Xavier University of Louisiana
Biomedical Honor Corps/Freshman Premed
Orientation Meeting
Welcome to Xavier University of Louisiana and the first of MANY meetings conducted
by the Premedical Office!!! If you are a new freshman or transfer premed who has NOT
yet signed-in with the Premedical Office, please stop by NCF 108 to do so ASAP!!!
At Xavier, we understand that the formal process of cultivating a competitive application
for medical, dental, or any other type of health professions school does not begin the
summer between junior and senior years of college when students typically complete
their professional school applications—the process begins DAY ONE OF FRESHMAN
YEAR AND CONTINUES THROUHGOUT ENROLLMENT!!
The Biomedical Honor Corps (i.e. Freshman Premed Meetings) constitutes a series of
eighteen (18) advising workshops conducted by the Premedical Office for new premeds
(both freshman and transfer). During each meeting, held at 4:15pm and 5:15pm on
Mondays (attend at either time), a new topic related to the process gaining admission into
medical, dental, etc. school is covered. If you are unable to attend a meeting, for
whatever reason, you are encouraged to stop by the Premedical Office as soon as possible
to make it up. The Freshman Premed Meetings serve as the foundation for premedical
advising in subsequent years, and we encourage you to CONSISTENTLY engage in
Premedical Office advising activities throughout enrollment.
A WORD OF CAUTION: Merely enrolling at Xavier does NOT guarantee you
acceptance into medical, dental, etc. school!!! If you are serious about becoming a
physician, dentist, or other health professional, you must be a serious student and prehealth professional, taking a proactive approach to success both inside and outside of the
classroom. The advising activities conducted by the Premedical Office, freshman year
and beyond, have been implemented to guide you through this process. It is up to YOU,
the student, whether or not you are prepared to do what it takes to attain your career goal.
QUESTION: Is participation in the Biomedical Honor
Corps Freshman Premed Meetings and other premed
advising activities at Xavier MANDATORY?
ANSWER: We’ll let YOU decide! As a premed student,
only YOU can determine whether or not participation
in premed advising activities that are designed to help
you gain acceptance into medical, dental, etc. school is
mandatory. What will YOU choose???
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I. General Advising Timeline for XU Students Applying to Medical, Dental, etc.
School
Freshman Year
 Keep grades up
 Attend/Complete all eighteen (18) weekly Freshman Premed Workshops and one (1)
individual meeting with a premedical adviser—NOTE: If you miss a group or
individual premed meeting, for whatever reason, please stop by the Premedical
Office as soon as possible to make it up!!!
 Check email daily for messages and reminders from the Premed Office
 Meet with medical, dental, etc. school recruiters who visit XU
 Enhance critical thinking skills in preparation for MCAT, DAT, etc. verbal sections
 Research/Apply to summer enrichment or research programs*
Sophomore Year
 Keep grades up
 Attend/Complete one (1) Sophomore Premed Workshop and one (1) individual meeting
with a premedical adviser
 Consider applying to early acceptance programs
 Check email daily for important messages and reminders from the Premed Office
 Meet with medical, dental, etc. school recruiters who visit XU
 Enhance critical thinking skills in preparation for MCAT, DAT, etc. verbal sections
 Research/Apply to summer enrichment or research programs*
Junior Year
 Keep grades up
 Attend three (3) one-one-one meetings with Premedical Advisers in preparation for
application to medical, dental, etc. school
 Enroll in discounted, on-campus Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) test
preparation course in January of junior year
 Plan to take NO MORE THAN 14 semester hours in Spring of Junior Year so that you
can put time into preparing for the MCAT and doing well in coursework
 Take the MCAT or similar test in April or May of junior year
 Meet with medical, dental, etc. school recruiters who visit XU
 Finalize medical, dental, etc. school application components
 Research/Apply to summer enrichment or research programs*
Summer after Junior Year
 Check email daily for medical, dental, etc. school application advising
 Start working on medical, dental, etc. school applications to submit in July
Senior Year
 Keep grades up
 Complete medical, dental, etc. school secondary or supplemental applications
 Prepare for medical, dental, etc. school interviews
 Attend one (1) one-on-one Senior Assessment Meeting
 Meet with medical, dental, etc. school recruiters who visit XU
 Prepare for graduation!!!
*XU’s Premedical Office encourages students interested in medicine, dentistry, etc. to attend at least one summer
enrichment or research program before APPLYING to health professions school; additionally, clinically-related paid or
volunteer work is also encouraged (as time permits) in an effort to express a sincere and demonstrated interest in
medicine, dentistry, etc.
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II. General Overview of Medical* Education
First Year
 Basic Sciences
Second Year
 Basic Sciences
 United States Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE) Step 1
Third Year
 Clinical Rotations
 United States Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE) Step 2-Clinical Skills
and Step 2-Clinical Knowledge
Fourth Year
 Clinical Rotations
 Electives
 Residency Program Application/MATCH via the National Resident Matching
Program
 Prepare for graduation!!!
Residency Training
 Paid training in specific medical, dental, etc. specialty
 3-7 years, depending on specialty
Post-Residency Options
 Private Practice
 Hospital
 Fellowship programs to train in more specialized fields of medicine
 Research
*Students who pursue osteopathic medical, dental, podiatric, etc. education follow a similar timeline
of courses, licensing exams, etc.
