your input. That’s right, if you find something
striking, particularly interesting, or see an ecospace in the biome of the Journal that must be filled (as Dr. Rothfeld
would say), please do not hesitate to make it known! It is our sincerest hope that the PPC Journal Volume 6 will be
a product of not only our class, but of the PPC and KGI community at large. 118 days down and only T-116 to go,
make em’ count. Together we roll down this unfamiliar road, but through it all, just know that you’re not alone:
we’re gonna’ make this place our home.
Your Editors,
PJAAS
(Parker, Jeffrey, Andrew A., Andrew G., and Sam)

4. Volume 6, Issue 1
4
An Interview with Elba Munoz,
Assistant Director of the PPC Program
by Andrew Gurewitz
Elba joins us from Cal State Los Angeles, where she was
a pre-health advisor. Her road to KGI has not been a
clear path. Originally she wanted to become an FBI
agent. In fact, her undergraduate degree was in Criminal
Justice with a minor in Sociology. This makes one
ponder, would she rather be out catching criminals than
in her post at 215? Well, not quite. Elba relays to us that
she experienced a life-changing accident while skiing and
later realized that a career in law enforcement was not
for her. Following this realization, she worked a number
of different jobs ranging from loss prevention specialist
to a counselor at a mortuary. At the mortuary, she was
involved in helping the families of the deceased to deal
with the recent loss of their loved ones. After gaining
such experience, she found a job working in the advising
office at Cal State LA, which then turned into an
opportunity at the post-bac pre-health advising office.
While at Cal State LA, Elba became aware of KGI and
specifically the PPC program when Joon sent out a
request for interviewers for the MMI practice. She came
and interviewed the students and was impressed, not
only by the professionalism, but also by the level of
preparation that they had. Over the summer, Joon was
looking for an assistant and he remembered her and got
in contact with her. The rest is history, or more
specifically, a history still in the making.
Elba has a different advising style and a different
personality than Joon. I was genuinely curious about this
aspect of her advising style. Here, Elba believes that her
job is not only to affirm her students’ desires to attend
medical school, but also to provide them with other
viable options in the healthcare professions that align
with the central philosophy of helping others in need.
In keeping with our theme of entertainment we shall dig
a little deeper into the woman who lives in the corner
office of the 215 building. Her favorite ice cream is
Cookies and Cream. Her favorite band is the Red Hot
Chili Peppers. She was born and raised in the Inland
Empire. Elba is also the first in her family to attend
college. She has children and lives in the Inland Empire
herself.
All said and done, go and see her, even to just say “Hi”.
She usually has office hours in the morning. If she is
busy, shoot her an email she gets back pretty quick. After
the interview was over she had me play with some weird
puzzle where you try to make a cube from a rope with
beads on it and get some weird linked keys unstuck from
each other. I found this really interesting and was
probably my favorite part of the interview. I was really
curious as to why she had this and she said it was for
interview preparation. In fact, interview preparation is
one of her favorite parts of helping students. So whether
you have an interview coming up or just would
appreciate the advice of a wise soul, drop on by her
office!

