Guthrie Scholars Program

The Guthrie Scholars program is designed to give qualified students at both Wilkes University and Binghamton University who are interested in pursuing medicine the opportunity to earn 12-15 credits while gaining first-hand knowledge of the life of a physician.

The selected students participate in a research project (bench or clinical), attend Medical and Surgical Grand Rounds, hear lectures, participate in Teaching Rounds, shadow physicians, nurses, social workers, nutritionists, allied health care providers, and administrators. They also spend days with Guthrie Hospice and Guthrie Home Health care, a day with the Greater Valley Ambulance Service, and a possible day with the Guthrie Air Flight Team.

Scholars Program Eligibility

To be eligible for the Guthrie Scholars program, students must be a resident of one of the following counties:

In New York – Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Schuyler, Steuben, Tompkins or Tioga (other counties by special circumstances)
In Pennsylvania – Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Cameron, Elk, McKean or Potter (other counties by special circumstances).

Additionally, students must be suggested by their respected academic institution and go through Guthrie's interview process.

Wilkes Student Qualifications:

Students must be at least in their junior year in high school to begin the application process. They must also have gained acceptance into Wilkes University and have completed a premedical scholar's application with Wilkes University by November 15 of each year to be considered for the Guthrie Scholars Program.

For more information, interested students should contact Constance Dombroski at Wilkes University to indicate interest in the Wilkes University Guthrie Premedical Scholars Program. Wilkes University also has spots open for current students who may have decided upon medicine after enrollment into Wilkes University.

Constance Dombroski, M.S.
Director, Center for Health Sciences & Student Success
Vice Chair, University Staff Advisory Committee (USAC)
Wilkes University
P: (570) 408-4823

Binghamton Student Qualifications:

Students must be part of the Binghamton Scholars program. The student must apply on a semester-by-semester basis through their school to obtain a possible interview. For more information, interested students should contact Katherine Bouman at Binghamton University to indicate interest in the Binghamton University Guthrie Premedical Scholars Program.

Katherine Bouman
Associate Director
Binghamton University Scholars Program
Phone: (607) 777-3593

Presentations

Guthrie Scholars

“I was a Guthrie scholar during my first semester of junior year of college. I cannot express how valuable this experience was for me in terms of exposure and insight into the medical field. I was always interested in science and I signed up to be a Guthrie scholar already knowing that I wanted to apply to medical school one day. My time as a Guthrie scholar not only solidified my decision to go into medicine, but also helped me grow as a future doctor.

It is difficult to know what you want to do for the rest of your life at the ripe age of 17, especially when the only exposure you’ve had to the field is through the rose colored glasses of a medical TV show drama. If you asked me before my experience as a Guthrie scholar what my reasoning was for wanting to enter the medical field, I would have told you that I’m interested in science and helping people, which is absolutely true. However, there are many fields out there that allow you to do just that.

The unique experience of spending valuable one on one time with physicians from different backgrounds in almost every specialty under the sun allowed me to truly understand why I wanted to sign up for many more years of schooling and loans. I gained useful clinical knowledge from my preceptors well in advance of medical school, and I learned invaluable life lessons. I realized that my love for learning, and finding the answer to the question “why” is the reason I wanted to go to medical school. I learned that medicine is about going beyond the surface to piece together a puzzle of not only a certain pathology, but of a full human being with complex life circumstances and excruciating individuality. I knew that I wanted to go to school for as long as is necessary to have all the knowledge and tools to be able to confidently take care of my future patients. Now, as a third year medical student, I still have this same mindset and I’m forever grateful for the eye opening experience that I had at such an early stage of my future career as a Guthrie Scholar.”

Jessica Pinsker

Binghamton University/SUNY Upstate

“One of the best preparations for medical school was my time spent at Guthrie through the Guthrie Scholars program. Coming from a chemistry and biology focused undergrad, it was intimidating at first the extent of physiology applied by the providers, but a good wake up call to the pace of modern medicine and medical school. Guthrie Scholars provided a great opportunity to shadow with a broad range of physicians and health professionals as well as get involved in a unique early opportunity to work on health focused research. Research opportunity is invaluable for medical school, and the experience to work with dedicated health researchers provided me with the know-how to get involved early in research projects in medical school.”

Nick Hudock

Wilkes University/Penn State Hershey School of Medicine

“I applied to the Guthrie Scholars Program for fall 2017, my junior year of college at Binghamton University. I was an integrative neuroscience major planning on applying to medical school at the end of the year. The Guthrie Scholars Program seemed like a great opportunity to be more exposed to the medical field and ultimately was one of the best experiences I could have asked for.

For the entire semester, our group of students took on the role of third year medical students. We were exposed to a new medical field almost every day and were able to help deliver babies, observe a multitude of surgeries, and learn how to speak with patients. This allowed me to obtain clinical experience as well as gain a better idea of what specialties I enjoyed and would consider pursuing in the future. We each also completed a clinical research project as a program requirement which allowed me to recognize my desire to pursue clinical research as a medical student and future physician.

I am now in my third year of medical school on clinical rotations and am still realizing the benefit I gained from the Guthrie Scholars Program. I have felt well prepared going into my clerkships since I already had prior experience from Guthrie. I started this year already knowing how to use Epic, having familiarity with operations, and understanding the expectations of a third-year student. I am so thankful I had the chance to participate in the Guthrie Scholars Program and wish all premedical students could have such an incredible opportunity.”

Ashley Berlot

Binghamton University/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

My name is Ana Rahman and I am a third-year medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. I am doing my clinical rotations at the Robert Packer Hospital but this is not my first time here. Years before doing my rotations at RPH, I was a Guthrie Scholar. The Guthrie Scholar program was an invaluable experience for me as a pre-medical student. It was my first up-close look into the world of medicine. Even as a medical student now in clinical rotations I do not get as much exposure to the variety of specialties I was exposed to as a Guthrie Scholar. Additionally, I made social connections that benefit me even now as a third-year medical student. I knew that when I started my rotations, I would have an advantage having already been in the clinical setting as a scholar.

There are providers who still kept in touch or recognized me when I returned years later. For anyone considering a career in the medical field, the Guthrie Scholar Program was what helped me in deciding if medicine was the right choice for me. And now, as I do my clinical rotations at the RPH, I have come full circle with me being a Guthrie Scholar three years ago and now getting the opportunity to teach students from the very same program. I would not trade being a Guthrie Scholar for anything!

Ana Rahman

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

My name is Zoya Rahman and I was a Guthrie Scholar over two years ago. At that time, I didn’t have much clinical experience, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from my time at Robert Packer Hospital. As I went through the program, I couldn’t imagine having received a better clinical experience anywhere else. Not only were the physicians and Guthrie staff welcoming but they had taken the time out of their busy days to make sure I had learned something new every day. I was able to shadow health care professionals from various fields and the advice I had received during that time has shaped the medical student I am today. I was able to build lasting relationships with individuals who were always ready to help if I ever needed it. Entering medical school, I already had experience in outpatient care and in the OR which proved to be very beneficial.

When it came time to pick my campus, I did not hesitate a second before choosing Guthrie. Two years later and the people of Guthrie are just as welcoming and supportive as they had been before. Knowing how the Guthrie staff had treated the Guthrie Scholars, I knew I was entering a space that promoted a positive atmosphere when it came to medical students asking questions or looking for clinical experiences. My hope is that more medical students can experience a program like the Guthrie Scholar program and can benefit from it as much as I have.

Zoya Rahman