Students interested in medicine, dentistry, and other health professions should
visit http://www.explorehealthcareers.org to obtain useful information
regarding a variety of health careers!!!
Students interested in becoming physicians should also visit
https://www.aamc.org/students/aspiring/
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III. Tentative Guests Speakers: XU Alumni Working in the Health Professions
Dr. LaKica Amos
Hometown: Minden, LA; Major at XU: Chemistry; Professional School: University of Alabama Birmingham Dental School;
Degree: DMD; Current Position: Dentist/Owner, Dentistry by Design (New Orleans, LA); Website: www.noladentistry.com; Email:
lakica30@aol.com
Dr. Ariane Stevens Carrier
Hometown: New Orleans, LA; Major at XU: Chemistry; Professional School: Tulane University Medical School; Degree: MD;
Residency: Emergency Medicine, LSU School of Medicine; Current Position: ER Physician, Ochsner Westbank Hospital, University
Hospital (LSU Interim Hospital, & New Orleans East Hospital; Email: amstevens1979@yahoo.com
Dr. Lawrence H. Cresswell, III
Hometown: Rochester, NY; Major at XU: Biology; Professional School: New York College of Osteopathic Medicine; Degree: DO;
Residency: Emergency Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical Univ.; Current Position: ER Physician, East Jefferson General Hospital
and Law Student, Loyola Law School; Email: drlarry09@gmail.com
Dr. Lauren A. Davis
Hometown: Buffalo, NY; Major at XU: Biology; Professional School: LSU New Orleans Medical School; Degree: MD; Residency:
Internal Medicine, LSU New Orleans Medical School; Email: Lauren.alyse.williamson@gmail.com
Dr. Ashley Doucette
Hometown: New Orleans, LA; Major at XU: Psychology; Professional School: Tulane Medical School; Degree: MD/MPH;
Residency: Psychiatry, Tulane Medical School; Current Position: Psychiatrist, City of New Orleans Coroner’s Office & Advance
Telehealth Solutions; Email: adoucett@gmail.com
Dr. Larry Ferdinand, Jr.
Hometown: Shreveport, LA; Major at XU: Biology; Professional School: Howard Medical School; Degree: MD; Residency:
Ophthalmology, Howard University Hospital; Current Position: Ophthalmologist, Gulf Coast Eye Center (Ocean Springs, MS); Email:
lferd06@gmail.com
Dr. Veronica Gillispie
Hometown: Meridian, MS; Major at XU: Biology; Professional School: Meharry Medical College
Degree: MD; Residency: Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB/GYN), Ochsner Clinic Foundation
Current Position(s): Program Director of OB/GYN, Undergraduate Medical Education Associate Program Director for OB/GYN
Residency Program, Director of Quality for OB/GYN, and Director of Minimally Invasive Center for the Treatment of Uterine
Fibroids (Ochsner Clinic Foundation (New Orleans, LA); Email: vgillispie@ochsner.org
Dr. Mia Harris Jones
Hometown: New Orleans, LA; Major at XU: Chemistry; Professional School: Tulane Medical School;
Degree: MD/MPH; Residency: Pediatrics, Tulane/Ochsner; Current Position: Pediatrician/Owner. Tots, Tweens & Teens Children’s
Clinic, LLC (New Orleans, LA); Website: http://www.totstweensandteens.com; Email: dr.miaharris@gmail.com
Dr. Stephen T. Jones
Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA; Major at XU: Chemistry; Professional School: Meharry Medical College; Degree: MD; Residency:
Family Medicine, LSU Health Sciences Center; Fellowship: Sports Medicine, U of Mississippi Medical Center; Current Position:
Physician, Urgent Care Eleven (New Orleans, LA); Email: sjones@uceleven.com
Dr. Ryan Jupiter
Hometown: New Orleans, LA; Major at XU: Biology; Professional School: Tulane U Medical School; Degree: MD; Residency:
Emergency Medicine, LSU Health Sciences Center (New Orleans, LA);
Email: rcjupitermd@gmail.com
Dr. Roneisha Alexander McLendon
Hometown: Jeanerette, LA; Major at XU: Psychology; Professional School: Meharry Medical College; Degree: MD; Residency:
Anesthesiology, Ochsner Clinic Foundation (New Orleans, LA); Current Position: Fellowship, Obstetric Anesthesiology, Ochsner
Baptist (New Orleans, LA); Email: narota367@gmail.com
Dr. Candace Stevens Robinson
Hometown: New Orleans, LA; Major at XU: Chemistry; Professional School: Tulane Medical School;
Degree: MD; Residency: Emergency Medicine, LSU School of Medicine; Current Position: ER Physician, University Hospital (LSU
Interim Hospital) & New Orleans East Hospital; Email: candacesrobinson@yahoo.com
Dr. Jamie M. Sias
Hometown: Opelousas, LA; Major at XU: Biology; Professional School: LSUNO Medical School; Degree: MD; Residency:
OB/GYN, LSU New Orleans; Current Position: OB/GYN, Crescent City Physicians (New Orleans, LA); Email:
jamiesiasmd@gmail.com
Dr. Keeley W. Verrett
Hometown: Gulfport, MS; Major at XU: Biology; Professional School: U of Houston College of Optometry Degree: OD; Current
Position: Optometrist, Holistic Eye Care (New Orleans, LA); Email: kwverrett@gmail.com or drverrett@thewellnessinitiative.org
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