5. Volume 6, Issue 1
5
1
Attending the pre-med conference at
UC Davis proved both
overwhelming and helpful, as
anticipated. Over the course of the
two days I found myself buzzing
over the immense number of
opportunities offered to gain insight
into this crazy process of applying
and gaining admission into Medical
School, and challenged by
integrating all the information I was
soaking up. There were some
workshops that flopped, some that
sparked novel thoughts, and a whole
bunch that there was no time to
attend. However, I found the most
informative meat to chew was
gleaned from the medical admission
panels. Here are a few highlights I
found worthwhile to ponder when
putting your application materials
together.
KNOW THE SCHOOLS
Now, we will all get the nuts and
bolts about what medical admissions
committees look at most critically to
gain an understanding of what kind
of candidate we are and how well we
stack up from a numbers
perspective. But, “knowing schools”
goes beyond the numbers. Almost
every panel member gave some sort
of iteration of the same general
comment, understand where you’re
applying to and why you’re applying
2
there. Look at the mission statement
of the school, look at the types of
academic tracks they offer and know
how it fits into your plan. Did you
ever think about how the school is
funded? That can tell you a lot about
their priorities as an institution. How
might that affect you? These kinds
of questions and subsequent
understandings, when re-iterated on
applications and in interviews, can
help demonstrate how serious and
how prepared you are as a candidate.
You can be the brightest student in
the class, but if you don’t do your
homework, you probably won’t get
an A in the class, and we know Med
Schools like A’s. Schools will tell you
what kind of future physicians they
train. So, if you want to provide care
to underserved rural communities,
you’ll probably want to look for
schools that find this objective
important too, and have access to
those sorts of environments
locationally (i.e. NOT Keck School
of Medicine, not matter how much
you want to be a trojan). Of course,
not every school will align perfectly.
We will be applying to a lot of
schools to help our overall chances
of gaining admission, but it cannot
be stressed enough, know the
schools you are applying to. It
sounds like nothing can kick you out
of the process quicker, than
expressing something completely
tangential to the school's mission in
a secondary or in an interview.
3
BE OPEN
This brings me to the next takeaway.
Be open to schools you haven’t
thought about. This is something
that, personally, I find to be difficult.
When I get something in my mind, I
tend to put blinders on and perform
a heat seeking mission. Some of us,
for example, find “location” to be
our top priority when picking
medical schools, to stay near family,
to stay out of the cold, or to stay in
an urban environment. But there are
plenty of really great medical schools
around the country that you
probably didn’t think of, that
probably align very well with exactly
what you want out of a medical
program. And guess what, if we
abide by the first idea (KNOW THE
SCHOOLS) you are probably more
likely to be seen as an high qualified
candidate for that school.
RELATIONSHIPS
This one is intimate and something
that I thought could be most
important when putting together our
applications. When you sit and take a
hard look at how you came to be
sitting -or standing- where you are
right now, you will likely find that
there were a lot of people involved.
UC Davis Conference Highlights
by Parker Sheldon

6. Volume 6, Issue 1
6
And that will lead you to think about
something else, how were you
involved in getting others to where
they are sitting or standing today?
These relationships can help to
frame your “med school narrative”
and when analyzing these
relationships, the attributes and the
experiences you bring to the table
and why they will make you a good
physician begin to surface. Maybe
instead though, you discover that
actually, there weren’t a lot of people
to help you get to where you are
today. For some of us, that is the
case. Guess what! That is a different
kind of strength that can be
conveyed in your narrative. Think
about how you can turn those
experiences into something positive.
Indeed, you have a sort of resilience
that your peers may not because you
weren’t given some of the same
support or opportunities that your
peers received, but how have you
reflected on that? Is that what
caused you to pursue a medical
career? To provide support to
others?
COMPREHENSIVE,
COMPLETE &
GENUINE
It is all about cohesion! As Joon
has said many times in class,
committees want the whole story
and want to see how well you can
tell the narrative. A gentleman
from South Florida’s School of
Medicine could not iterate this
enough. He didn’t seem to care
too much about all the individuals
components of a student’s
application. Instead, it was all
about gestalt, the whole being
greater than the sum of the parts.
How does it all work together,
and fit together to explain to an
admissions committee why you
will be a great physician. And this
is where we bring together ALL
THE THINGS. When you look at
the relationships you have forged
and those that have forged you,
and identify your strengths as a
person and the career goals you
have, does it all make sense and
do you mean it?
Ten Curated Tips from 2nd
Years:
1. Park in the same spot everyday.
If not, you may walk outside after a
long week and never find your car.
3. Joon is always right.
4. If you haven't started your
personal statements yet, better
decide whether you're coming back
for the MS or the MBS.
5. Use the Facebook store to barter
and trade second years for their
used goods.
6. Make America great again.
7. If you play Jeopardy for extra
credit in Bain’s class, always bet it
all on final Jeopardy.
9. It's not that hard to do the
weekly Sakai posts for PPC class.
Just do them. Stop being lazy.
10. Don't be too hard on yourself if
you forget to do a weekly Sakai
post.
12. Go to wine club.
14. Fellas, get your business
clothes tailored.
Contributors: Kyle Medina, Jason
Wang, Claire Whiteside, Rob Unger
Second Year
Wisdom

