Last Updated on June 26, 2022 by Laura Turner
When Student Doctor Network (SDN) was founded 20 years ago by medical students and residents, applying to health professional school was a challenge often undertaken alone. Without social media or a centralized resource to gather information, students were left to simply hope for the best. This was especially true for students who did not fit the traditional mold of “pre-med”, “pre-dent” or other pre-health student, such as those from disadvantaged backgrounds without a network of health professionals to consult about the process or non-traditional students who were coming to healthcare later in life.
While there is now a wealth of information out there on how to get into health professional school, the path to get there has gotten only more challenging over the years. We want to make this dream accessible for everyone, especially those with the least resources. Because of this, we work tirelessly to provide a wide range of tools to help students succeed – all of which are free or available at cost. This supports our mission of building a diverse doctor workforce.
Every member has something to give that will benefit the SDN community and assist future doctors, dentists, physical therapists, veterinarians, and other healthcare professionals. In honor of our 20th birthday celebration, here are twenty ways you can support SDN now and in the future.
- Be a productive member of the SDN community. Through the SDN Forums, members are able to connect with thousands of like-minded students, residents, and health professionals to ask questions, discuss educational and career goals, and offer advice to those who come after them. The success of SDN is due entirely to our members and volunteers. We promote and celebrate diversity of people and ideas and are open to the discussion of challenging topics, but we expect each member to be courteous, contribute positively, and treat everyone with dignity and respect.
- Report bad posts. Our volunteer moderators can’t screen every post or thread – we rely on fellow members (you) to report mean posts, false posts, spam, trolls and haters. Use the “Report Post to Moderator” button. Once reported, a member of the volunteer team will review the post and take appropriate action. We carefully review every post reported.
- Become a donor. SDN has grown through the years because of the generous individual contributions of thousands of members. Today SDN is run by volunteers and a small team of part-time employees, supporting thousands of website visitors every day by providing free and at-cost resources to tomorrow’s healthcare professionals. As a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit, we need your help to ensure continued support for the next generation. Donate today!
- Sponsor SDN. We are committed to serving our community of pre-health students, health professional students, and practicing doctors. As a public benefit nonprofit, all sponsorship and affiliate revenues directly fund the development of new tools and resources. We provide all resources and tools for free or at cost in the case of printed publications. By supporting SDN, you have the opportunity to reach our diverse membership, one of the largest health and pre-health student communities on the web, with information about your institution, organization, products, or services. Learn more about our sponsorship packages.
- Shop our Amazon store. We’ve developed curated lists on Amazon to assist with some of your school, professional, and recreational needs. SDN receives a portion of all sales through our Amazon store. And, share your ideas on how we can grow and add your must-have items!
- Submit interview feedback. Interview Feedback provides insights and details about interviews at schools reported by students themselves. Share your experiences after interviewing and help students coming after you.
- Submit a school review. What do you like/dislike about your medical school? Are faculty members approachable? How supportive is your school? Share details about your school to help provide first-hand insight for prospective students.
- Leave a Scutwork review of your residency program. Were you curious what residency programs were really like when you researched them? Now that you’ve matched and are behind the curtain, share details about your schedule, learning environments and what you think about the camaraderie among peers and attending-resident relationships.
- Write an article (or two or three). Have a knack for writing? We’re always looking for new writers to share their expertise and experiences with our audience. Published twice per week, SDN articles cover topics ranging from application and study tips to specialty profiles, healthcare policy, and more, and are written by a wide range of students and experts. Read more about our publishing guidelines and submit your ideas!
- Share articles you find helpful. Did an article on SDN really speak to you and help you on your educational journey? Be sure to share with friends and help us reach more students and professionals!
- Serve on our Editorial Board. SDN editorial board members help ensure we publish the best possible articles. Members review, edit, and approve all articles prior to publication. SDN accepts editorial board applications in the Spring of each year. Be on the lookout for next year’s application!
- Become an Expert. Having experts participate across the forums helps ensure students are getting high quality advice and information. SDN experts provide advising to pre-health and health professional students across the forums and within the Confidential Consult area. All experts are nominated and vetted by our volunteer staff and serve in many different fields of medicine, including school administration.
- Ask a Confidential Consult Question. Have a burning question you want to ask, but don’t want to ask in the public forums? Ask your confidential* questions and receive feedback and answers from our team of experts.
* SDN removes all personal or self-identifying information prior to moving questions to public view. - Follow SDN on social media. Stay up-to-date on new articles, new resources and features, as well as fun and interesting things we come across by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. From interview practice samples to how to use the forums tutorials, our YouTube channel is loaded with content to help you in your education journey and better utilize a wide range of SDN resources.
- Share SDN. Let others know about the resources you’ve found helpful or the advice you’ve received on the forums. One of the best ways you can support SDN is by sharing how it has helped you, either online or with those around you.
- Purchase an SDN shirt through Bonfire. Physician, dentist, or pharmacist? We’ve got a shirt for that! Purchase a shirt or sweatshirt, show your profession pride, and support SDN all at the same time. SDN receives a portion of all sales.
- Utilize other SDN resources. From informational articles and school reviews to study plans, interview planning tools, and admissions guides, SDN has already impacted a generation of physicians and healthcare professionals through our wide range of tools and resources. And even better, all our resources are provided free or at cost! Check out our resources page to see everything we offer.
- Volunteer to test new resources. As we continue to develop new resources to meet the growing needs of our community, we need people willing to test each feature. To become a tester, contact us.
- Let us know how we can improve. We are always looking for ways we can better serve our community. Whether ways to improve the forums, or how a resource could be updated, we’d love to hear your ideas.
- Share ideas for new resources. We work tirelessly to fulfill our mission of building a diverse doctor workforce. We love partnering with students and professionals to develop and bring to life new tools and resources. If you have an idea that would help others in their educational journey, we’d love to hear about it!
Finally, on behalf of the SDN community, we want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years and those who have let us know how SDN has helped them in their journey. We wish you the best of luck with wherever your educational journey takes you and hope that we’ve been able to help you along the way.
We’ve been on the Internet for over 20 years doing just one thing: providing health career information for free or at cost. We do this because we believe that the health education process is too expensive and too competitive. Many people and organizations have built their businesses making money on students who are desperate for any opportunity to become a doctor.
We believe that all students deserve the same access to high-quality information. We believe that providing high-quality career advice and information ensures that everyone, regardless of income or privilege, has a chance to achieve their dream of being a doctor.
SDN is published by the Health Professional Student Association, a nonprofit educational organization.