7. Volume 6, Issue 1
7
Mark’s Motivational
by Mark Krstyen
1
Fellow PPC students, I hope you will
indulge me as this is my first attempt
at writing anything even remotely
like this. I hope you are as excited as
I am that our first semester has
come to an end. But if, by chance,
the workload and team projects have
gotten you down, the daunting
MCAT prep has you scrambling to
manage it all, you’re nervous about
taking the huge risk of applying to
medical school, or any number of
the other day to day stressors is
threatening to overtake your mental,
physical, and emotional stability, I
hope this article provides the pick-
me up you may be searching for. I
would like to offer a few quotes
from my favorite motivational
speaker, Les Brown.
“Too many of us are not living our
dreams because we are living our
fears.” – Les Brown
Many of us are afraid of our
inadequacies. We are afraid to take
risks, to try, to give all we have
because we are afraid to fail. Letting
fear rule our lives is a dark hole that
only has one exit strategy; test the
waters and take a risk, hence this
article. For a long time I have
wanted to express something
motivational but up until now, I
have been too afraid to pick up the
pencil. This is a baby step towards
achieving a bigger goal of mine and I
welcome any feedback you might
have. Just like writing this article is a
2
small step for me, the only way any
of us can achieve our dreams is to
take appropriate small steps. Biting
off more than we can chew won’t
get us anywhere, instead start
somewhere small and work hard to
succeed. Seems simple enough, but
when we are “living our fears” this
becomes a mountain too massive to
climb. Why are we afraid? We all
have different reasons for our fear
and that is ok but for many of us, we
are afraid because at some point life
knocked us down.
“When life knocks you down, try to
land on your back, because if you
can look up, you can get up.” – Les
Brown
We have all been knocked down by
life. Some of us have applied to
medical school without admission,
others have been knocked down by
personal trials and silent suffering,
which few if anyone know about,
and others have been knocked down
by internal negativity. We have all
experienced failure and sometimes it
is a blow that is too much to bear.
The one thing that all of these trials
have in common is that they
promote fear. Now let’s remember
something, fear is okay, what is not
ok is staying stuck where we are,
allowing fear to make decisions for
us. After all, Failure is only final if
we quit and fear will only control us
if we let it. Fear will beat us down if
we don’t beat it back. How do we
3
beat fear? Let’s establish a little
known fact, fear is afraid of
something. Fear is afraid of effort,
hard work, and small steps. Has
everyone heard of the snowball
effect? Let’s play a game. If we want
an A on the next midterm, we must
raise our hand in class. Maybe we’re
afraid to look ignorant or silly in
front of our friends, maybe we’re so
lost we don’t even know what to ask
to get back on track, or maybe we
think class is dull and boring, but
let’s establish right now that if we
want that A, I mean really want that
A, then we must raise our hand in
class, because that is where it starts.
It may seem small but it can become
powerful and fear knows that, fear is
afraid of that, so fear will keep our
hands down unless we decide to put
them up. Raising our hand leads to
paying attention in class, our brain
starts to notice and begins to
commit information to memory, our
thoughts reflect on what we have
learned and start to make new
connections, and pretty soon we are
at home studying, not because we
want to get an A, but because we
want to know the information. Just
like a snowball rolling down a
mountain we will gain speed, we will
gain strength, we will gain “belief in
ourselves,” and we will become a
vicious circle, a force so powerful
that our fears cannot stop us from
“looking up, and getting up.”

8. Volume 6, Issue 1
8
The First Annual PPC-Wide
Census
Results Prepared By Andrew Alix
0
5
10
15
20
21 22 23 24 25 26 28 31
NumbeofStudents
Age
PPC Age Distribution
Mint
15%
Chocolate
17%
Coffee
15%
Cookies
13%
Nuts
15%
Fruit
10%
Vanilla
13%
Ice Cream
Sandwich
2%
Favorite Ice Cream
21
1511
0
10
20
30
Yes
NoMaybe
MS/MBS
Continuation
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Clinical
Medical Mission
Research
Mentor/Tutor
Music
Athletics
Leadership
Greek
Number
ACtivity
Extracurricular Activities

9. Volume 6, Issue 1
9
Perhaps Another Day
by Sara Littrell
A Hop and A Skip Away -
The Alma Maters

10. Volume 6, Issue 1
10
Where Are They Now?
Courtney Hanlon PPC ‘14, MS’15
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Class of 2019
How has your PPC/KGI experience impacted your career path and where
you are at today?
The first time I applied to medical school (I have applied a total of 2 times), I
applied to 20+ MD schools, had only 1 interview and was waitlisted at the school.
Knowing I needed to markedly improve my application before reapplying, I
decided to apply to the PPC program. The weakest part of my med school
candidacy was my undergrad GPA/MCAT; improving my academic standing by
working hard at KGI was the best way for me to show med schools I was ready
for their curriculum. At KGI I was involved in a TMP, won a national research
fellowship under Dr. Ian Phillips, worked as an orphan drug designation writer for
Cote Orphan Consulting and as a health educator at the 5C health center, and
retook the MCAT. I decided to stay for my MS while reapplying to further prove
my dedication to my schooling and my career in healthcare.
On my second attempt, I applied to 30+ MD schools and received 5 interviews. I
was about to submit my DO applications when I received acceptances to 2 of my
top schools. Ultimately I received 3 acceptances and 2 waitlists. I would not
recommend applying to that many schools, but as I was more of a "character
applicant" than an applicant with impeccable academic standing I felt I needed to
try my luck at a variety of institutions. I decided to attend Dartmouth Medical
School because of their focus on healthcare delivery science, emphasis of
humanism in medicine, and because it would give me the greatest chance to match
to a successful residency program anywhere in the US.
If you had to offer one piece of advice to your past PPC self, what would it
be?
Do not just attend KGI. This will not get you into medical school. You are here to
work as hard as you can, to show you are ready to thrive in a rigorous academic
environment. Be collaborative with your classmates and help each other to succeed
(their success does not diminish your own). Stay team-oriented. This will serve you
well once you make it to med school.
Would you be receptive to being in contact with current PPC students?
Yes absolutely! I would love to talk to any and all PPC students who have
questions. The best place for anyone to reach me would by my school email:
chanlon.med@dartmouth.edu

11. Volume 6, Issue 1
11
Janet Lee PPC Rep ‘12
Western University of Health Sciences, Class of 2017
How has your PPC/KGI experience impacted your career path and
where you are at today?
I'm sure someone has already mentioned the importance of teamwork and how
it has become an essential skill to have in the field of medicine, so instead, I'll
talk about how KGI helped my personal growth. Being thrown into projects
and having to self-organize as well as setting your own expectations and limits
helped me know and accept my limitations and abilities. I could even argue that
it made me more capable of being an efficient teammate, student, and person.
It comes in handy when that analogy of medical school being equivalent to
drinking from a firehose is entirely too accurate.
If you had to offer one piece of advice to your past PPC self, what would
it be?
Schedule time off throughout the week and stick to it no matter what; everyone
needs that recharge time without feeling guilty for not accomplishing what you
set out to accomplish during the week. We worked as hard as we could and we
deserve it. *Also, to my inner fat child - eat out with your friends when they
ask; food is delicious.
Would you be receptive to being in contact with current PPC students?
Yes, current students can always contact me via email: leejs@westernu.edu
Where Are They Now?

12. Volume 6, Issue 1
12
A Word From Your Fearless Leader
Yo!
We’re already halfway into a big year. For some of us, this is the last step on our way to med school applications.
For some of us, this is the first step on our way to an MBS or MS.
No matter what reasons brought you here or where you’re going after – this year is the opportunity you deserve to
make big strides in your career path.
We, as a class, can succeed by helping and supporting each other through the KGI craziness as the rest of this
semester, and next, unfold. Together, I believe we can capitalize on everything our program has to offer; from the
new extended MCAT class schedule, to relationships with med schools, and access to an awesome masters’
program.
Our success as a cohort of talented, driven individuals is important to my own measurement of success. When I
picture my future-self checking off all my goals, I envision everyone else checking off their respective goals too. So
come talk to me! E-mail or text me. Ignore the coffee I'm clutching and have a cuppa with me. Chances are, you
have an idea or a question that I need to hear to get us what we need to have a dope year!
Your friendly neighborhood representative,
L.C.
by Laura Cantu

13. Volume 6, Issue 1
13
About the Editors
Parker Sheldon
Co-Managing-Editor
Prior to making the decision to
pursue a career in medicine, Parker
was on his way to pursuing college
golf at a small school in Colorado
Springs. Regardless of what those
around him think, Parker says that
he was fortunate to pick up the
game. It can teach a young person
the virtues of practice, discipline
and poise. Unfortunately,
performance plateaus exist and
persist. Instead, he applied to the
University of Colorado at Boulder
and packed his bags for a traditional
undergraduate academic experience.
Parker is a newcomer to the world
of newsletter editing. He enjoys
challenges though so what better
way to hone a new skill than
practicing first hand.
Jeffrey Wu
Co-Editor-In-Chief
Jeffrey is a native of Southern
California who hails from Pasadena.
For college, Jeffrey attended
Princeton University, where he
served on the staff of the Daily
Princetonian and gained invaluable
experience editing publications, yet,
in another dimension, was vastly
unprepared for the gastronomic
wasteland that is central New Jersey.
After experiencing the brunt of two
winters chilled by the Polar Vortex,
camping out more than once at
Newark International, and
begrudgingly ordering his submarine
sandwiches as “hoagies” and
“heroes” for an indeterminate period
of time, Jeffrey is thrilled to return to
the land of sunshine, gold, and
almonds, and is thrilled to have a
hand in editing this year’s paper.
Andrew Gurewitz
Co-Editor-In-Chief
Andrew is from UC Santa Cruz.
Originally from Southern
California he is a true Southern
California kid, riding his bike or
rock climbing. His road into
medicine has been curved to say
the least. He applied to college late
because he was all set to be a
firefighter. In undergrad he was a
biology major and an
anthropology minor. In the
mornings, he spent time
researching elephant seal mating
habits on the frigid beaches of
Northern California and in the
afternoons, learning about cultural
heritage issues. But mostly he rode
his bike and was even on the
cycling team- reppin’ the Banana
Slugs. He has never worked on a
newsletter before but looks
forward to the challenge of
working on it.

14. Volume 6, Issue 1
14
7C Resources
Student Health Services
First Floor of Tranquada Student Services Center
Hours
M,T,F: 8 am - 5 pm
W: 8 am - 7 pm
Th: 9 am - 5 pm
Appointments scheduled free of charge at:
Phone: 909-621-8222
Monsour Counseling and
Psychological Services (MCAPS)
First Floor of Tranquada Student Services Center
Hours
M-F: 8 am - 5 pm
Phone: 909-621-8202
After Hours Emergency: 909-607-2000
The New KGI Writing and
Tutoring Center (WTC)
Building 535, The Writing Center
Sign up for a one-hour slot:
https://kgi.mywconline.com/
Department of Campus Safety
Pendleton Business Building
150 East Eighth Street, Claremont, CA 91711
Hours
Open and Staffed 24 hours a day/7 days a week
Phone: 909-621-8170
After-hours emergency: 909-607-2000
Andrew Alix
Co-Managing-
Editor
Andrew hails from Irvine in the
heart of Orange County, California.
Just how OC is he, you ask?
Andrew is so OC they actually
based a character from the show off
of him. No, not that brooding
whiner Seth Cohen. It was
confident, charming, and dashingly
handsome Luke (he played water
polo just like Andrew). Growing
tired of beautiful, yet spoiled girls,
he decided to devote his life to
more meaningful pursuits: a career
in medicine and finding the perfect
chicken wing. If you can aid him in
either quest, he will be forever
grateful. Andrew enjoys live music,
English soccer, and Mexican food.
He will gladly hang out with you to
discuss either topic while stuffing
his face with tacos.
Sam Arcas
Photography
Editor
Sam is just a small town boy, living in
a lonely world. He took the midnight
train to KGI to photograph for the
PPC newsletter. Well, truthfully, Sam
came to KGI to get one step closer to
becoming a doctor. A native of West
Covina, California, Sam has spent his
years pursuing his passion for
medicine, as well as making time for
his other passions like photography,
cinema, and great food. Although new
to newsletter editing and writing, Sam
has longed for years to be part of a
newsletter, and hopes that his
enthusiasm and knack for
photography will make this newsletter
something that everyone at KGI looks
forward to reading.

15. Volume 6, Issue 1
15
To err is human; to forgive, divine.
- Alexander Pope